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RESILIENCE IN ARAB AMERICAN COUPLES AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: A SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE
Author(s) -
Beitin Ben K.,
Allen Katherine R.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2005.tb01567.x
Subject(s) - acculturation , perspective (graphical) , grounded theory , immigration , terrorism , psychological resilience , social psychology , sociology , identity (music) , social constructionism , gender studies , psychology , ethnic group , qualitative research , political science , social science , anthropology , physics , artificial intelligence , computer science , acoustics , law
Guided by a family resiliency model grounded in systems theory and social constructionism, we conducted in‐depth interviews to explore how 18 Arab American couples living in New York and New Jersey perceived and dealt with the terrorist attacks and aftereffects of September 11, 2001. Results are organized around five themes: Making sense of the attacks; the social environment after September 11, 2001; construction of identity: Arab and/or American; how couples cope: reactions and resources; and immigration and acculturation. Clinical recommendations include helping couples to uncover and to explore conflicts in both Arab and American identities, using genograms to deal with family‐of‐origin histories, recognizing specific couple dynamics linked to traditional gender roles, helping couples connect to religious and cultural communities, and assessing acculturation.