The relevance of the 'refugee' category for entrepreneurs
The relevance of the 'refugee' category for entrepreneurs
Refugees as a specific ‘type’ of entrepreneur in the Global North have become a growing focus of interest in research and policy in recent years, but the category itself has received little critical evaluation. This paper considers the relevance of the category ‘refugee’ for entrepreneurs from a forced migration background by drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 entrepreneurs and 20 professionals working in the refugee sector in a city in England. It explores how ‘refugee’ as a category is understood, what consequences they perceive the application of this category entails in terms of labour market access, and, for entrepreneurs, whether it is relevant to their lived experiences. Emerging through participants' accounts, the paper suggests a typology of four competing yet overlapping understandings of the ‘refugee’ category: (i) the utility argument suggests the importance of categorising to understand needs and provide appropriate support; (ii) the transformative argument asserts the importance of challenging and contesting negative stereotypes, particularly around work and contribution; (iii) the divisive argument points to the imposition of categories by others, and the sense of difference, even inferiority, that is created; and finally, (iv) the ill-fitting argument highlights the heterogeneity of refugees as people and the sense of ‘refugee’ as a temporary state of being. This analysis contributes to critical accounts interrogating the use of categories in migration research, policy and practice, which might lead to homogenised, fixed and often binary understandings of complex experiences, and which hold significant power concerning accessing rights, resources, and ideas of inclusion.
Low, Carolynn
468587a5-cd4a-4545-b60b-b79715bcad67
2 July 2024
Low, Carolynn
468587a5-cd4a-4545-b60b-b79715bcad67
Low, Carolynn
(2024)
The relevance of the 'refugee' category for entrepreneurs.
21st IMISCOE Annual Conference 2024 : Migration as a Social Construction: A Reflexive Turn, Lisbon and online, Lisbon, Portugal.
02 - 05 Jul 2024.
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Conference or Workshop Item
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Abstract
Refugees as a specific ‘type’ of entrepreneur in the Global North have become a growing focus of interest in research and policy in recent years, but the category itself has received little critical evaluation. This paper considers the relevance of the category ‘refugee’ for entrepreneurs from a forced migration background by drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 entrepreneurs and 20 professionals working in the refugee sector in a city in England. It explores how ‘refugee’ as a category is understood, what consequences they perceive the application of this category entails in terms of labour market access, and, for entrepreneurs, whether it is relevant to their lived experiences. Emerging through participants' accounts, the paper suggests a typology of four competing yet overlapping understandings of the ‘refugee’ category: (i) the utility argument suggests the importance of categorising to understand needs and provide appropriate support; (ii) the transformative argument asserts the importance of challenging and contesting negative stereotypes, particularly around work and contribution; (iii) the divisive argument points to the imposition of categories by others, and the sense of difference, even inferiority, that is created; and finally, (iv) the ill-fitting argument highlights the heterogeneity of refugees as people and the sense of ‘refugee’ as a temporary state of being. This analysis contributes to critical accounts interrogating the use of categories in migration research, policy and practice, which might lead to homogenised, fixed and often binary understandings of complex experiences, and which hold significant power concerning accessing rights, resources, and ideas of inclusion.
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Published date: 2 July 2024
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21st IMISCOE Annual Conference 2024 : Migration as a Social Construction: A Reflexive Turn, Lisbon and online, Lisbon, Portugal, 2024-07-02 - 2024-07-05
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Local EPrints ID: 508492
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508492
PURE UUID: 3fb2caf5-ba14-466f-b7a6-9380c2972dbb
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Date deposited: 23 Jan 2026 17:40
Last modified: 24 Jan 2026 03:06
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Author:
Carolynn Low
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