Sarah Nimführ | University of Art and Industrial Design Linz (original) (raw)

Books by Sarah Nimführ

Research paper thumbnail of Umkämpftes Recht zu bleiben. Zugehörigkeit, Mobilität und Kontrolle im EUropäischen Abschieberegime.

Die Mehrheit abgelehnter Asylsuchender in Malta, der EU-Außengrenze, ist nicht abschiebbar. Viele... more Die Mehrheit abgelehnter Asylsuchender in Malta, der EU-Außengrenze, ist nicht abschiebbar. Viele befinden sich in einer rechtlichen Grauzone, da ihnen ein formaler Aufenthaltsstatus meist verwehrt bleibt. In dieser Situation haben sie über mehrere Jahre hinweg nur begrenzten Zugang zu Beschäftigung, grundlegenden Dienstleistungen und medizinischer Versorgung. Die Aushandlungsprozesse zwischen nicht abschiebbaren Geflüchteten und institutionalisierten Akteur*innen nimmt Sarah Nimführ ethnografisch in den Blick und begleitet Geflüchtete auf ihren Wegen innerhalb des EUropäischen Grenzregimes. Sie zeigt, wie sich das Leben von Menschen mit einem nicht durchgeführten Abschiebebescheid gestaltet und welche Praktiken der Alltagsorganisation sie anwenden.

Research paper thumbnail of Forschung und Praxis zwischen Handlungsdruck und Orientierungsunsicherheit im Kontext von Flucht_Migration

Margrit E. Kaufmann / Laura Otto / Sarah Nimführ / Dominik Schütte (Hrsg.): Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen. Wiesbaden: Springer, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen.

Margrit E. Kaufmann / Laura Otto / Sarah Nimführ / Dominik Schütte (Hrsg.): Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen. Wiesbaden: Springer, 2019

Kernfragen in Bezug auf Kontextualisierung, Repräsentation, Verantwortung und Beziehung zu Geflüc... more Kernfragen in Bezug auf Kontextualisierung, Repräsentation, Verantwortung und Beziehung zu Geflüchteten sowohl in Forschungs- als auch in Arbeitsfeldern sind in Flucht-Migrationsforschungen bisher wenig thematisiert. Die Autorinnen und Autoren widmen sich diesen Reflexionslücken sowie grundlegenden Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen. Die breit aufgestellte, transdisziplinäre Ausrichtung macht den Sammelband für Forschende unterschiedlicher Disziplinen ebenso relevant wie für Studierende, Lehrende, Praktikerinnen und Praktiker.

Articles by Sarah Nimführ

Research paper thumbnail of “Better to be in quarantine on an island paradise than stay bored at home”

Boasblogs Curare Corona Diaries, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Reflections on collaborative knowledge production in the context of forced migration.

Feminstische GeoRundmail, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Forschungspraxis als Aushandlung. Kollaboratives Forschen im Wissen(schaft)sfeld Flucht_Migration

Kuckuck. Notizen zur Alltagskultur, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Doing research on, with and about the island: Reflections on islandscape

Even though the relational turn within Island Studies has long revoked the equation of islands wi... more Even though the relational turn within Island Studies has long revoked the equation of islands with insularity, disconnectedness and backwardness, these ascriptions are still often deterministically attributed to islands, mainly by non-island scholars. Thereby these designations are not only reproduced, but connections, dynamics, different forms of embeddedness and entanglements remain overlooked. This paper has two main goals: (1) Adding to the relational turn in Island Studies by not only arguing for more inductive approaches to seriously engage with these situated and changing manifestations and meaning-makings of islands, and (2) by drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Malta, we introduce the concept of 'islandscape' (Broodbank 2000) to the Island Studies literature. Through the lens of islandscape, islands can be researched as nodal points of the local, national and global without reproducing 'islandism' while still acknowledging the importance of the island. The combination of-scape and assemblage-thinking which is already present within Island Studies makes it possible to address the tension between global and local and, rather, to look at which concrete, situated assemblages emerge within islandscape. In this sense, we propose to think of the island as islandscape from the very beginning of research, then to show how this islandscape is actually constituted and then to describe partial moments of stabilisation in terms of assemblages.

Research paper thumbnail of PRESERVING MALTESE IDENTITY IN REFUGEE MANAGEMENT On the Emergence and Absence of a Prison Spatiality

Shima: the international journal of research into island cultures., 2019

Since 2002, roughly 19,000 refugees have reached Maltese shores. Both European Union law as well ... more Since 2002, roughly 19,000 refugees have reached Maltese shores. Both European Union law as well as national Maltese policies shape their reception and treatment. In discourse, these refugees are repeatedly represented as a threat to the social order on the island and its unique Maltese identity. Through various practices of separating refugees from non-refugee society, the societal vision of Maltese uniqueness is stabilised as a sociotechnical imaginary. Through these practices a prison spatiality experienced by refugees emerges. The emergence of this spatiality is illustrated by drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork with both refugee and non-refugee institutional actors. Pointing to the relationship between the emergent spatiality and societal self-understandings connecting past, present and future visions of Maltese identity, the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries is applied in conjunction with theories of islandness. It is analysed how practices of physical separation, the impediment of social participation, legal separation and its partial suspension enact Malta as a prison for refugees and thereby stabilise a concrete vision of Maltese identity.

Research paper thumbnail of Lost in limbo? Navigating (im)mobilities and practices of appropriation of non-deportable refugees in the Mediterranean area

Comparative Migration Studies, 2019

Malta, an island-state, limits the mobility of non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers who want t... more Malta, an island-state, limits the mobility of non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers who want to leave due to the lived consequences of disintegration. Stripped of any legal entitlements non-deportable refugees only have restricted access to the job market, basic services, and health care. They have no formal legal status whilst their presence and stay are known by the immigration authorities. However, although non-deportability restricts refugees' mobility, they find ways to navigate the system governing their physical and social immobilities. Based on (auto-)ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Malta and Italy, non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers' lived experiences of first reception in Malta and migrating to Italy are illuminated. While enacting their denied right of mobility, new challenges reveal themselves, resulting in a life in limbo that continues even after they leave Malta. Through the conceptual lens of the 'perspective of migration' we consider the making and unmaking of refugees' (im)mobilities. In doing so, we pursue a three-stage approach. First, we shed light on produced immobilities while in Malta. Second, we explore refugees' practices of appropriation of mobility and third, we turn to new possibilities and challenges they face after a secondary movement to Italy. From a micro-analytical perspective, we examine how non-deportable refugees navigate the system governing their social and physical (im)mobilities. Practices of resistance and conciliation are illustrated.

