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'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system

Heaven Crawley

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Volume: 37, Issue: 8, Pages: 1171 - 1184

Swansea University Author: Heaven Crawley

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DOI (Published version): 10.1080/1369183X.2011.590645

Abstract

This article explores the experiences of separated asylum-seeking children and considers the implications of dominant understandings of ‘childhood’ for the ways in which the children's experiences of persecution and violence are interpreted in the UK asylum system. Although there is a widely he...

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Published in: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
ISSN: 1369-183X
Published: 2011
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa8198
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first_indexed 2013-07-23T12:00:31Z
last_indexed 2018-02-09T04:37:07Z
id cronfa8198
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spelling 2013-11-05T11:05:26.4076408 v2 8198 2012-02-22 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system 0207e5ae4001f853c8c27980bdbda47c Heaven Crawley Heaven Crawley true false 2012-02-22 SGE This article explores the experiences of separated asylum-seeking children and considers the implications of dominant understandings of ‘childhood’ for the ways in which the children's experiences of persecution and violence are interpreted in the UK asylum system. Although there is a widely held consensus among academics that the boundaries of ‘childhood’ are socially constructed—and that this is reflected in differences in what it means to be a ‘child’ over time and across space—this understanding is largely absent from the policies and practices that constitute the asylum determination process. Children who claim asylum are constructed as passive, vulnerable, dependent, asexual and apolitical victims (usually at the hands of adults) who should be allowed to stay on a discretionary basis until they turn 18 but who are not considered deserving of, or entitled to, protection under international law. Where children assert their agency and insist that their political and sexual experiences are taken into account, this may undermine their claims to be children at all. This article draws on the accounts of separated children seeking asylum in the UK to suggest that a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of the political, social and cultural contexts from which children originate is needed to ensure that children are granted the protection they need and deserve. Journal Article Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37 8 1171 1184 1369-183X Asylum, Childhood, Politics, Sex 30 6 2011 2011-06-30 10.1080/1369183X.2011.590645 COLLEGE NANME Geography COLLEGE CODE SGE Swansea University 2013-11-05T11:05:26.4076408 2012-02-22T13:37:10.0000000 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography Heaven Crawley 1
title 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
spellingShingle 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
Heaven Crawley
title_short 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
title_full 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
title_fullStr 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
title_full_unstemmed 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
title_sort 'Asexual, apolitical beings’: the interpretation of children’s identities and experiences in the UK asylum system
author_id_str_mv 0207e5ae4001f853c8c27980bdbda47c
author_id_fullname_str_mv 0207e5ae4001f853c8c27980bdbda47c_***_Heaven Crawley
author Heaven Crawley
author2 Heaven Crawley
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
container_volume 37
container_issue 8
container_start_page 1171
publishDate 2011
institution Swansea University
issn 1369-183X
doi_str_mv 10.1080/1369183X.2011.590645
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography
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description This article explores the experiences of separated asylum-seeking children and considers the implications of dominant understandings of ‘childhood’ for the ways in which the children's experiences of persecution and violence are interpreted in the UK asylum system. Although there is a widely held consensus among academics that the boundaries of ‘childhood’ are socially constructed—and that this is reflected in differences in what it means to be a ‘child’ over time and across space—this understanding is largely absent from the policies and practices that constitute the asylum determination process. Children who claim asylum are constructed as passive, vulnerable, dependent, asexual and apolitical victims (usually at the hands of adults) who should be allowed to stay on a discretionary basis until they turn 18 but who are not considered deserving of, or entitled to, protection under international law. Where children assert their agency and insist that their political and sexual experiences are taken into account, this may undermine their claims to be children at all. This article draws on the accounts of separated children seeking asylum in the UK to suggest that a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of the political, social and cultural contexts from which children originate is needed to ensure that children are granted the protection they need and deserve.
published_date 2011-06-30T03:10:19Z
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score 11.035765

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