Exploring gender and culture with Khmer refugee women: reflections on participatory feminist research

This article discusses the process and findings from a study based on the paradigm of feminist participatory research. The research is first discussed in relation to contemporary feminist scholarship. The project combined elements of community health nursing practice and feminist research in a support group with Khmer refugee women. The research explored psychosocial adjustment and the construction of gender among Khmer women. Methods of data collection included life history and trauma history interviews, discussion of dream narratives and Cambodian myths, and participant observation. Findings included four recurring themes identified in the women's stories. The research process is discussed in terms of its implications for nursing praxis.