Research paper thumbnail of „Living in Malta without documents is like walking in a roundabout all the time.“ Nicht abschiebbare Geflüchtete zwischen Selbstermächtigung und Schutzlosigkeit.

Zeitung GEDENKDIENST, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Living Liminality. Ethnological insights into the life situation of non-deportable refugees in Malta.

Österreichische Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, 2016

The article presents interim results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Malta in 2015 and 2... more The article presents interim results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Malta in 2015 and 2016. From a micro-analytical perspective, new parameters of refugee refusal, developing at the European Union's external borders, are shown and discussed. The majority of rejected asylum seekers in Malta are non-deportable due to a number of legal and practical factors. Non-deportable refugees are in legal limbo since they are neither considered as official members of the host country, nor are they deportable or able to leave the country independently. In Malta, non-deportable refugees have no formal legal status. This may lead to a permanent situation with limited access to the job market, basic services and health care. Dominant orders are suspended without prospect of inclusion. This results in a permanent state of emergency. Based on ethnographic research the article illuminates the agency and vulnerability of non-deportable rejected asylum seekers in Malta. The article argues that non-deportability and a 'rejected' status limit the possibilities in terms of enforceability of their rights. It further illustrates forms of solidarity and action that non-deportable refugees apply to handle constraints and enhance their well-being in the liminal space. To conclude, the article calls for an epistemological shift in the way the non-citizen within the nation state is theorised.

Chapters by Sarah Nimführ

Research paper thumbnail of Contesting Profit Structures. Rejected Asylum Seekers between Modern Slavery and Autonomy.

in: McGuirk, Siobhán & Pine; Adrienne (Eds.): Asylum for Sale: Profit and Protest in the Migration Industry. Oakland: PM Press, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Liminalität

in: Heimerdinger, Timo & Tauschek, Markus (Hrsg.): Kulturtheoretisch Argumentieren. Ein Arbeitsbuch. Münster/New York: Waxmann, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Denying, While Demanding Integration: An Analysis of the Integration Paradox in Malta and Refugees' Coping Strategies

Politics of (Dis)integration, 2020

Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, almost 20,000 refugees have reached its shores. Obliged to rem... more Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, almost 20,000 refugees have reached its shores. Obliged to remain on the island state, they are required to integrate, despite an absence of governmental integration processes. With Malta being an EU member, its government is, however, obliged to conform to EU policies covering reception procedures. In this chapter, we analyse two fields of tension that result from this situation: (1) saving refugees at sea vs questions of border control and (2) demanding the integration of refugees whilst simultaneously denying them access to mechanisms leading to integration. Thus, we reflect on this ‘shift of duties’ – with a focus on refugees’ coping strategies in this paradoxical situation – by looking at practices of (dis)integration acted out by governing and non-governing actors. This case highlights the fact that integration and disintegration are intertwined. To illustrate this phenomenon, we employ a multi-actor approach. By collecting data and utilising textualisation strategies based on collaborative research, we challenge the issue of representing (dis)integration exclusively from the researchers’ perspective.

Research paper thumbnail of Ethnografisch forschen und die Wirkmächtigkeit der Kleinheit: Methodentheoretische Überlegungen und empirische Einblicke zur Produktion, Wahrnehmung und Repräsentation von räumlichen Zuschreibungsdiskursen

in: Margrit E. Kaufmann / Laura Otto / Sarah Nimführ / Dominik Schütte (Hrsg.): Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen, 2019

Die geografische Kleinheit Maltas ist ein bedeutender Bestandteil aktueller Flucht_Migrationsdisk... more Die geografische Kleinheit Maltas ist ein bedeutender Bestandteil aktueller Flucht_Migrationsdiskurse. Bootsmigration wird diskursiv als bedrohliches und überlastendes Phänomen für das lokale Asylsystem sowie die Inselgesellschaft dargestellt. Die Kleinheit wird als wirkmächtige Bezugsgröße zur Legitimation restriktiver Migrations- und Asylmaßnahmen verwendet, um ein langfristiges Bleiben der neuankommenden, geflüchteten Menschen nahezu zu verunmöglichen. Die Kleinheit spielt jedoch nicht nur für nicht-geflüchtete Akteur*innen eine Rolle; die vermeintliche Abgeschlossenheit ist auch für Geflüchtete von Bedeutung. Aus den verschiedenen Dimensionen und Bedeutungen von Kleinheit ergeben sich auch Folgen für die forscherische Praxis und Repräsentation. Basierend auf ethnografischen Erhebungen sowie unter Bezugnahme von Überlegungen und Verbindungen aus Methoden und Theorie, wird veranschaulicht, dass Kleinheit als Relationsbegriff zu denken ist und dekonstruiert werden kann. Als mögliches Analysetool wird die Islandscape vorgeschlagen, die Raum als durch verschiedene Akteur*innen geformt und performt versteht. Dies ermöglicht, Malta nicht allein durch seine physischen Grenzen und damit die tatsächliche Größe, begrenzt durch das Meer, als beschränkt und abgegrenzt zu sehen, sondern aufzuzeigen, welche Praktiken zu Be- und Entgrenzungen führen.

Research paper thumbnail of Gerettet, aber nicht angekommen. Von Geflüchteten in Malta.

in: Sabine Hess, Stefanie Kron, Mathias Rodatz, Maria Schwertl und Simon Sontowski (Hg.): Der lange Sommer der Migration: Grenzregime III. Berlin/Hamburg: Assoziation A., 2017

Chapter with Co-Authors Laura Otto and Gabriel Samateh

Papers by Sarah Nimführ

Research paper thumbnail of Can collaborative knowledge production decolonize epistemology?

