Life Course Theory Applied to an Iraqi Refugee's Story

Life Course Framework and Key Concepts

The life course perspective is primarily focused on analyzing people's lives and the changes that occur between different periods. These changes may be cultural or social, but what is essential is tracing the relationships between those periods. A good example is how one's childhood affects adolescence and how adolescence, in turn, shapes adulthood. The life course theory is gaining popularity as a valuable framework for studying the pathways of different organizations, families, and even social movements (Hutchison, 2018).

Cohorts, Transitions, and Trajectories Defined

Researchers and social workers who rely on life course theory apply the following concepts to explain growth and change: cohorts, transitions, trajectories, life events, and turning points.

Life course researchers whose primary focus is the historical context of development prefer the cohort concept. A cohort is defined as a group of people whose birth dates can be traced to the same historical period, who share common experiences, and who are roughly the same age. Population pyramids are a useful way to visualize cohort configurations. Pyramid charts represent a percentage of a population organized by age group, making it easier to identify a cohort of interest. Population pyramids differ from country to country. In rapidly growing countries like Kenya, most of the population is young, unlike slow-growing countries such as the United States, where most people are older. A higher proportion of older residents can attract younger adults from other countries to fill workforce needs (Hutchison, 2018).

Life course theory views human life as a process that moves through different stages. Each person undergoes several changes characterized by the exit from previous roles and the adoption of new behaviors. A clear example of this is how a person starts school, completes a degree, begins a career, and eventually retires. Other changes — social, cultural, or structural — occur in parallel with these common milestones. Some changes may be difficult to notice because they are gradual, while others, such as shifts in citizenship or health status, are readily observable. Transitions can have either positive or negative effects: marriages and births are typically joyful, while divorces and deaths bring grief and stress.

Health professionals have benefited considerably from the study of transitions, particularly when trying to understand role changes in families that arise from caring for older adults. Transition concepts have also gained traction in analyses of migration and immigration. A family member's departure or the arrival of a new member automatically triggers role changes, which constitute a transition. Similarly, college graduates immediately take on new roles — whether as researchers, teachers, or departmental assistants (Hutchison, 2018).

The changes that happen within an individual are discrete: when they occur, an older chapter of human life closes and a new one opens. Not all changes happen quickly; some transitions unfold over time, and a single change may involve a series of smaller transitions. Consider the process one undergoes before becoming a licensed social worker. The transitions embedded in that trajectory include licensing examinations, promotions, and job changes. Trajectories are not straight lines, but looking back on a career path can reveal patterns that may be used to anticipate future direction or continuity (Hutchison, 2018).

The Narrative of Ali Mahdi

This narrative reflects on the life of Ali Mahdi, who has been thoroughly transformed after moving to the United States as a refugee. He works for Catholic Social Services in Phoenix as an immigration specialist — notably offering the very service he needed most when he arrived in the United States in 1992. Mahdi lives with his family in an Anglo American neighborhood; as a result, his daughter has made friends with Hispanic and Anglo American peers. Mahdi comes from a Muslim family, but he avoids being overly observant in his religion and does not attend mosque. His mother wears a veil, while his wife does not — a difference Mahdi keeps private and rarely draws attention to (Hutchison, 2010).

Mahdi was born in 1947 in Iraq and was raised with two sisters and four brothers. His father, a teacher, was the family's breadwinner, while his mother stayed home to care for the seven children. A large portion of Mahdi's early life was spent in Baghdad, where he experienced a mix of both modern and traditional ways of life. According to him, life was normal and good until political unrest began to erode its quality in 1974.

Despite these challenges, Mahdi continued his education, and in 1982 he and his wife graduated with degrees in fine arts. He began his professional life as a teacher, but it was not long before he was drafted as a military officer. His service contract was supposed to last only two years, but the prolonged war extended it by another six years, keeping him in uniform until 1989. During those eight years, Mahdi witnessed many of his friends being killed, which seriously affected him.

After the war ended, Mahdi returned to teaching. By this point, he had two daughters — a great deal having changed in the intervening years. Among those changes, his two brothers had already relocated to the United States. A desire to reunite with them grew in him, and he began saving for the move. He planned to leave in November 1990, but a new war between Kuwait and Iraq erupted in August 1990 and derailed those plans (Hutchison, 2010).

Mahdi was once again drafted as a military officer but refused to comply. Refusing a mandatory draft in Iraq carried the death penalty — specifically, being shot in front of one's own home. To save his life and protect his family, Mahdi gathered them and fled Baghdad. American forces stationed on the Kuwait-Iraq border agreed to help, transporting his family to the Rafha refugee camp in northern Saudi Arabia.

Life at the camp was extremely difficult. Mahdi's wife and children endured constant hardship — harsh weather with strong winds, dust storms, and intense heat. The treatment by Saudi soldiers made conditions worse; refugees, including Mahdi's family, were beaten with sticks. With no other choice, they remained. While still at the camp, Mahdi learned of plans to evict Iraqi refugees. Desperate, he asked a visiting man to help him write a letter to his brother in the United States. Through his brother's intervention, the family was removed from the camp and taken to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh (Hutchison, 2010).

At the embassy, Mahdi volunteered for a month before flying with his family to Arizona via Switzerland. They were hosted by his brother for about two months before moving into their own apartment after Mahdi secured a job as a cashier at a convenience store. To help his daughters with their schoolwork, he enrolled in English classes, attending at night because of his daytime job. He noted that Arizona's culture was different from what he had known, but not entirely surprising — he had formed some impressions from American television programs viewed back home.

After a year and a half at the store, Mahdi started his own moving company while simultaneously studying math and physics. The business operated for two years before collapsing, largely because clients were uncomfortable with his accent. This setback pushed him back toward teaching, but a lack of respect from students diminished his morale and made the position unsatisfying. His despondency ultimately led him to a position as an immigration specialist for Catholic Social Services. He reports that he finds deep satisfaction in helping refugees, in part because he was once a refugee himself. He has assisted individuals from Vietnam, Somalia, and the Kosovo region of the former Yugoslavia. While working in this role, Mahdi has continued his education and now holds a master's degree in art education. He has also considered returning to teaching at some point in the future (Hutchison, 2010).

Throughout these years, Mahdi carried a vivid memory of his father's death. He believes that the frustration and fear caused by the war contributed to the heart attack that killed his father in 1986. His mother remained in Iraq until 1996, when she moved to Arizona. She now lives about a mile from Mahdi's home and enjoys time with her grandchildren, though a language barrier limits her interactions with others who do not speak Arabic. In 1994, Mahdi and his wife welcomed another daughter. Around the same time, his wife's parents also immigrated to the United States, which meant his wife needed to stay home to care for the elderly in-laws and the children. Mahdi was acutely aware of the challenges that the new cultural environment could pose for the entire extended family.