Melisa Maida: “Negotiating Belonging: The intergenerational experiences of young refugees and asylum-seekers and their families in Tyneside”

In Students by General Account

This collaborative project in partnership with the North of England Refugee Service examines the intergenerational settlement experiences of young asylum seekers and refugees and their families in England’s Tyneside region. It probes intersecting issues of xenophobia, emotional and bureaucratic violence and social exclusion in a place that experiences the fallout of austerity measures. This study documents the strategies, aspirations and hopes of refugees as they attempt to settle in the UK within a time of growing national and international opposition to migrants.

This research will use a participatory action approach and mixed research methods, including ethnographic observations, interviews, focus groups and photovoice (a participatory research method that uses photography to capture stories and reflections). Participants’ photographic work will be disseminated in a curated exhibition during Tyneside’s 2021 Refugee Week and other sites.

Having worked for over 15 years at the frontlines of issues affecting refugee families in local charities such as the North of England Refugee Service and Crisis UK and internationally for VSO, this research will benefit from my wealth of knowledge and experience in the sector.