Resilience, smartphone use and language among urban refugees in the Global south

Netto, G., Baillie, L., Georgiou, T., Wan Teng, L., Endut, N., Strani, K. and O'Rourke, B. (2022) Resilience, smartphone use and language among urban refugees in the Global south. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(3), pp. 542-559. (doi: 10.1080/1369183x.2021.1941818)

Abstract

The formidable challenges faced by urban refugees in the Global South have received considerable attention, calling for new approaches to support their resilience. Although critical interest in resilience and the role of digital technology in enabling refugees to navigate their new surroundings has been growing, little attention has been paid to the influence of language and literacy in processes of resilience-building and the use of such technology. This is important due to the diverse linguistic resources which refugees bring with them and the central role of language in adapting to contexts of forced displacement. We develop a conceptual framework for examining refugees’ transnational use of smartphones and apply the framework to data collected from participatory workshops with fifty-four Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Results revealed varying degrees of digital literacy, linguistic capital and literacy in three main languages: the Rohingya language which refugees bring with them, Bahasa Malaysia, the national language of Malaysia and English, which is widely spoken in Malaysia. These variations significantly shape resilience-building strategies. Greater attention to the role of language and literacy in refugees’ use of digital technology will contribute to better understanding of the capacity for resilience among these individuals and more effective digital solutions.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: O'Rourke, Professor Bernadette
• Authors: Netto, G., Baillie, L., Georgiou, T., Wan Teng, L., Endut, N., Strani, K., and O'Rourke, B.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Hispanic Studies
• Journal Name: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 1369-183X
• ISSN (Online): 1469-9451
• Published Online: 19 June 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 48(3): 542-559
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence