“Us and Them” – Approaching the Refugee Other? Cultural Anthropological Rethinking of the Fieldwork Experience in Slavonia

Abstract

In this paper the author rethinks her experience of volunteerin and interaction with refu ees at border crossin s, as well as in temporary accommodation centers, in Slavonia. The paper is mainly based on the author's experience of participant observation conducted on several occasions between September and December of 2015, while volunteerin for the Welcome Initiative. The author draws attention to the problems with two of the most common discourses on refu ee crisis, securitization on the one hand, and humanitarianism on the other, which althou h seemin ly diametrically opposed, share the very same startin point of refu ees as radical Others. Furthermore, the last part of the paper deals with the question of power inscribed into the spaces of temporary accommodation of refu ees. Here, the author ar ues that the spatial and functional or anization of the temporary accommodation centers was not a coincidence, but was rather deliberately desi ned so that the power relations of those who mana ed and monitored over the centers, and those who temporarily stayed in them, remained clear at any time.

In the Shadow of the Transit Spectacle

“…e.g. Grubiša 2017;Pleše 2017a, 2017b;Petrović 2016Petrović , 2017Škokić and Jambrešić Kirin 2017). 2 Concerning the fact that the public image of migrant transit was extremely limited and founded on the ideas of efficient and secure transit with a touch of traditional hospitality culture, other aspects such as dehumanization and detention as preconditions for, as well as integral parts of, this indeed efficient transit were not discussed.…”