MIGRATION LETTERS

A critical engagement with representation, positionality, and power inequalities has become incre... more A critical engagement with representation, positionality, and power inequalities has become increasingly common in research and publication projects in the field of forced migration studies. Indeed, the field has drawn on decolonial frameworks to move towards more inclusive perspectives. Nevertheless, the challenge in decolonizing knowledge production is to consider the rich spectrum of knowledges and knowledge production, while remaining aware of complexities and tensions, to avoid further marginalizing already-marginalized actors. This article stimulates a discussion that critically reflects on the structures and power relations in which collaboration processes form. I draw on forms of collaboration applied in my research, primarily co-authorships with refugee research partners, to reflect on methodological challenges and questions of legitimacy, from positions of hegemonic academic knowledge production. An epistemic decolonization through collaborative knowledge production can on...

Research paper thumbnail of Being There While Not Being There

Anthropological Journal of European Cultures, 2021

Multi-sited research has become a quality criterion for ethnographic research. This applies espec... more Multi-sited research has become a quality criterion for ethnographic research. This applies especially to studies on forced migration. Here, a site is often equated with a state, where researchers are usually required to be physically present. In this article, however, we ask: Must multi-sited research necessarily be multi-national? Do researchers have to be physically present at all sites? By discussing ethnographic material collected with forced migrants in Malta, we demonstrate that multi-sitedness is viewed in too narrow terms when site is equated with the nation-state. Adopting this approach also obscures refugees’ lived realities, their patterns of movement and their often truncated mobility. Instead, we carve out an understanding of multi-sited ethnography within one locality, introducing the concept of un-participated sites to include sites researchers are not able to physically visit. While the inaccessibility of sites is often inherent to ethnographic studies, it is all th...

Research paper thumbnail of Asyl

Böhlau Verlag eBooks, Dec 6, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Call for Papers: Anthropology of Islands

Anthropology of Islands. Reflecting Islandness from a historical cultural studies perspective“ Or... more Anthropology of Islands. Reflecting Islandness from a historical cultural studies perspective“ Organized by Sarah Nimführ and Greca Nathascia Meloni (University of Vienna) with a keynote of Regina Römhild (Humboldt University of Berlin). For a workshop at the Institute for European Ethnology at the University of Vienna (November 21-22, 2019) we invite ethnologists, cultural and social anthropologists, historians, geographers, archaeologists, and literature scientists conducting island ethnographies from a historical and cultural studies perspective. A peer commentator procedure and interactive roundtables will help us to delve into our research topics. Further, we will visit an exhibition about islands in the Weltmuseum Wien. If you are interested, please submit an abstract of max 250 words and a short bio of max 150 words to sarah.nimfuehr@univie.ac.at or greca.nathascia.meloni@univie.ac.at by 1 June 2019. We will decide about accepted abstracts by 1 July 2019.

Research paper thumbnail of Umkämpftes Recht zu bleiben. Zugehörigkeit, Mobilität und Kontrolle im EUropäischen Abschieberegime.

Die Mehrheit abgelehnter Asylsuchender in Malta, der EU-Außengrenze, ist nicht abschiebbar. Viele... more Die Mehrheit abgelehnter Asylsuchender in Malta, der EU-Außengrenze, ist nicht abschiebbar. Viele befinden sich in einer rechtlichen Grauzone, da ihnen ein formaler Aufenthaltsstatus meist verwehrt bleibt. In dieser Situation haben sie über mehrere Jahre hinweg nur begrenzten Zugang zu Beschäftigung, grundlegenden Dienstleistungen und medizinischer Versorgung. Die Aushandlungsprozesse zwischen nicht abschiebbaren Geflüchteten und institutionalisierten Akteur*innen nimmt Sarah Nimführ ethnografisch in den Blick und begleitet Geflüchtete auf ihren Wegen innerhalb des EUropäischen Grenzregimes. Sie zeigt, wie sich das Leben von Menschen mit einem nicht durchgeführten Abschiebebescheid gestaltet und welche Praktiken der Alltagsorganisation sie anwenden.

Research paper thumbnail of Forschung und Praxis zwischen Handlungsdruck und Orientierungsunsicherheit im Kontext von Flucht_Migration

Margrit E. Kaufmann / Laura Otto / Sarah Nimführ / Dominik Schütte (Hrsg.): Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen. Wiesbaden: Springer, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen.

Margrit E. Kaufmann / Laura Otto / Sarah Nimführ / Dominik Schütte (Hrsg.): Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen. Wiesbaden: Springer, 2019

Kernfragen in Bezug auf Kontextualisierung, Repräsentation, Verantwortung und Beziehung zu Geflüc... more Kernfragen in Bezug auf Kontextualisierung, Repräsentation, Verantwortung und Beziehung zu Geflüchteten sowohl in Forschungs- als auch in Arbeitsfeldern sind in Flucht-Migrationsforschungen bisher wenig thematisiert. Die Autorinnen und Autoren widmen sich diesen Reflexionslücken sowie grundlegenden Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen. Die breit aufgestellte, transdisziplinäre Ausrichtung macht den Sammelband für Forschende unterschiedlicher Disziplinen ebenso relevant wie für Studierende, Lehrende, Praktikerinnen und Praktiker.

Research paper thumbnail of “Better to be in quarantine on an island paradise than stay bored at home”

Boasblogs Curare Corona Diaries, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Reflections on collaborative knowledge production in the context of forced migration.

