Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Education, Counseling
Date of Defense
11-11-2025
Graduate Advisor
So Rin Kim
Committee
Agata Freedle
Emily Brown
Phillip Waalkes
Abstract
While structural and acculturative factors are well recognized in shaping immigrants’ adjustment, prior research has offered limited insight into the role of relational factors. This qualitative study employed narrative inquiry, together with the Lifeline Technique, to explore how relationships influenced immigrants’ experiences of adjustment to life in the United States. Guided by a constructivist–interpretivist paradigm, this research examined how immigrants interpreted and constructed meaning from their relational experiences, both positive and negative, during adjustment. A diverse sample of nine immigrants participated. Findings revealed six central themes: relationships as anchors of belonging, relational wounds during the adjustment in US, in between two worlds, resilience through roles and responsibilities, cultural heritage and faith as relational protective factors, and inspiration across journeys. The findings indicate that immigrant adjustment is not solely an individual or acculturative process but a relationally embedded one, shaped by both supportive connections and ruptures. The study provides insights to inform counseling practice and education, strengthen community-based support, and deepen understanding of the relational factors that foster immigrant well-being and adjustment.
Recommended Citation
Marovic-Johnson, Davorka, "A Narrative Inquiry into the Role of Relationships in the Immigrant Experience with Adjustment in the United States" (2025). Dissertations. 1567.
https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/1567