Leveraging cultural capital : a single case study of refugee service providers’ navigation of social and systemic barriers.

This study examined the systemic challenges refugees face during resettlement in the United States and explored how cultural capital practices shape access to essential services. Refugees, often navigating acculturative stress, language barriers, and financial constraints, have traditionally engaged with a resettlement system that undervalues their inherent cultural assets. U.S. resettlement programs have historically emphasized rapid employment as the primary measure of success, overlooking the emotional, social, and cultural dimensions of integration. Grounded in cultural capital theory (Bourdieu, 1986), this study argues for a more holistic framework that recognizes the knowledge, traditions, and skills refugees bring as critical tools for resilience and adaptation. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore how resettlement service providers in Nebraska, many of whom were themselves refugees, experience and apply cultural capital as they navigate the refugee process. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group to capture in-depth perspectives on service delivery. These methods enabled participants to share their lived experiences in their own words, revealing both structural barriers and opportunities for innovation. Thematic analysis identified persistent gaps in existing resettlement models, particularly in language support, culturally responsive communication, and institutional flexibility. Findings indicate that service providers engage in a dynamic process of cultural adaptation and resource navigation, leveraging cultural knowledge, resilience, and communal caregiving to mediate the challenges of displacement. Through adaptive strategies, such as modifying meal rituals, managing cultural visibility, and utilizing digital tools, they enacted creative forms of agency that bridged cultural and systemic divides. Their experiences further underscore how access to services and opportunities is shaped by refugee status, professional credentials, and restrictive policies, highlighting the tension between personal resilience and structural exclusion. Overall, the study demonstrates that resettlement outcomes are strengthened when newcomers, service providers, and the Refugee Immigration Service Center (RISC) community strategically mobilize cultural capital within context-specific settings, transforming structural constraints into opportunities for sustainable and equitable integration.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Sales, Amber, 1984-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Guerra, Jennifer J., 1970-

• Qualitative research.
• Single case study.
• Acculturation.
• Service delivery.
• Integration.
• Refugee resettlement.
• Cultural capital.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14133

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14133