Call for papers: Imagining Resettlement
Dear list members,
Apologies for cross-posting.
Please consider submitting an abstract to the panel 'Imagining Resettlement= : Disillusionment and the Paradox of Comparison' at the 50th anniversary co= nference of the Finnish Anthropological Society, in Helsinki (16 - 18 June = 2025). Deadline for abstracts has been extended to the 20th of January. For= more information see: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/fasconference2025/call-for= -papers/
Imagining Resettlement: Disillusionment and the Paradox of Comparison
Resettlement narratives cultivate an imaginary of elsewhere, they offer peo= ple on the move a future-orientated desire for something better, an idealiz= ed vision of abundant opportunities. Resettlement imaginaries are shaped th= rough media, transnational networks, and containment infrastructures, that = carry elusive promises of a utopian future. Yet, the lived realities of res= ettlement frequently diverge from this promise, revealing structural inequi= ties that strain family dynamics, hinder individual aspirations, and exacer= bate social exclusion. This panel explores the gap between these fantasies = and the everyday struggles of resettlement that expose the paradox of diver= sity (Bannerji 2016) where non-White newcomers are positioned as peripheral= contributors to the imagined community of white multiculturalism (Hage 200= 0). Central to our inquiry is the profound sense of disillusionment experie= nced by newcomers as their past, present, and future migration trajectories= collide. For many, the romanticized vision of states within the Global Nor= th is shaped by comparisons with the hardships and ruination of one's homel= and. The realities of navigating social and economic systems expose structu= ral barriers, personal disappointments, and broader societal contradictions= , as multicultural resettlement policies neglect the deeper needs of those = they claim to welcome. This panel seeks to engage in a critical dialogue on= the role of comparison itself, both as a method and a social practice, in = shaping our understanding of resettlement and integration. We invite papers= that critically engage with these dynamics, to tease apart the paradox of = comparison: how idealized imaginaries and lived realities are constructed a= nd contested.
Best,
Stefan Millar Postdoctoral Researcher University of Helsinki Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care @stefanmillar.bsky.social
Recent Open Access Publications: Scharrer, T., Lambert, L., Millar, S. et al. Contested future-making in con= tainment: temporalities, infrastructures and agency. CMS 12, 54 (2024). htt= ps://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-024-00413-z
Millar, S. (2024). Localizing the State: Stateness Among Refugee-Led Commun= ity-Based Organizations in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. PoLAR: Political and= Legal Anthropology Review 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12575
Millar, S. (2023). Enforced Disappearances, Colonial Legacies and Political= Affect in Kakuma Refugee Camp. In L. Huttunen & G. Perl (Eds.). An Anthrop= ology of Disappearance: Politics, Intimacies and Alternative Ways of Knowin= g. Berghahn Books. https://www.berghahnbooks.com/downloads/OpenAccess/HuttunenAn/HuttunenAn_06= .pdf
