Geographies of Sleep Among Brazilian Street Youth

Constructions of ‘the ageless’ asylum seekers: An analysis of how age is understood among professionals working within the norwegian immigration authorities

“…Age norms may rub off on bodily practices with reference to how people view themselves and, thus, the perception of self is made visible through how people use their bodies (Laz, 1998; Wohlmann, 2014). Biological changes in puberty impact social relationships (Nettleton & Watson, 2002), and whereas small bodies tend to be perceived as innocent and vulnerable, adolescent bodies—male in particular—are often perceived as troublesome and dangerous (Ursin, 2016).…”

“…As Aitken (2005) asserts, “Children are excluded from many moral judgements because they are embodied by discourses that foist a child‐centred pedagogy on a socially constructed innocence” (p. 67). The symbolic meaning of a small body can lead to protective measures as young people may be positioned differently in the moral order, where physical immaturity induces sentiments and protectionism (Ursin, 2016). This also reveals how professionals’ perceptions of the body can be more decisive in assessments than the applicants’ statements (Kobelinsky, 2019).…”