Theoretical contribution: Youth Home analysed the interrelation of domestic space, urban areas and the notion of home among young migrant men. The domestic sphere, although deemed to be a female space, played an important part in the sense of home-making of these men. Dynamics of domestic spaces showed their use and appropriation of space as important aspects of their identities. The marginality and liminality they experienced in the Irish society, was reflected in their use of public space in a minimal way. Their creation of friendship networks exists, but in a limited fashion, which leaves migrants to resort to their transnational networks (friends and family) to feel belonging and included. This limits their feelings of embeddedness and regrounding in Ireland. As such for them the notion of home takes place mainly within their domestic spaces (in an individual way); in urban spaces but places where not much interaction is required such as parks and natural settings, streets and shopping; Imagined and virtual spaces, which are mainly in a place that are not defined such as countries they aim to migrate to in future. Much of the home-making is mostly imagined and framed in relation to their future families, assuming an active and hegemonic masculine role, being in a heterosexual relationship and becoming a father. Finally, spatial security was theorised (forthcoming in the book and a peer reviewed paper) as a state of belonging and the structures and regimes of migration and control within the society that limits migrants’ imaginations and actions. Each one of the produced publications, offers an under studied angle into home-making among young male migrants: A. The dynamics of domestic space intersected with masculine identity showed how material belongings in the lives of migrant men is an indicator of their sense of belonging and embeddedness. B. Young migrant men’s use of urban spaces was not linked much to the sense of belonging to the city: their choice of the activities and spaces they used was more indicating their loneliness and sense of exclusion from the city. C. We developed the notion of ‘spatial belonging’ to describe and analyse the existing structural and intersectional impossibilities in migrants’ lives that limit their practices as well as imaginations about home.
Methodological contribution: Youth Home’s detailed and focused qualitative data that was ‘co-produced’ with participants, in different stages, not only depicted ‘how’ they make home, but also expanded the methods through which we can gain insight into migrants’ lives. Two new methods that were developed in this research walking methods combined with visual methods, used biographical methods. The paper discusses how walking methodology as a collaborative practice illuminating migrants’ movements within a city, offering a different method of mapping the urban space through the eyes and movements of migrants. The other innovative method was the importance of putting in practice the experience of co-existence and co-practice by ‘tasting home’ practice.
Impact:
Some public impact has been achieved through the course of the fellowship by attracting children to think about home, urban belonging and home-making through an art practices during the Cork Discover (Nov 19). The website includs images, maps and interview extracts to depict the everyday practices of home-making by these migrants. A paper is being publishd in lay terms in an e-magazine (ViewFinder) Nov 20. A policy report has been prepared and will be distributed to Cork TDs (some of whom were contacted throughout the project to address the case of two of the refugee participants).
