The efficacy of pre-departure cultural orientation as a social work intervention in acculturation

Each year the United States resettles thousands of refugees of in the United States. Coming from tragic situations, frequently experiencing tremendous suffering, the goal of the U.S. refugee program is to facilitate refugee self-sufficiency as soon as possible after arrival through requiring participation in a cultural orientation program in countries of asylum for U.S. bound refugees.; This study explores the efficacy of pre-departure cultural orientation as a social work intervention in improving employment success. Based in the bidimensional acculturation theory of John Berry, the study uses a quasi-experimental design utilizing secondary analysis of a sample of 15,737 Sudanese, Somali and Liberian refugees. The study operationalizes employment outcomes as an element of acculturation success, examining Berry's theory that all refugees experience the same levels of acculturation stress and success regardless of ethnicity while simultaneously exploring his suggestion that interventions should be provided prior to departure.; The main hypothesis is: when controlling for length of time in the U.S., nationality, family reunification status, and marital status, refugees who receive cultural orientation have higher rates of employment than those who do not. The research of literature illustrates the importance of including the variables of length of stay in the host country, ethnicity, marital status, and family reunification status. The study population was selected from arrival data generated from the Refugee Processing Center, a contractor designated by the U.S. Department of State to process data on resettled refugees.; Data analysis indicated that when employing control factors for those who participate in cultural orientation, those who participate in cultural orientation have higher rates of employment than those who do not. Length of stay and family reunification status positively affect employment outcomes at different time measures while marital status negative affects employment outcomes. Employment outcomes differ based on ethnicity.; The analysis illustrates that refugees do not experience the acculturation process in the same manner. However, there are nuances to the intervention that indicate further scrutiny would suggest advantages inherent to the process that have social work practice and policy implications.