Feminstische GeoRundmail, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Forschungspraxis als Aushandlung. Kollaboratives Forschen im Wissen(schaft)sfeld Flucht_Migration

Kuckuck. Notizen zur Alltagskultur, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Doing research on, with and about the island: Reflections on islandscape

Even though the relational turn within Island Studies has long revoked the equation of islands wi... more Even though the relational turn within Island Studies has long revoked the equation of islands with insularity, disconnectedness and backwardness, these ascriptions are still often deterministically attributed to islands, mainly by non-island scholars. Thereby these designations are not only reproduced, but connections, dynamics, different forms of embeddedness and entanglements remain overlooked. This paper has two main goals: (1) Adding to the relational turn in Island Studies by not only arguing for more inductive approaches to seriously engage with these situated and changing manifestations and meaning-makings of islands, and (2) by drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Malta, we introduce the concept of 'islandscape' (Broodbank 2000) to the Island Studies literature. Through the lens of islandscape, islands can be researched as nodal points of the local, national and global without reproducing 'islandism' while still acknowledging the importance of the island. The combination of-scape and assemblage-thinking which is already present within Island Studies makes it possible to address the tension between global and local and, rather, to look at which concrete, situated assemblages emerge within islandscape. In this sense, we propose to think of the island as islandscape from the very beginning of research, then to show how this islandscape is actually constituted and then to describe partial moments of stabilisation in terms of assemblages.

Research paper thumbnail of PRESERVING MALTESE IDENTITY IN REFUGEE MANAGEMENT On the Emergence and Absence of a Prison Spatiality

Shima: the international journal of research into island cultures., 2019

Since 2002, roughly 19,000 refugees have reached Maltese shores. Both European Union law as well ... more Since 2002, roughly 19,000 refugees have reached Maltese shores. Both European Union law as well as national Maltese policies shape their reception and treatment. In discourse, these refugees are repeatedly represented as a threat to the social order on the island and its unique Maltese identity. Through various practices of separating refugees from non-refugee society, the societal vision of Maltese uniqueness is stabilised as a sociotechnical imaginary. Through these practices a prison spatiality experienced by refugees emerges. The emergence of this spatiality is illustrated by drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork with both refugee and non-refugee institutional actors. Pointing to the relationship between the emergent spatiality and societal self-understandings connecting past, present and future visions of Maltese identity, the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries is applied in conjunction with theories of islandness. It is analysed how practices of physical separation, the impediment of social participation, legal separation and its partial suspension enact Malta as a prison for refugees and thereby stabilise a concrete vision of Maltese identity.

Research paper thumbnail of Lost in limbo? Navigating (im)mobilities and practices of appropriation of non-deportable refugees in the Mediterranean area

Comparative Migration Studies, 2019

Malta, an island-state, limits the mobility of non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers who want t... more Malta, an island-state, limits the mobility of non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers who want to leave due to the lived consequences of disintegration. Stripped of any legal entitlements non-deportable refugees only have restricted access to the job market, basic services, and health care. They have no formal legal status whilst their presence and stay are known by the immigration authorities. However, although non-deportability restricts refugees' mobility, they find ways to navigate the system governing their physical and social immobilities. Based on (auto-)ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Malta and Italy, non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers' lived experiences of first reception in Malta and migrating to Italy are illuminated. While enacting their denied right of mobility, new challenges reveal themselves, resulting in a life in limbo that continues even after they leave Malta. Through the conceptual lens of the 'perspective of migration' we consider the making and unmaking of refugees' (im)mobilities. In doing so, we pursue a three-stage approach. First, we shed light on produced immobilities while in Malta. Second, we explore refugees' practices of appropriation of mobility and third, we turn to new possibilities and challenges they face after a secondary movement to Italy. From a micro-analytical perspective, we examine how non-deportable refugees navigate the system governing their social and physical (im)mobilities. Practices of resistance and conciliation are illustrated.

Research paper thumbnail of „Living in Malta without documents is like walking in a roundabout all the time.“ Nicht abschiebbare Geflüchtete zwischen Selbstermächtigung und Schutzlosigkeit.

Zeitung GEDENKDIENST, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Living Liminality. Ethnological insights into the life situation of non-deportable refugees in Malta.

Österreichische Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, 2016

The article presents interim results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Malta in 2015 and 2... more The article presents interim results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Malta in 2015 and 2016. From a micro-analytical perspective, new parameters of refugee refusal, developing at the European Union's external borders, are shown and discussed. The majority of rejected asylum seekers in Malta are non-deportable due to a number of legal and practical factors. Non-deportable refugees are in legal limbo since they are neither considered as official members of the host country, nor are they deportable or able to leave the country independently. In Malta, non-deportable refugees have no formal legal status. This may lead to a permanent situation with limited access to the job market, basic services and health care. Dominant orders are suspended without prospect of inclusion. This results in a permanent state of emergency. Based on ethnographic research the article illuminates the agency and vulnerability of non-deportable rejected asylum seekers in Malta. The article argues that non-deportability and a 'rejected' status limit the possibilities in terms of enforceability of their rights. It further illustrates forms of solidarity and action that non-deportable refugees apply to handle constraints and enhance their well-being in the liminal space. To conclude, the article calls for an epistemological shift in the way the non-citizen within the nation state is theorised.

Research paper thumbnail of Contesting Profit Structures. Rejected Asylum Seekers between Modern Slavery and Autonomy.

in: McGuirk, Siobhán & Pine; Adrienne (Eds.): Asylum for Sale: Profit and Protest in the Migration Industry. Oakland: PM Press, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Liminalität

in: Heimerdinger, Timo & Tauschek, Markus (Hrsg.): Kulturtheoretisch Argumentieren. Ein Arbeitsbuch. Münster/New York: Waxmann, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Denying, While Demanding Integration: An Analysis of the Integration Paradox in Malta and Refugees' Coping Strategies

Politics of (Dis)integration, 2020

Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, almost 20,000 refugees have reached its shores. Obliged to rem... more Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, almost 20,000 refugees have reached its shores. Obliged to remain on the island state, they are required to integrate, despite an absence of governmental integration processes. With Malta being an EU member, its government is, however, obliged to conform to EU policies covering reception procedures. In this chapter, we analyse two fields of tension that result from this situation: (1) saving refugees at sea vs questions of border control and (2) demanding the integration of refugees whilst simultaneously denying them access to mechanisms leading to integration. Thus, we reflect on this ‘shift of duties’ – with a focus on refugees’ coping strategies in this paradoxical situation – by looking at practices of (dis)integration acted out by governing and non-governing actors. This case highlights the fact that integration and disintegration are intertwined. To illustrate this phenomenon, we employ a multi-actor approach. By collecting data and utilising textualisation strategies based on collaborative research, we challenge the issue of representing (dis)integration exclusively from the researchers’ perspective.

