Abstract

The issue of social capital frequently emerges in both academic and policy debates on refugee integration. Yet refugee voices and the reality of their experiences are often absent from such debates. The Home Office’s (2005) report, Integration Matters: A National Strategy for Refugee Integration, describes integration as “the process that takes place when refugees are empowered to achieve their full potential as members of British society, to contribute to the community and to become fully able to exercise the rights and responsibilities that they share with other residents.” Recent research has demonstrated that refugee women often feel isolated and lack support networks, a situation that can impact on their mental well-being and ability to integrate into society. This paper takes a gender perspective on integration. It draws upon 66 interviews with refugee women to explore their role and importance within their daily lives and the implications this has for citizenship and integration. It examines the type of networks and social capital women refugees have access to and how this might impact on their identity and well-being. Whilst the acquisition of social capital cannot always be regarded as intrinsically valuable a number of questions are raised including whether women’s access to social capital permits the acquisition of other forms of capital and what role does this play in refugee women’s experiences of integration? What obstacles do women experience in entering social networks or acquiring social/cultural capital? The paper concludes with a discussion of potential policy solutions.