What does home mean in displacement? A case study of refugee women in the South of England.

Abstract

Home is a complex, multi-faceted concept, yet it is frequently thought of as a static concept synonymous with a place of origin. Such construction of home, however, creates tensions between analyses of displacement, on the one hand, and the experience and meaning of home in contexts of forced migration, on the other. This study explores these tensions and contributes to existing debates at the intersection of migration and gender studies, specifically those which explore refugee women’s experiences and practices of home-making. Based on ethnographic research conducted with a group of women of various origins seeking asylum in the South of England, this research uses transnational and feminist frameworks to explore the meaning of home for the women themselves who took part in the study. It engages with visual methodologies, interviews, and informal group conversations to generate meaningful insights on the mundane, sensory, and affective registers through which women seeking asylum (re)create the meaning of home in contexts of displacement and resettlement. From this theoretical and methodological vantage point, this study aims to contribute to and expand current understandings and discussions on, home, gender, and displacement across migration studies.