Research paper thumbnail of Ethnografisch forschen und die Wirkmächtigkeit der Kleinheit: Methodentheoretische Überlegungen und empirische Einblicke zur Produktion, Wahrnehmung und Repräsentation von räumlichen Zuschreibungsdiskursen

in: Margrit E. Kaufmann / Laura Otto / Sarah Nimführ / Dominik Schütte (Hrsg.): Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht: Reflexionslücken, Repräsentations- und Ethikfragen, 2019

Die geografische Kleinheit Maltas ist ein bedeutender Bestandteil aktueller Flucht_Migrationsdisk... more Die geografische Kleinheit Maltas ist ein bedeutender Bestandteil aktueller Flucht_Migrationsdiskurse. Bootsmigration wird diskursiv als bedrohliches und überlastendes Phänomen für das lokale Asylsystem sowie die Inselgesellschaft dargestellt. Die Kleinheit wird als wirkmächtige Bezugsgröße zur Legitimation restriktiver Migrations- und Asylmaßnahmen verwendet, um ein langfristiges Bleiben der neuankommenden, geflüchteten Menschen nahezu zu verunmöglichen. Die Kleinheit spielt jedoch nicht nur für nicht-geflüchtete Akteur*innen eine Rolle; die vermeintliche Abgeschlossenheit ist auch für Geflüchtete von Bedeutung. Aus den verschiedenen Dimensionen und Bedeutungen von Kleinheit ergeben sich auch Folgen für die forscherische Praxis und Repräsentation. Basierend auf ethnografischen Erhebungen sowie unter Bezugnahme von Überlegungen und Verbindungen aus Methoden und Theorie, wird veranschaulicht, dass Kleinheit als Relationsbegriff zu denken ist und dekonstruiert werden kann. Als mögliches Analysetool wird die Islandscape vorgeschlagen, die Raum als durch verschiedene Akteur*innen geformt und performt versteht. Dies ermöglicht, Malta nicht allein durch seine physischen Grenzen und damit die tatsächliche Größe, begrenzt durch das Meer, als beschränkt und abgegrenzt zu sehen, sondern aufzuzeigen, welche Praktiken zu Be- und Entgrenzungen führen.

Research paper thumbnail of Gerettet, aber nicht angekommen. Von Geflüchteten in Malta.

in: Sabine Hess, Stefanie Kron, Mathias Rodatz, Maria Schwertl und Simon Sontowski (Hg.): Der lange Sommer der Migration: Grenzregime III. Berlin/Hamburg: Assoziation A., 2017

Chapter with Co-Authors Laura Otto and Gabriel Samateh

Research paper thumbnail of Can collaborative knowledge production decolonize epistemology?

MIGRATION LETTERS

A critical engagement with representation, positionality, and power inequalities has become incre... more A critical engagement with representation, positionality, and power inequalities has become increasingly common in research and publication projects in the field of forced migration studies. Indeed, the field has drawn on decolonial frameworks to move towards more inclusive perspectives. Nevertheless, the challenge in decolonizing knowledge production is to consider the rich spectrum of knowledges and knowledge production, while remaining aware of complexities and tensions, to avoid further marginalizing already-marginalized actors. This article stimulates a discussion that critically reflects on the structures and power relations in which collaboration processes form. I draw on forms of collaboration applied in my research, primarily co-authorships with refugee research partners, to reflect on methodological challenges and questions of legitimacy, from positions of hegemonic academic knowledge production. An epistemic decolonization through collaborative knowledge production can on...

Research paper thumbnail of Being There While Not Being There

Anthropological Journal of European Cultures, 2021

Multi-sited research has become a quality criterion for ethnographic research. This applies espec... more Multi-sited research has become a quality criterion for ethnographic research. This applies especially to studies on forced migration. Here, a site is often equated with a state, where researchers are usually required to be physically present. In this article, however, we ask: Must multi-sited research necessarily be multi-national? Do researchers have to be physically present at all sites? By discussing ethnographic material collected with forced migrants in Malta, we demonstrate that multi-sitedness is viewed in too narrow terms when site is equated with the nation-state. Adopting this approach also obscures refugees’ lived realities, their patterns of movement and their often truncated mobility. Instead, we carve out an understanding of multi-sited ethnography within one locality, introducing the concept of un-participated sites to include sites researchers are not able to physically visit. While the inaccessibility of sites is often inherent to ethnographic studies, it is all th...

Research paper thumbnail of Asyl

Böhlau Verlag eBooks, Dec 6, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Call for Papers: Anthropology of Islands

Anthropology of Islands. Reflecting Islandness from a historical cultural studies perspective“ Or... more Anthropology of Islands. Reflecting Islandness from a historical cultural studies perspective“ Organized by Sarah Nimführ and Greca Nathascia Meloni (University of Vienna) with a keynote of Regina Römhild (Humboldt University of Berlin). For a workshop at the Institute for European Ethnology at the University of Vienna (November 21-22, 2019) we invite ethnologists, cultural and social anthropologists, historians, geographers, archaeologists, and literature scientists conducting island ethnographies from a historical and cultural studies perspective. A peer commentator procedure and interactive roundtables will help us to delve into our research topics. Further, we will visit an exhibition about islands in the Weltmuseum Wien. If you are interested, please submit an abstract of max 250 words and a short bio of max 150 words to sarah.nimfuehr@univie.ac.at or greca.nathascia.meloni@univie.ac.at by 1 June 2019. We will decide about accepted abstracts by 1 July 2019.

