Resilience, happiness, social isolation and emotional isolation amongst the Tibetan refugees

Pages:267-272
Vipasha Kashyap (Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, Himachal Pradeh)

It is important to explore the potential role of ‘resilience’ and ‘happiness’ in Tibetan refugees which helps them to cope with refugee-hood. It is also necessary to highlight the impact of ‘social isolation’ and ’emotional isolation’ in their life. The aim of this work is to focus on these variables, amongst the Tibetan refugees born and nurtured in exile (India) and the ones born and raised in their homeland (Tibet). A sample of 90 participants (45 in each group) completed the measures of resilience, happiness, social isolation and emotional isolation. Using Correlation and t-test analysis, the magnitude and direction of relationships among the variables and the difference among the Tibetan refugees in the two groups were calculated respectively. The correlation results for the Tibetan refugees born and raised in exile and in Tibet (till their mid/late teens) show, that emotional isolation is significantly and negatively correlated with resilience. Social isolation is negatively and significantly correlated with resilience amongst the Tibetan refugees born and raised in exile. Resilience is significantly and positively correlated with happiness in both the groups. t-test results depict significant differences between the Tibetan refugees born and raised in exile and in Tibet on the variables except resilience. Happiness and resilience (personal attitudes and beliefs) act as promoters of adjustment and stress buffer amongst refugees. They are inversely proportional to social isolation and emotional isolation.