The Paradoxical Power of Precarity: Refugees and Homeland Activism

Abstract

This paper offers a theoretical treatment of the argument that refugees who live in situations of varying precarity are uniquely positioned for transnational political action focused on reforming the home country from which they have fled. The paper undertakes four tasks. First, it explores classical social movement concepts to explain mobilisation of the refugee population. Second, it offers a typological and theoretical treatment of refugee transnational space, arguing that current typologies fail to capture the nuance of refugee transnational sites. Third, it develops a concept of refugee precarity as an alternate model for understanding transnational political space. Fourth, the paper hypothesizes as to the relationship between precarity and various elements of mobilisation. The paper suggests that precarity and mobilisation are correlated, indicating the paradoxical power of precarity for refugee activists. It concludes with implications for both researchers and policymakers.