Research paper thumbnail of Ethnografisch forschen und die Wirkmächtigkeit der Kleinheit

Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht, 2019

Die geografische Kleinheit Maltas ist ein bedeutender Bestandteil aktueller Flucht_Migrationsdisk... more Die geografische Kleinheit Maltas ist ein bedeutender Bestandteil aktueller Flucht_Migrationsdiskurse. Bootsmigration wird diskursiv als bedrohliches und uberlastendes Phanomen fur das lokale Asylsystem sowie die Inselgesellschaft dargestellt. Die Kleinheit wird als wirkmachtige Bezugsgrose zur Legitimation restriktiver Migrations- und Asylmasnahmen verwendet, um ein langfristiges Bleiben der neuankommenden, gefluchteten Menschen nahezu zu verunmoglichen. Die Kleinheit spielt jedoch nicht nur fur nicht-gefluchtete Akteur*innen eine Rolle; die vermeintliche Abgeschlossenheit ist auch fur Gefluchtete von Bedeutung. Aus den verschiedenen Dimensionen und Bedeutungen von Kleinheit ergeben sich auch Folgen fur die forscherische Praxis und Reprasentation. Basierend auf ethnografischen Erhebungen sowie unter Bezugnahme von Uberlegungen und Verbindungen aus Methoden und Theorie, wird veranschaulicht, dass Kleinheit als Relationsbegriff zu denken ist und dekonstruiert werden kann. Als moglich...

Research paper thumbnail of Denying, While Demanding Integration: An Analysis of the Integration Paradox in Malta and Refugees’ Coping Strategies

IMISCOE Research Series, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Forschung und Praxis zwischen Handlungsdruck und Orientierungsunsicherheit im Kontext von Flucht_Migration

Forschen und Arbeiten im Kontext von Flucht, 2019

Ganz gleich, wo und mit wem wir uns in den letzten Jahren, spätestens seit dem "langen Sommer der... more Ganz gleich, wo und mit wem wir uns in den letzten Jahren, spätestens seit dem "langen Sommer der Migration" 2015 (Hess et al. 2017), zu den Themen Flucht, Asyl, europäische Außengrenze, Solidarität oder auch Grenzmanagement unterhalten haben, haben wir nicht selten von unserem Gegenüber gehört, dass er*sie auch gerne ‚irgendwas mit Flüchtlingen' machen möchte: Seien es Studierende, die nach geeigneten Themen für ihre Forschungsarbeiten suchten, Kolleg*innen oder Nachbar*innen, die sich ehrenamtlich engagieren wollten, Journalist*innen, die uns als Forschende für Interviews anfragten oder auch Schüler*innen, die einen Beitrag für ihre Schulzeitung schreiben wollten, seien es Ärzt*innen, die Geflüchtete kostenlos (not-)versorgen wollten oder Praktiker*innen der Sozialen Arbeit, die in eine Tätigkeit mit Geflüchteten wechseln wollten. Auch wir Autor*innen dieses Sammelbandes sind da nicht außen vor: Wir haben ebenfalls zu und mit Geflüchteten geforscht, haben zur Flucht_Migrationsforschung gelehrt, haben uns ehrenamtlich engagiert, sind in der professionellen Sozialen Arbeit in Sammelunterkünften und für verschiedene Organisationen tätig. Damit fanden wir uns, wie viele andere auch, in einer Situation wieder, die gekennzeichnet ist von Handlungsdruck und Orientierungsunsicherheit. Auf der einen Seite waren wir überzeugt davon, dass es wichtig ist, Flucht_Migration und die damit verbundenen Themen auch an Universitäten zu diskutieren und kritisch zu beforschen bzw. in Praxisfelder hineinzuwirken, aber gleichzeitig wussten wir nicht genau, wie das überhaupt aussehen kann oder soll. Wie kommt es dazu, dass wir uns hier mit Themen im Kontext von Flucht_Migration befassen? Die Auswahl unserer Forschungs-und Arbeitsthemen folgt nicht nur unserer persönlichen Motivation und "biographisch bedingten Vorlieben" (

Research paper thumbnail of Preserving Maltese Identity in Refugee Management: On the Emergence and Absence of a Prison Spatiality

Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures, 2019

Since 2002, roughly 19,000 refugees have reached Maltese shores. Both European Union law as well ... more Since 2002, roughly 19,000 refugees have reached Maltese shores. Both European Union law as well as national Maltese policies shape their reception and treatment. In discourse, these refugees are repeatedly represented as a threat to the social order on the island and its unique Maltese identity. Through various practices of separating refugees from non-refugee society, the societal vision of Maltese uniqueness is stabilised as a sociotechnical imaginary. Through these practices a prison spatiality experienced by refugees emerges. The emergence of this spatiality is illustrated by drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork with both refugee and non-refugee institutional actors. Pointing to the relationship between the emergent spatiality and societal self-understandings connecting past, present and future visions of Maltese identity, the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries is applied in conjunction with theories of islandness. It is analysed how practices of physical separation, the impediment of social participation, legal separation and its partial suspension enact Malta as a prison for refugees and thereby stabilise a concrete vision of Maltese identity.

Research paper thumbnail of Lost in limbo? Navigating (im)mobilities and practices of appropriation of non-deportable refugees in the Mediterranean area

Comparative Migration Studies, 2019

Malta, an island-state, limits the mobility of non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers who want t... more Malta, an island-state, limits the mobility of non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers who want to leave due to the lived consequences of disintegration. Stripped of any legal entitlements non-deportable refugees only have restricted access to the job market, basic services, and health care. They have no formal legal status whilst their presence and stay are known by the immigration authorities. However, although non-deportability restricts refugees' mobility, they find ways to navigate the system governing their physical and social immobilities. Based on (auto-)ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Malta and Italy, non-deportable, rejected asylum seekers' lived experiences of first reception in Malta and migrating to Italy are illuminated. While enacting their denied right of mobility, new challenges reveal themselves, resulting in a life in limbo that continues even after they leave Malta. Through the conceptual lens of the 'perspective of migration' we consider the making and unmaking of refugees' (im)mobilities. In doing so, we pursue a three-stage approach. First, we shed light on produced immobilities while in Malta. Second, we explore refugees' practices of appropriation of mobility and third, we turn to new possibilities and challenges they face after a secondary movement to Italy. From a micro-analytical perspective, we examine how non-deportable refugees navigate the system governing their social and physical (im)mobilities. Practices of resistance and conciliation are illustrated.

