In 2000, a small group of refugees from Sudan were sponsored by three local churches in Maryville, Tennessee. The churches worked with the Bridge Organization in order to orchestrate the refugees' departure from Africa to Maryville. At the time of their sponsorship, it was believed that the Sudanese population in Maryville would be self-sufficient within two years of arrival. This study uses one-on-one, open-ended interviews and a paper-pencil questionnaire with the Sudanese population and a focus group with the American sponsors to assess the extent that the Sudanese refugee population in Maryville has become self-sufficient. While individual success depends on multitude of variables, the results indicate that in general, the Sudanese community is still struggling with American norms and culture, and, as a result, has not become self-sufficient.
","abstract_html":"<p>In 2000, a small group of refugees from Sudan were sponsored by three local churches in Maryville, Tennessee. The churches worked with the Bridge Organization in order to orchestrate the refugees' departure from Africa to Maryville. At the time of their sponsorship, it was believed that the Sudanese population in Maryville would be self-sufficient within two years of arrival. This study uses one-on-one, open-ended interviews and a paper-pencil questionnaire with the Sudanese population and a focus group with the American sponsors to assess the extent that the Sudanese refugee population in Maryville has become self-sufficient. While individual success depends on multitude of variables, the results indicate that in general, the Sudanese community is still struggling with American norms and culture, and, as a result, has not become self-sufficient.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Teaster, Caitlin TS"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-05-07T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-05-07T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:14Z","subjects":["Sudan","Uniated States","Refugee","Accultration","Self-Sufficiency","Place and Environment","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1308","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Teaster, Caitlin TS"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2011-05-07T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sudan","Uniated States","Refugee","Accultration","Self-Sufficiency","Place and Environment","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2499/viewcontent/TeasterC011011f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1308"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In 2000, a small group of refugees from Sudan were sponsored by three local churches in Maryville, Tennessee. The churches worked with the Bridge Organization in order to orchestrate the refugees' departure from Africa to Maryville. At the time of their sponsorship, it was believed that the Sudanese population in Maryville would be self-sufficient within two years of arrival. This study uses one-on-one, open-ended interviews and a paper-pencil questionnaire with the Sudanese population and a focus group with the American sponsors to assess the extent that the Sudanese refugee population in Maryville has become self-sufficient. While individual success depends on multitude of variables, the results indicate that in general, the Sudanese community is still struggling with American norms and culture, and, as a result, has not become self-sufficient.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Acculturation of Sudanese Refugees in Maryville Tennessee: Has Self-Sufficiency Been Achieved?."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Teaster, Caitlin TS"],"dc:date.available":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2011-05-07T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In 2000, a small group of refugees from Sudan were sponsored by three local churches in Maryville, Tennessee. The churches worked with the Bridge Organization in order to orchestrate the refugees' departure from Africa to Maryville. At the time of their sponsorship, it was believed that the Sudanese population in Maryville would be self-sufficient within two years of arrival. This study uses one-on-one, open-ended interviews and a paper-pencil questionnaire with the Sudanese population and a focus group with the American sponsors to assess the extent that the Sudanese refugee population in Maryville has become self-sufficient. While individual success depends on multitude of variables, the results indicate that in general, the Sudanese community is still struggling with American norms and culture, and, as a result, has not become self-sufficient.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2499/viewcontent/TeasterC011011f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1308"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Sudan","Uniated States","Refugee","Accultration","Self-Sufficiency","Place and Environment","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"],"dc:title":["The Acculturation of Sudanese Refugees in Maryville Tennessee: Has Self-Sufficiency Been Achieved?."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:14Z"}