Socio-material Belonging – Perspectives for the Intercultural Lives of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in Finland

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn order to understand the intercultural relations and process of belonging among the migrant youth, more scholarly attention is needed on the socio-material relations. We argue that this in-depth research needs to be well contextualised and advance the understanding of various ties and sites of belonging. This article examines the socio-material relations in the lives of unaccompanied minors currently living in Finland. The article draws on ethnographic fieldwork and leans on ideas of new materialism. We stress the relational nature of the material world and recognise the role of both human and non-human forces in the daily, intercultural lives of these young migrants. Our analysis utilises two cases to show how different kinds of intra-actions emerge in the lives of the unaccompanied minors, and what takes place in these intra-actions.