Logics of Protection and the Discursive Construction of Refugee Fathers
Based on:
Chapter in an Edited Book (2019)
Gendered images of refugees contribute to how we understand who is deserving of protection and who is not.
Brief by:
In this chapter I turn my feminist curiosity towards a shift in media coverage of the migration, or refugee ‘crisis’ away from ‘womenandchildren’ (Enloe 1992) and towards ‘refugee fathers’.
Through an intersectional approach I explore images of refugee fathers. This chapter contributes to existing work that has linked responsible parenting to deserving refugee-ness.
Key findings
Based on my analysis, my findings suggest that ‘Middle Eastern’ men can only be rendered intelligible as deserving of protection in relation to their children and families.
This construction reinforces not only essentialist hierarchies of masculinity and femininity, but hierarchical constructions of masculinities, organised by and through logics of race and sexuality.
Linked to the logic of ‘deserving’ and ‘authentic’ refugee fathers is the construction of single, refugee men as dangerous and/or lacking courage and therefore not deserving of protection.
Proposed action
Reflect on the images used for advocacy campaigns
Critically think about gender in relation to refugee protection
Contribute to challenging assumptions around gender, race and class
Comments
You must log in to ask a question
Are you a researcher looking to make a real-world impact? Join Acume and transform your research into a practical summary.
Already have an account? Log in
Discover more
Logics of Protection and the Discursive Construction of Refugee Fathers
Cite this brief: Hall, Lucy. 'Logics of Protection and the Discursive Construction of Refugee Fathers'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/logics-of-protection-and-the-discursive-construction-of-refugee-fathers/
Brief created by: Dr Lucy Hall | Year brief made: 2021
Original research:
- Hall, L., Logics of Protection and the Discursive Construction of Refugee Fathers In Troubling Motherhood: Maternality in Global Politics, Oxford: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190939182.003.0005. – https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190939182.001.0001/oso-9780190939182-chapter-5
Research brief:
Gendered images of refugees contribute to how we understand who is deserving of protection and who is not.
In this chapter I turn my feminist curiosity towards a shift in media coverage of the migration, or refugee ‘crisis’ away from ‘womenandchildren’ (Enloe 1992) and towards ‘refugee fathers’.
Through an intersectional approach I explore images of refugee fathers. This chapter contributes to existing work that has linked responsible parenting to deserving refugee-ness.
Findings:
Based on my analysis, my findings suggest that ‘Middle Eastern’ men can only be rendered intelligible as deserving of protection in relation to their children and families.
This construction reinforces not only essentialist hierarchies of masculinity and femininity, but hierarchical constructions of masculinities, organised by and through logics of race and sexuality.
Linked to the logic of ‘deserving’ and ‘authentic’ refugee fathers is the construction of single, refugee men as dangerous and/or lacking courage and therefore not deserving of protection.
Advice:
Reflect on the images used for advocacy campaigns
Critically think about gender in relation to refugee protection
Contribute to challenging assumptions around gender, race and class