Research paper thumbnail of (Un)Making smallness: Islands, spatial ascription processes and (im)mobility

Island Studies Journal, 2021

Official categorization systems classify some states, including island-states, as small. Malta, l... more Official categorization systems classify some states, including island-states, as small. Malta, located in the Mediterranean Sea, is one of six European microstates and the European Union’s smallest member state. Smallness, however, refers to more than fixed geographic scales. The understanding of smallness developed in this article, in contrast, moves beyond geographic features and argues instead that smallness is related to perceptions, experiences, and ascriptions. We challenge universal understandings of smallness against the backdrop of ethnographic research carried out in Malta (2013–2018) by exploring how island-related smallness is produced and used situationally in the context of (im)mobility. By focusing on narratives of smallness by various actors with whom we engaged during fieldwork, we demonstrate how smallness, islandness, and (im)mobilizing policies intersect at the EU’s external border. In addition, and in order to contribute to decolonial perspectives within Island...

Research paper thumbnail of Umkämpfte Im-/Mobilitäten

Kultur und soziale Praxis

Research paper thumbnail of Decolonial thinking: A critical perspective on positionality and representations in island studies

Island Studies Journal

Scholars conducting research on and about islands face the challenge of countering the epistemic ... more Scholars conducting research on and about islands face the challenge of countering the epistemic and methodological dominance of external perspectives on islands with an insular internal view, while also avoiding essentializing the island or reproducing Western perspectives. Islands have always been—and in some cases still are—confronted with a colonial gaze. Thus, to avoid producing hegemonic epistemology, we call for critical reflection on how islands are represented in our research, which theoretical concepts are referred to, and what knowledge is produced by applying them. Furthermore, we appeal for a reconsideration of the researcher’s positionality within the field and their role in knowledge production. This special section is a contribution to the decolonial project within island studies.

Research paper thumbnail of Umkämpfte Im-/Mobilitäten

Konfliktfeld Fluchtmigration

Research paper thumbnail of 1 Doing research on, with and about the island: Reflections on islandscape

Island Studies Journal

Even though the relational turn within Island Studies has long revoked the equation of islands wi... more Even though the relational turn within Island Studies has long revoked the equation of islands with insularity, disconnectedness and backwardness, these ascriptions are still often deterministically attributed to islands, mainly by non-island scholars. Thereby these designations are not only reproduced, but connections, dynamics, different forms of embeddedness and entanglements remain overlooked. This paper has two main goals: (1) Adding to the relational turn in Island Studies by not only arguing for more inductive approaches to seriously engage with these situated and changing manifestations and meaningmakings of islands, and (2) by drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Malta, we introduce the concept of 'islandscape' (Broodbank 2000) to the Island Studies literature. Through the lens of islandscape, islands can be researched as nodal points of the local, national and global without reproducing 'islandism' while still acknowledging the importance of the island. The combination of-scape and assemblage-thinking which is already present within Island Studies makes it possible to address the tension between global and local and, rather, to look at which concrete, situated assemblages emerge within islandscape. In this sense, we propose to think of the island as islandscape from the very beginning of research, then to show how this islandscape is actually constituted and then to describe partial moments of stabilisation in terms of assemblages.

Research paper thumbnail of ISLAND ETHNOGRAPHY: REFLECTING "ISLANDNESS" IN THE ANTHOPOCENE

CALL FOR PAPERS, 2019

In recent years, islands have experienced a hype in various research areas: flight and migration,... more In recent years, islands have experienced a hype in various research areas: flight and migration, tourism, ecology-with special reference to climate change, interspecies, and «friction» in the Anthropocene-heritage-making, island cities and urban archipelagos, etc. Furthermore, there is an increased scientific interest in various forms of solidarities within islands and beyond them. This panel seeks to link research interests about islands and to exchange experiences and reflections, especially related to the real geography of islands, as well as to develop conceptual frameworks that can be used to build common approaches for research on and about islands. We invite scientists, who work on islands or are doing research about islands, to give insights on their island research. These can deal with the special features, challenges and opportunities of the island both content analytical and method-theoretical. If you are interested, please submit a short paper's abstract (up to 300 characters with spaces) and a long paper's abstract (up to 250 words) via the online form of IUAES 2019 (https://www.iuaes2019.org/paper-guidelines/) by 15 February 2019. The panel conveners will decide about accepted abstracts by 15 March 2019. For more information please send an email at:

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR PAPERS Anthropology of Islands

Anthropology of Islands. Reflecting Islandness from a historical cultural studies perspective“ O... more Anthropology of Islands. Reflecting Islandness from a historical cultural studies perspective“
Organized by Sarah Nimführ and Greca Nathascia Meloni (University of Vienna) with a keynote of Regina Römhild (Humboldt University of Berlin).

For a workshop at the Institute for European Ethnology at the University of Vienna (November 21-22, 2019) we invite ethnologists, cultural and social anthropologists, historians, geographers, archaeologists, and literature scientists conducting island ethnographies from a historical and cultural studies perspective.

A peer commentator procedure and interactive roundtables will help us to delve into our research topics. Further, we will visit an exhibition about islands in the Weltmuseum Wien.

If you are interested, please submit an abstract of max 250 words and a short bio of max 150 words to sarah.nimfuehr@univie.ac.at or greca.nathascia.meloni@univie.ac.at by 1 June 2019. We will decide about accepted abstracts by 1 July 2019.

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS: Solidarity

We welcome submissions for issue 2/21 of kuckuck (https://bit.ly/35FfjXp) on the topic of Solidar... more We welcome submissions for issue 2/21 of kuckuck (https://bit.ly/35FfjXp) on the topic of Solidarity until March 1, 2021!

