Familial geopolitics and ontological security: intergenerational relations, migration and minority youth (in)securities in Scotland

Botterill, K. , Hopkins, P. and Sanghera, G. (2020) Familial geopolitics and ontological security: intergenerational relations, migration and minority youth (in)securities in Scotland. Geopolitics, 25(5), pp. 1138-1163. (doi: 10.1080/14650045.2018.1512098)

Abstract

This paper discusses the family as a site of geopolitics. Bridging scholarship in feminist geopolitics, political psychology and sociology, we explore the psycho-social dynamics of family life and theorise the family as a multi-scalar, relational site of security. Original data collected with ethnic and religious minority youth in Scotland are presented alongside an analysis of how family relations, at interconnected scales, mitigate against and/or re-inscribe broad geopolitical narratives of security. We employ the concept of ontological security (OS) to analyse the role of the family, and the relationships within it, on shaping youth securities. We discuss (1) how family histories and intergenerational experience shape young people’s sense of security; (2) how young people negotiate and resist family norms and values that reproduce securitizing geopolitical narratives; and (3) how young people find security when family is absent or indeterminate. In each case, we analyse how geopolitics operates through family life. The paper makes two key contributions: first, we use original empirical data to theorise ethnic and religious minority youth securities; second, we show the value of OS as a conceptual tool for understanding psycho-social dimensions of familial geopolitics.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [AH/K000594/1].
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Botterill, Dr Kate
• Authors: Botterill, K., Hopkins, P., and Sanghera, G.
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General); H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races; J Political Science > JA Political science (General); J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences > Geography
• Research Group: Human Geography Research Group
• Journal Name: Geopolitics
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1465-0045
• ISSN (Online): 1557-3028
• Published Online: 15 October 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
• First Published: First published in Geopolitics 25(5): 1138-1163
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher