The metaphor of home: how will its content determine reintegration of refugees after war?

- Кочубейник, Ольга Миколаївна (orcid.org/0000-0001-6460-8494) (2024) The metaphor of home: how will its content determine reintegration of refugees after war? Вісник Львівського університету. Серія психологічні науки (21). pp. 165-171. ISSN 2522-1876

Text 22.pdf Download (381kB)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the search for theoretical coordinates, which can be used for designing programs to facilitate the return of Ukrainian refugees’ home. Theoretical analysis is based on the premise that the post-war refugees return should be considered a multi-deterministic process, and “decision to return” should be interpreted as regulator of individual behaviour that systematically includes political, economic, social, psychological and existential aspects. The goal of the article is to analyze certain aspects home metaphor in different repatriation discourses and to highlight its productivity as a tool for designing programs to facilitate the return of Ukrainian refugees’ home. The author has compared "sedentarism" and "nomadic" discourses as two versions of the interpretation of the connection between "home" (space, territory) and identity. It is shown that both of them are contradictory to each other which creates a paradoxal insufficiency. A key position of sedentarism discourse is the assumption that refugees wish to return "home" after several (or more) years of exile in this way expressing their “right to return”. Author’s attention is articulated on idea that in that discourse concept of "home" is identified with the place of origin or even with the country of origin, and their separation must necessarily be experienced as painful. Sedentarism discourse actually dehumanizes refugees by ignoring their own ideas about home. Nomadic discourse produces an understanding of home and territory that doesn’t contain representation of home and identity as something that has a "firm" basis. A key position of this discourse is the assumption that today processes of globalization, mobility and displacement have become dominant forms of human existence. Therefore, all people can be considered as homeless or nomads. However, the nomadic discourse has a low capacity to explain forced migration, which is typical form displacement of war refugees. It is concluded that territory, place and home play important role in the decision to return and reintegration upon return, but their importance should not be overestimated in developing refugee assistance programs

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	sedentaric discourse, nomadic discourse, right to return, identity, displacement.
Subjects:	Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 1 Philosophy. Psychology Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 3 Social Sciences > 304 Social questions. Social practice. Cultural practice. Way of life (Lebensweise) Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 3 Social Sciences > 314/316 Society
Divisions:	The Institute of Social and Political Psychology > Department of Psychology of Political and Legal Relations
Depositing User:	Ольга Миколаївна Кочубейник
Date Deposited:	04 Feb 2026 08:54
Last Modified:	04 Feb 2026 08:54
URI:	https://lib.iitta.gov.ua/id/eprint/748340

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item