Exploring Systemic Injustice and Wellbeing among Uyghurs in Australia

Abstract

Extensive research has shown that people with refugee backgrounds face many challenges to their wellbeing that occur in the pre- and post-displacement contexts. However, little research has explored the impact of systemic injustice on wellbeing for this group, despite the fact that many will have faced such injustices, and that they are often unresolved. As such, the aims of this thesis were: (1) to explore the understandings of justice among refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced systemic injustice, (2) to understand how systemic injustice impacts wellbeing for refugees and asylum seekers and (3) to explore the pathways to restoring justice after systemic injustice. The research questions were initially explored with a focus on both refugees and asylum seekers through a systematic review of the literature, followed by qualitative research with a focus on a case study of Uyghur people resettled in Australia. The Uyghur people are an ethnic and cultural group from East Turkistan, located in Central Asia, who have faced decades of persecution and injustice under Chinese Communist occupation. This thesis comprised three studies. Study 1 was a systematic review of the relationship between systemic injustice and wellbeing among refugees and asylum seekers. The systematic review followed the guidelines set out by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Fourteen studies were included in the review and the data was analysed thematically. The main findings were that justice is understood as rights and balances in power. Systemic injustice was associated with mistrust in legal systems and preference for informal and cultural forms of justice. Systemic injustice was also found to have negative impacts on wellbeing, especially in terms of agency, control, and emotional reactions such as anger. Studies 2 and 3 were qualitative, interview-based explorations of understanding and restoring justice, as well as the impact of systemic injustice on wellbeing, among Uyghur refugees resettled in Australia. Twenty-seven semi-structured interviews with twenty women and seven men were conducted and analysed thematically. Study 2 specifically explored how participants understood and defined justice as well as the pathways to restoring justice following systemic injustice. The resulting themes highlighted that justice is understood as equal rights, truth and freedom. Restoring justice included acknowledging injustices, right of return, safety, self-determination and political intervention. Study 3 explored the impact of systemic injustice on the wellbeing of participants. The themes indicated that systemic injustice is associated with negative, pervasive impacts on wellbeing such as psychological distress and challenges with interpersonal relationships. Participants reported anger, guilt, and helplessness towards the injustices they faced. Participants expressed fear for the future which included, worrying about friends and family, fears for their safety in addition to the potential loss of cultural and linguistic identity. Participants experienced a greater sense of agency after resettling in Australia and becoming engaged in advocacy for the rights and freedoms of all Uyghurs. Overall, the findings of thesis indicated that justice is an important factor to consider in understanding the wellbeing of people with refugee backgrounds who have faced systemic injustice. This finding has implications for understanding justice as a social determinant of health, incorporating understandings of justice and experiences of systemic injustice in clinical practice and, future research with people with refugee backgrounds.