Navigating a new life: Syrian refugees and their smartphones in Vienna

Kaufmann, Katja

doi:10.1080/1369118x.2018.1437205

Cited by 101 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The past decade has seen an expanding literature that recognizes the role of digital technologies in refugee lives. There is emerging evidence that mobile phones became essential tools for accessing information and resources that can help refugees navigate their migration journeys (Dekker, Engbersen, Klaver, & Vonk, 2018) and the complexities of life during resettlement (Alencar, 2017; Kaufmann, 2018). It is estimated for instance that 68% of refugees living in urban centers have access to an internet‐enabled phone, with the vast majority prioritizing mobile ownership and connectivity as crucial for their safety (United Nations Higher Commissioner of Refugees, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile communication and refugees: An analytical review of academic literature

Alencar

2020

Sociology Compass

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Over the past decade, an expanding literature has explored the ways in which refugees rely on mobile communication technologies to stay in touch with a wider community and to access relevant information and services in their new places. Nevertheless, challenges linked to (a lack of) digital literacy and accessibility among refugees, and associated risks of technology use can negatively affect their empowerment and participation in a “mediatized” society. In light of the mutually shaping processes emerging between technology and society, this article provides an overview of studies focusing on the relationship between mobile communication practices and refugee lives under different circumstances. Using the concept of affordances as an analytic tool, this article looks into ways in which existing studies address the possibilities and vulnerabilities of mobile communications, the social conditions, and the agency of refugees in engaging with mobile technologies in the different temporal and spatial dimensions of their migration trajectories. Future studies should explore more collective processes and the power dynamics involved in the appropriation of mobile technologies by different migration actors.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile communication and refugees: An analytical review of academic literature

Alencar

2020

Sociology Compass

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“…optimising signage, mobility learning groups, and mobility guides smartphone is their connection to families and friends and an important source of information even if they have only poor language skills. Often, they already bring a cheap mobile phone from their country of origin [40]. A detailed overview of the strategies can be seen in Appendix: Table 3.…”

Section: Strategies For Improving the Mobility Of Immigrantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foreign countries, foreign customs: an analysis of short-distance mobility of new immigrants in the Rhine-Main region in Germany

Geis

2019

Eur. Transp. Res. Rev.

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Mobility is an important driver of social integration. Against this background, the years since 2014 challenged cities and municipalities in Europe when a large number of immigrating refugees came to Europe and had to be integrated into society. Federal, regional, and local politics had to find strategies to overcome these difficulties without detailed understanding of the needs. Research has shown that mobility behaviour of recently settled immigrants significantly differs from locals due to language barriers or different mobility cultures, for example. However, little is known about the details of difference and how supportive measures actually affect their mobility behaviour. Using the example of asylum applicants from the Middle East and Africa in the metropolitan region of Frankfurt Rhine-Main in Germany, this paper analyses mobility for immigrants from the demand and supply sides. It brings together mobility demand and local and political efforts to satisfy this demand. Data were collected in focus groups, a survey among relevant public organisations, and a survey among immigrants. Results show that there is a need for action, as current measures, such as information on public transport or bicycle courses for immigrants, are not as effective as expected. Concurrently, data reveal that public administration and voluntary organisations have reached their limits and cannot intensify mobility measures for immigrants. Based on these findings, recommendations for public administration, voluntary workers, transport planners, and policy makers are derived that help to improve the situation of immigrant mobility.

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“…When asking my interviewees about what news platforms they use, most of them follow news programs from their home countries and also receive information through Facebook (see also Kaufmann, 2018). Swedish or German news channels are not used mostly for language reasons.…”

Section: Trust In Receiving Useful and Correct Information Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

Media Practices and Forced Migration: Trust Online and Offline

Graf

2018

MaC

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This article explores the relationship between online and offline practices in the special case of forced migration. By applying a central category in social relations, trust/distrust as developed by Niklas Luhmann, this article contributes to the understanding of forced migration in the digital age. It presupposes that, without a strategy of trust, it would be almost impossible to cope with situations of unfamiliarity and uncertainty. By interviewing refugees, the question is in what contexts the refugee recognizes that they can trust (or not). The article concludes that through the combination of on- and offline communication practices, more varied mechanisms for the creation and stabilization of trust are provided. In contexts of unfamiliarity, interpersonal relations with the native inhabitants play an important role in bridging online and offline worlds.

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Navigating a new life: Syrian refugees and their smartphones in Vienna

Cited by 101 publications

References 36 publications

Mobile communication and refugees: An analytical review of academic literature

Mobile communication and refugees: An analytical review of academic literature

Foreign countries, foreign customs: an analysis of short-distance mobility of new immigrants in the Rhine-Main region in Germany

Media Practices and Forced Migration: Trust Online and Offline

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