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR PAPERS: Urban Space and Landscapes. Stadt- und Raumforschung im Nexus von Theorie und Empirie

Interdisziplinärer Workshop vom 25.-26. November 2021 am Institut für Europäische Ethnologie an d... more Interdisziplinärer Workshop vom 25.-26. November 2021 am Institut für Europäische Ethnologie an der Universität Wien in Kooperation mit dem Forum urban_land_scapes, Forschungsschwerpunkt Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Österreichische Gesellschaft für Soziologie – Sektion Stadt und Abteilung Kulturwissenschaft der Kunstuniversität Linz.

Forschende aus den interdisziplinären Feldern der Europäischen Ethnologie, Soziologie, Raumplanung, Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie sowie Geschichte und Geographie, die raumtheoretisch fundiert und/oder in Bezug zu raumtheoretischen Konzepten empirisch forschen, sind eingeladen, ein Abstract im Umfang von 450 Wörtern und eine Kurzbiografie von 150 Wörtern für eine Präsentation von maximal 15 Minuten für den Workshop „Urban Space & Landscapes: Stadt- und Raumforschung im Nexus von Theorie und Empirie“ einzureichen. Der Call for Papers richtet sich sowohl an Nachwuchswissenschaftler:innen als auch Forschende ab der Postdoc-Phase.

Ziel ist ein kleiner, diskussionsintensiver und kollegialer Workshop, um anhand konkreter Fallbeispiele aus dem Gebiet der Raum- und Stadtforschung aufzuzeigen, wie raumtheoretische Argumentationen im Nexus von Theorie und Empirie aussehen und eventuell weitergedacht werden können. Anknüpfend an den Workshop ist eine Publikation geplant. Im Rahmen des 1,5 tägigen Workshops werden raumtheoretische Konzepte diskutiert. Anknüpfend daran werden in thematisch gebündelten Sessions die Beiträge der Teilnehmenden vorgestellt sowie in interaktiven Diskussionsrunden reflektiert und weitergedacht. Neben den inhaltlichen Austausch gibt es Formate, die zur weiteren Vernetzung einladen, wie ein gemeinsames Abendessen und ein Stadtspaziergang.

Wir freuen uns sehr, dass Martina Löw (Professur für Architektur- und Stadtplanung, TU Berlin) den Workshop mit einer Keynote bereichern wird.

Zu folgenden möglichen Themenfeldern laden wir ein: Analyse von Prozessen der Raumkonstitution (mikrosozial, relational, regional transformativ, archipelagisch), Prozesse und Aushandlungen von Regulativen, akteurszentrierte Analysen (aus dem Bereich der Stadt- und Geschlechterforschung, Area Studies, Gesundheits-/Medizinforschung) sowie Macht und Raumproduktion im Kontext von ländlichen, urbanen aber auch insularen Entwicklungsprozessen (Imageproduktionen, Praktiken, gebauter Raum) aus historischer, kulturwissenschaftlicher, sozialwissenschaftlicher und ethnografischer Perspektive.

Catering, Abendessen und ein Stadtrundgang sind inklusive. Die Übernahme von Reise- und Nächtigungskosten befindet sich in der Beantragung. Wir bitten bei der Einreichung einen entsprechenden Förderbedarf anzugeben.

Wir freuen uns auf Einreichungen bis zum 15. Mai 2021 an folgende E-Mail-Adressen: cornelia.dlabaja@univie.ac.at / sarah.nimfuehr@univie.ac.at

Mitte Juni 2021 werden die Beitragenden über eine Teilnahme und weitere Modalitäten informiert.

Der Workshop findet möglichst als Präsenzveranstaltung an der Universität Wien statt. Angesichts der unklaren weiteren Entwicklung des Pandemiegeschehens und im Falle etwaiger Reisebeschränkungen kann eine Teilnahme auch virtuell erfolgen. Sollten die Umstände es notwendig machen, wird der Workshop gänzlich auf ein virtuelles Format zurückgreifen.

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Whose voice? Power, Knowledge, and Positionality in Caribbean Studies

Whose knowledge is recognized, and what voices are heard within Caribbean studies? This interdisc... more Whose knowledge is recognized, and what voices are heard within Caribbean studies? This interdisciplinary conference focuses on how knowledge is produced, shared, and received, and on what changes are needed to ensure that power is shared, while epistemic differences are included and valued.

Research paper thumbnail of CONVOCATORIA: ¿La voz de quién? Poder, conocimiento y posicionamiento en los estudios caribeños

¿Qué conocimientos se reconocen y qué voces se escuchan dentro de los estudios del Caribe? Esta c... more ¿Qué conocimientos se reconocen y qué voces se escuchan dentro de los estudios del Caribe? Esta conferencia se centra en cómo se produce, comparte y recibe el conocimiento, y qué cambios son necesarios para garantizar que se comparta el poder, mientras se incluyen y valoran las diferencias epistémicas.

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Writing Together. Kollaboratives Schreiben mit Personen aus dem Feld

In den letzten Jahrzehnten erlebte das kollaborative Forschen disziplinübergreifend einen deutlic... more In den letzten Jahrzehnten erlebte das kollaborative Forschen disziplinübergreifend einen deutlichen Aufschwung und führte zu transformativen und dekolonialen Wissenspraxen, die ‘Beforschte’ miteinbeziehen. Gemeinsame Schreibprozesse mit Personen aus dem Feld sind aber bisher kaum thematisiert worden. Eine methodologische und forschungspraktische Reflexion fehlt. Die Autor*innen des geplanten Sammelbandes widmen sich diesen Reflexionslücken und möchten engagiert Forschenden und Interessierten, die kollaborative Schreibprozesse mit Personen aus dem Feld verfolgen oder anstreben, sowohl eine Orientierungshilfe zur dekolonialen Wissensproduktion bieten als auch die interdisziplinäre Diskussion anregen.

Einreichfrist für Abstracts: 15. Juli 2021