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“I’ve Got Many Stories You Know”—Problematizing Silence Among Unaccompanied Migrant Girls

Author

Listed:
  • Elin Ekström

    (Jönköping University)

  • Ann-Christine Andersson

    (Jönköping University
    Malmö University)

  • Ulrika Börjesson

    (Jönköping University
    Social Services)

Abstract

This paper presents a study on inhabited silence among unaccompanied female minors in Sweden. Silence among unaccompanied minors has often been explained by experienced trauma. Conversely, research also explains silence as a natural way of establishing autonomy during adolescence. By analyzing the narratives of 11 unaccompanied female minors, we aim to problematize and broaden the understanding of silence as a lack of communication. By using Bourdieu’s concept of linguistic capital, we analyze how hegemonic narratives on migration and integration influence how the girls in this study use silence in their everyday interactions. Our findings suggest that silence can be understood as both a rejection of these narratives and a strategy to preserve the girls’ integrity. We also demonstrate how these girls negotiate their linguistic capital in relation to embodiment and othering, thereby pushing boundaries of identity and what it means to be seen as Swedish. The paper concludes that silence itself speaks and shows that what is often perceived as a lack of communication can also be understood as a failure to listen.

Suggested Citation

  • Elin Ekström & Ann-Christine Andersson & Ulrika Börjesson, 2022. "“I’ve Got Many Stories You Know”—Problematizing Silence Among Unaccompanied Migrant Girls," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 797-814, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:23:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s12134-021-00841-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-021-00841-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Karin Ingvarsdotter & Sara Johnsdotter & Margareta Östman, 2012. "Lost in interpretation: The use of interpreters in research on mental ill health," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 58(1), pages 34-40, January.
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