Tactical maneuvering and calculated risks: independent child migrants and the complex terrain of flight.
Similar to refugees in general, independent child migrants are frequently constructed in academic and popular discourse as passive and powerless or as untrustworthy and potentially threatening. Such portrayals fail to capture how these youth actively navigate the complex experiences of forced migration. Drawing on interviews with independent child migrants who arrived in Canada and on the conceptual framework of social navigation, we argue that contrary to being powerless, and despite significant structural barriers, these youth deliberately and thoughtfully navigate flight by making strategic decisions and taking calculated risks thereby ensuring their survival and well-being.
McGill University, Montreal, Canada. myriam.denov@mcgill.ca
Myriam
M
Denov
Catherine
C
Bryan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D003657:Decision Making; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D013534:Survival / Q000523:psychology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*