Parents in the Migratory Space Between Past, Present and Future: 'The everyday impact of intergenerational dynamics on refugee families’ resettlement in Denmark'

Abstract

This article explores the everyday experiences of resettlement among newly recognised refugee parents living in rural Denmark. Comparing two ethnographic case stories, it enquires into the ways in which the parents try to create a sense of belonging and pursue life coherence and a positive outlook on the future within the everyday sociocultural framework of the Danish welfare state. It is argued that they mostly comprehend and carry out their strivings for a better future by means of a narratively grounded, intergenerational rationale. This rationale invites them to assess the success of the family’s entire act of migration in terms of what the future promises for their children. This article thus illuminates and crystallises how among newly recognised refugee families, mundane intergenerational dynamics form a crucial relational and temporal factor with regard to the parents’ building of existential well-being, societal trust and aspirations for ‘integration’ into the Danish welfare society.

Keywords

• refugee resettlement
• parenthood
• intergenerationality
• migration narratives
• danish welfare stately integration politics