CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2016
| Author | Doornbos, Bess |
|---|---|
| Title | Mobility, vulnerability and agency: Deconstructing gendered representations of refugees |
| Summary | In this dissertation, I explore the different ways in which refugees are represented by others through using excerpts from Dutch media, examples from within my personal circle and observations from volunteer work. Within these changing social settings, the same gendered notions are operate to achieve a dichotomous portrayal of refugees. I have identified four themes that play a crucial role in this process, namely (im)mobility, passivity, vulnerability and (non)agency. These concepts have traditionally been associated with one of the genders. Men and the masculine have been codified as mobile, active, strong and capable. In contrast, women and the feminine have been identified as immobile, passive, vulnerable and lacking agency. Through these associations, gendered notions ‘do’ the gendering and result in specific feminised or masculinised perceptions of refugees. This dissertation constitutes an attempt to trace the gendered representation through the many layers of society, show the persistence of these patterns of meaning and illustrate how they have affected the experiences of those concerned. |
| Supervisor | Helms, Elissa |
| Department | Gender Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2016/doornbos_bess.pdf |
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