Sinem Kavak
Researcher
At the intersection of social class and space : Forced migrants’ mobility decision-making in Turkey and Lebanon
Author
Summary, in English
This article aims first to understand how and why forced migrants decide to leave
ar stay in their first country af asylum, and second to contribute to the theory af
agentic analyses af forced displacement. Our contribution adds to the growing
body af research examining the impact af social class and associated capitals an
the trajectories af forced migrants. Our analysis af the protracted displacement af
Syrians in Turkey and Lebanon demonstrates that social class is a critical factor in
shaping the experiences and mobility aspirations and it has significant impact an
their future mobility and immobility decisions. By using a Bourdieusian
conceptualisation af social class and relying an in-depth interviews, we analyse
the types af capital that forced migrants possess, their convertibility, and their
chances af re-establishing their class status. We show that convertibility depends
an the type af capital and its interaction with social space. Our findings
demonstrate that voluntary immobility may occur among those who have achieved
similar livelihoods to their pre-displacement status and are content with their lives.
Lower-income households that struggle to restore their livelihoods are more likely
to engage in irregular migration ar become trapped in involuntary immobility.
ar stay in their first country af asylum, and second to contribute to the theory af
agentic analyses af forced displacement. Our contribution adds to the growing
body af research examining the impact af social class and associated capitals an
the trajectories af forced migrants. Our analysis af the protracted displacement af
Syrians in Turkey and Lebanon demonstrates that social class is a critical factor in
shaping the experiences and mobility aspirations and it has significant impact an
their future mobility and immobility decisions. By using a Bourdieusian
conceptualisation af social class and relying an in-depth interviews, we analyse
the types af capital that forced migrants possess, their convertibility, and their
chances af re-establishing their class status. We show that convertibility depends
an the type af capital and its interaction with social space. Our findings
demonstrate that voluntary immobility may occur among those who have achieved
similar livelihoods to their pre-displacement status and are content with their lives.
Lower-income households that struggle to restore their livelihoods are more likely
to engage in irregular migration ar become trapped in involuntary immobility.
Department/s
- Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
- LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
- Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)
- MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World
Publishing year
2024
Language
English
Document type
Conference paper: abstract
Topic
- International Migration and Ethnic Relations
Conference name
Nordic Geographers Metting 2024
Conference date
2024-06-24 - 2024-06-27
Conference place
Copenhagen, Denmark
Status
Published