Category: Life experience
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Being a refugee in 2025
A group of third year social psychology students from the University of Durham prepared some questions that they wanted to ask refugees to the UK as part of their studies into current social issues and intergroup relations. Two refugees recently arrived in Scotland, one from Eritrea and one from Syria, had met each other through…
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Being an asylum seeker
People coming to the UK as asylum seekers or refugees come in good faith expecting a safe haven. However, it is not an easy process and people often struggle to become settled and integrated. Our two contributors have each faced danger and hardship in their respective countries forcing them to flee and find safety for…
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Being a Soldier
High school students studying the topic of ‘War’ as part of their RMPS (Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies) course put some searching questions to soldiers who have had the real life experience. The soldiers who have served together as regular army and reservists answer the questions with disarming honesty and clarity.
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Being Old
In this conversation, three friends in their eighties are answering, (and sometimes not answering!), questions from a group of teenagers with an occasional prompt from a facilitator. They all live in the Scottish Borders. The questions are thoughtful and sometimes very direct but the friends tackle them head on and give us a frank, personal…
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Being a Refugee from Ukraine
A couple from Ukraine who arrived in rural Scotland as refugees answer questions from undergraduate psychology students studying intergroup relations. An ESOL tutor is present to help with any language difficulties. There is a paraphrased transcript available.
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Being a Refugee from Syria
In this conversation, two best friends, both refugees from Syria, answer questions from undergraduate pyschology students studying intergroup relations. An ESOL tutor is present to help with any language difficulties. There is a paraphrased transcript available.
Encouraged Conversations 