Non-formal spaces of socio-cultural accompaniment: Responding to young unaccompanied refugees – reflections from thePartispaceproject

Abstract

Drawing on research in progress in the Partispace project we make a case for the recognition of the importance of non-formal spaces in response to young refugees across three different national contexts: Frankfurt in Germany; Gothenburg in Sweden; and Manchester in the UK. It is argued that recognition of local regulation and national controls of immigration which support climates of hostility makes it important to recognise and affirm the significance of non-formal spaces and ‘small spaces close to home’ which are often developed in the ‘third space’ of civil society and arise from the impulses driven by the solidarity of volunteers. In these contexts it is important that practices of hospitality can develop which symbolically reconstitute refugees as hosts and subjects of a democratic conversation, without which there is no possible administrative solution to the refugee crisis. It is essential that educational spaces such as schools, colleges and universities forge strong bonds with such emergent spaces.

Recognizing Young People’s Civic Engagement Practices: Rethinking Literacy Ontologies through Co-Production

“…It can involve practices that are founded on the complexities of social exchange, which focus on transformational change. It is in these small-scale exchanges that civic participation by young people can grow (Batsleer et al, 2017). Art can help create the fabric of social experience to develop new modes of common experience (Corcoran, 2010).…”

“…This might involve de-centering disciplinary knowledge about how language works, how literacy works and what is salient within those practices. It might mean paying close attention to the sites where these practices are generated (Batsleer et al, 2017). The sites can become places for meaning making, and through creating new "living knowledge" can generate theory about the practice (Facer & Enright, 2016).…”

“…Culture is the starting point for civic participation, and young people have very varied styles and modes of participation, often located in particular sites and spaces. Batsleer et al (2017) argue that it is important to recognize where these informal spaces operate and how they are made open for interactive exchanges where young people can become active: "there is an attunement to everyday practices and sharing of resources, pleasures and leisure time which create the channels for further connection and exchange" (p. 51).…”

Continuity and Social Support: A Longitudinal Study of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors’ Care Networks

“…Whereas other sectors of social support may not be able to completely replace the fundamental role of the nuclear family (Sierau et al, 2019), the compensatory hypothesis (Layne et al, 2009) clarifies how they may help to make up for some of the damage. It is debatable whether, in order to maximize URMs' psychological health and to use the full potential of existing sources of support, third parties, such as volunteers, need to be involved in the design of interventions and policies, or whether their support should be made redundant by an optimization of the care system (Batsleer et al, 2018).…”