| States with the fastest growing immigrant populations have not seen similar inflows for almost a century, if ever. Dispersal of immigrants and refugees to states that have traditionally not attracted such populations has led to a broad array of integration issues that were previously confined to only a handful of states. For example, it is estimated that 10--12,000 Sudanese refugees are currently residing in Omaha, Nebraska---making it one of the largest populations of Sudanese outside of Sudan. This study speaks to the ways that social linkages are created and utilized by refugees to access resettlement services. It addresses the role of refugee cultural brokers (referred to as ethnic cultural brokers) within the Sudanese community of Omaha. By exploring the in-depth resettlement experiences of thirty Sudanese refugees, this dissertation examines, analyzes, identifies and defines the brokerage roles that are established and maintained within the community and the effects of these relationships on access to resettlement services and---in some instances---service provision. As the organizational and social science literature demonstrates, much has already been said about organizational networks, (i.e., interagency collaborations, coordination) as well as social networks, but what both fields lack is information on how those various networks are linked. Such research is particularly sparse as it pertains to clients' access to services. Therefore, this research focuses on brokers as the valuable, yet often overlooked, link between service organizations and their clients. This dissertation challenges traditional social network theories (i.e., bonding vs. bridging, the tertius gaudens, network vs. closure model) and introduces a new concept into the field. It offers policy recommendations for practitioners, policy makers and researchers.;Keywords: Refugee resettlement, social networks, ethnic cultural brokers, Sudanese... |
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