Geographies of Shame: Diachronic and Transnational Shame in Forced Migrants with Experiences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence


Papoutsi A., Phillimore J., Akyüz Tursun S., Bradby H., Goodson L., Vaughan C.

Journal of Refugee Studies, vol.35, no.3, pp.1221-1249, 2022 (SSCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 35 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1093/jrs/feac036
  • Journal Name: Journal of Refugee Studies
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, CAB Abstracts, Geobase, HeinOnline-Law Journal Library, Index Islamicus, PAIS International, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.1221-1249
  • Keywords: forced migrants, landscapes of shame, SGBV, shame, temporalities, transnational and diachronic shame
  • TED University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This article investigates the shame that forced migrants bear because of experiences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Using data from the UK, Turkey, Sweden, and Australia, we focus on shame experienced by women and LGBTQIAþ forced migrants throughout their journey, across borders and cultures. We propose three key ways to understand the complexities of shame from an experiential, temporal, and spatial perspective. First, we discuss how shame, often relating to family honour and stemming from survivors’ experiences in their home country, travels with them over time and space. We then move on to illustrate how prolonged and/or delayed feelings of shame impact on survivors’ self-confidence, self-worth, and trust in people and institutions. Finally, we consider the specific challenges LGBTQIAþ individuals face and how shame affected their settlement prospects. We argue that the SGBV experiences of forced migrants and the associated shame transcend time and space, forming landscapes of transnational and diachronic shame. Our analysis underlines the need for gender and sexuality-sensitive services for forced migrants in countries of refuge, which take into account potential ongoing effects of experiences of violence.