Cultivating Belonging: The role of community farming in the lives of refugees from Burma

Undergraduate: Emily Reckard

Faculty Advisor: Jocelyn Chua
Department: Anthropology

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Significant research exists supporting the public health benefits of urban green space. These benefits include recovery from mental fatigue, stress reduction, and neighborhood social cohesion. Yet little qualitative research has been done regarding how green space impacts refugee populations and in what ways this fosters community. This research explores how Transplanting Traditions Community Farm (TTCF) cultivates a sense of belonging for refugees from Burma in Chapel Hill. I use TTCF as a case study to research the role the farm plays in forming and encouraging social relationships within the community of refugees from Burma and with the larger community of Chapel Hill.