Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Committee Chair
Bradley Wilson
Committee Co-Chair
Cynthia Gorman
Committee Member
Maria Perez
Committee Member
Jamie Shinn
Committee Member
Joshua Lohnes
Abstract
This dissertation centres young refugee-migrant women’s voices, perspectives, concerns, and actions living in a small, rural Appalachian town called Easton, exploring their social, cultural, and economic experiences. It infers that through their critical participation in family life and labour in making a home in a new place, young refugee-migrant women’s relations to family and place impact how they negotiate their aspirations and future im/mobilities to create pathways to emplacement. Emplacement is an ongoing process that hinges on the efforts of individuals, families, and communities to find a way in a new place by giving meaning to their surroundings. This research has also sought to advance the theory of emplacement through the displaced experiences of young refugee-migrant women. It draws from over 30 in-depth interviews with young refugee-migrant women, their families, and other key collaborators, as well as participant observation, field notes, and time spent in place over the course of 3 years.
Recommended Citation
Muraleedharan, Valentina, "Making Home Here: Young Refugee-Migrant Women and the Work of Emplacement in a Rural Appalachian Town" (2024). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12626.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12626
