Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Invisible pasts, erased futures: epistemic erasure in refugee and migrant experiences
AU - Süleymanoğlu-Kürüm, Rahime
AU - Cin, Melis
AU - Bekaroglu, Edip Asaf
AU - Dogan, Necmettin
PY - 2025/3/13
Y1 - 2025/3/13
N2 - The ongoing influx of refugees and undocumented migrants has catalysed a more profound discourse on discrimination, stigmatisation, and social exclusion. Existing scholarship often delineates these challenges, yet it frequently characterises refugees as passive victims rather than active agents in shaping their own lives. This paper seeks to bridge this conceptual void through the lens of epistemic erasure – the systemic devaluation and exclusion of refugees’ knowledge, narratives and professional identities – within host communities. Drawing on interviews from Syrian, Afghan and African refugees in Istanbul, we examine how these groups cultivate collective capabilities to subvert epistemic injustice and reclaim their agency and showcase how refugees foster collective strategies to safeguard their cultural heritage, preserve their skills and credentials and sustain their livelihoods. However, these collective capabilities, while essential for resilience and resistance, create a complex paradox: when confined to marginalised social and institutional spaces, there is a risk that they may inadvertently reinforce the very exclusions they seek to dismantle. By recognising these intricacies, we highlight the importance of fostering environments that validate the contributions of refugees and migrants, empowering them to redefine their identities and, reinforce their agency in the face of adversity.
AB - The ongoing influx of refugees and undocumented migrants has catalysed a more profound discourse on discrimination, stigmatisation, and social exclusion. Existing scholarship often delineates these challenges, yet it frequently characterises refugees as passive victims rather than active agents in shaping their own lives. This paper seeks to bridge this conceptual void through the lens of epistemic erasure – the systemic devaluation and exclusion of refugees’ knowledge, narratives and professional identities – within host communities. Drawing on interviews from Syrian, Afghan and African refugees in Istanbul, we examine how these groups cultivate collective capabilities to subvert epistemic injustice and reclaim their agency and showcase how refugees foster collective strategies to safeguard their cultural heritage, preserve their skills and credentials and sustain their livelihoods. However, these collective capabilities, while essential for resilience and resistance, create a complex paradox: when confined to marginalised social and institutional spaces, there is a risk that they may inadvertently reinforce the very exclusions they seek to dismantle. By recognising these intricacies, we highlight the importance of fostering environments that validate the contributions of refugees and migrants, empowering them to redefine their identities and, reinforce their agency in the face of adversity.
U2 - 10.1080/01436597.2025.2469613
DO - 10.1080/01436597.2025.2469613
M3 - Journal article
JO - Third World Quarterly
JF - Third World Quarterly
SN - 0143-6597
ER -