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Paper short abstract

This paper examines the ethical dilemma of ascribing the labels 'solidarity' onto the actions of interlocutors. It uses the method of Freirean dialogue between interlocutor and researcher to unpack power relations in doing so, leading to a messier understanding of solidarity praxes.

Paper long abstract

“I was in Jordan and they just sent me back to Sudan again. I was disappointed and then I had to leave again. I left again and I came to Egypt. The only good thing is I got married and have a daughter”. Initially I wanted to see my interlocutor’s role in forming a family as a form of resistance, of solidarity, or a practice of care despite his hardship on the move. However, was it fair to see his family as a response to his refugee subjectivity?

This paper examines the messy affective terrain where researchers' desires to find solidarity meet refugees' own framings of their lives and relationships. I specifically consider literature on resistance and intentionality, and use long-form interviews focusing on the life-histories of three Sudanese interlocutors registered as refugees in Egypt, implicated within solidarity and care networks. I explore the potential of Freirean dialogue – in which interlocutor and researcher discuss theory together – to remedy this issue. What remains are solidarity praxes which exist beyond altruistic intentionality, but oscillate between indifference and reaffirmations of normality.