Hosting strangers: hospitality and family practices in fostering unaccompanied refugee young people

Abstract

Refugee young people entering foster care face transitions as they settle into life in a new country and household. Drawing on findings from a study on foster care for refugee young people in England, this paper examines encounters and negotiations with the public worlds of the asylum system and foster care delivery within the intimate setting of the household and everyday domestic practices in foster care. The paper considers Derrida's neologism ‘hostipitality’ to explore challenges in hospitality in this context. The framework of ‘family practices’ is then applied to explore how foster carers and young people ‘did’ family in foster care. It was found that family practices were inhibited by tensions and challenges in the notion of ‘hospitality’, but family practices also offered opportunities to respond and promote young people's sense of belonging in the family in this environment. It concludes that hospitality at the threshold is necessary, but that the most successful foster care relationships were able to move through and beyond hospitality to relationships of family‐like intimacy.

The social care needs of unaccompanied minors: the Irish experience

“…The literature indicates that, where appropriately placed in foster care, UAMs may be provided with protection, emotional and practical support, stability, love, consistent parent figures, advice, guidance and advocacy (Wade et al, 2012;Luster et al, 2009;Smyth et al, 2015). Ní Raghallaigh's (2013) findings echo other studies where practical, everyday family experiences can create bonds and enhance the lives of UAMs (Sinclair, 2005;Chase et al, 2008;Kohli et al 2010;Ní Raghallaigh, 2013;Sirriyeh, 2013). In this regard, Carlson et al (2012) discuss foster family as a key source of resilience allowing UAMs to adapt and even thrive in a vastly different cultural environment, in this case the US, despite the extreme adversity they have experienced.…”

Liv i kollektiv : Vardagsliv bland ensamkommande ungdomar på institution

“…Kohli 2006, Eide & Hjern 2013, Sirriyeh 2013. Den här studien visar att personalen bjuder på en varierad repertoar av förhållningssätt till ungdomarna.…”

Migration Perspectives in Social Work Research: Local, National and International Contexts

“…Studies of fostering migrant children include those by Bates et al (2005), Sirriyeh (2013) and one by Von Langsdorff (2012), exploring with young migrant women in foster-care the relevance of different intersectional dimensions in their biographies.…”