Author Identifier (ORCID)
Obed Adonteng-Kissi: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9324-7138
Abstract
Across the globe, a significant number of immigrants frequently encounter discrimination and social exclusion in their host nations, prompting discussions regarding policies and societal attitudes toward these groups. This study is guided by the structural social work framework which provides a very important structure to understand the experiences of Black African immigrants in Australia. Drawing on the case of Black African immigrants in Australia, this study investigates the effects of discrimination and social exclusion on their wellbeing. This research builds upon existing literature concerning the discrimination and social exclusion of immigrants, incorporating the perspectives of 27 social workers and immigrants who have resided in Australia for at least of 2 years. We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight social workers and 19 Black African immigrants purposefully selected from Brisbane, Townsville, Melbourne, and Sydney. These interviews were conducted both face-to-face and online via Zoom, Teams, and WhatsApp calls. We audio-recorded and transcribed the interviews, employing a thematic analysis approach with the assistance of NVivo software to analyze the data. Our findings reveal that Black African immigrants often experience discrimination, primarily manifested through their perceptions of exclusion and discrimination in job recruitment, social environments, and social contexts. Participants emphasized that discrimination in its various forms affects their wellbeing. Our findings contribute to the scholarship on wellbeing. We argue that interventions aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of Black African immigrants should address discriminatory and exclusionary systems, advocate for policy reform, and re-emphasize the role of practitioners as agents of social activism and change.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Publication Title
Race and Justice
Publisher
Sage
School
School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
82496
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Adonteng-Kissi, O., Mabefam, M., Archibong, E., Meribe, N., & Baffour, F. D. (2025). Impact of perceived discrimination and social exclusion on wellbeing of Black African immigrants in Australia. Race and Justice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/21533687251356287