Holly Ritchie | Institute of Social Studies, The Hague

Papers by Holly Ritchie

Mobile Urbanity, Dec 31, 2022

The discussion highlights the precarious nature of refugee women’s evolving economic practices un... more The discussion highlights the precarious nature of refugee women’s evolving economic practices under strained displacement conditions, with little community negotiation and acceptance. Yet the paper draws attention to the development of social structures in Eastleigh that may reinforce the stability of these ‘new’ institutions. Thus, this chapter shows the ambiguities that the enterprise opportunities in Eastleigh offer from the perspective of some of the estate’s most vulnerable refugee residents: emphasising the economic contribution of refugee women working at the lower end of the Eastleigh economy, while also highlighting the social challenges they face, especially in a context where conservative gender norms and values persist amongst refugee groups (with the ‘mobility’ of Somali urban culture), and where more rigid forms of Islam are taking greater hold. Before looking in more detail at the economic lives of refugee women, the chapter begins with a look at changing gender relations among Somalians in the context of exile and diaspora.

1. Exploring Institutional Complexity In A Less Formal Context 2. The Ubiquity Of Institutions: S... more 1. Exploring Institutional Complexity In A Less Formal Context 2. The Ubiquity Of Institutions: Shaping Economic Development 3. Afghanistan: Persisting Instability, Informality And Tradition 4. Transforming Norms Towards Unlocking Societal Barriers 5. Constructing Institutions In Enterprise 6. Unwrapping Agency: Interests, Power And Networks 7. Towards A Dynamic And Inter-Disciplinary Theory Of Institutional Change

Advancing earlier studies in Afghanistan and Kenya, the research discussed in this case study sou... more Advancing earlier studies in Afghanistan and Kenya, the research discussed in this case study sought to further investigate gender and enterprise in “fragile settings”—where the state is weak, absent, or unwilling. The research case specifically explored Syrian refugee women’s evolving economic lives, and related socio-cultural dynamics in the context of Jordan. Adopting an “institutionalist” perspective, the research looked at the precarious nature of emerging social and economic practices—including women’s increased public mobility, and new work norms in enterprise. The empirical study drew on an “exploratory” in-depth case study approach, critical realism, to examine “less known social phenomena” in institutional change and the interplay between structure and agency. Such an approach may permit an exploration of different realities, but it necessitates a self-reflective and self-aware researcher, with flexibility to guide and reshape the investigation as necessary. At a grassroots level, the article expounds on the ethnographic tools employed and the value of such tools in less formal settings. Yet, the case study draws attention to three potential levels of bias that may influence the research process and outcomes, including the researcher, the research respondents, and the research process. A recognition and awareness of these biases may be of particular importance in open and iterative critical realist research that aims to explore the “social world,” and build an understanding of “reality” over the course of the research.

Disasters, 2018

This paper examines gender and enterprise in fragile refugee settings. Building on previous resea... more This paper examines gender and enterprise in fragile refugee settings. Building on previous research in Afghanistan, it analyses refugee women's evolving economic lives and enterprise initiatives and related social dynamics in refugee communities. Case studies look specifically at two Islamic refugee contexts: Nairobi, Kenya (Somali refugees), and Irbid and Zarqa, Jordan (Syrian refugees). The discussion spotlights the precarious nature of refugee women's new practices and work norms under forced and strained circumstances, without a process of negotiation with male family members. In the case of longer-term refugees (Somalis), it describes new collective agency among refugee women, boosting support for new practices. The paper reflects on emerging gender roles and relations in such hostile conditions, particularly as men remain excluded and struggle for their own identity and authority. In addition, it draws attention to the gap relating to refugee men and policymaking, and...

World Development, 2016

This paper elaborates on critical processes of institutional change and the implications for loca... more This paper elaborates on critical processes of institutional change and the implications for local economic development in fragile settings. Drawing on empirical research in Afghanistan, the discussion looks specifically at how local actors interact to reshape the ''rules of the game" in women's enterprise. The research has highlighted diverse actor negotiation in the transformation of (heterogeneous) purdah norms and development of enterprise institutions. This has crucially influenced the scope of norm development, and women's engagement in business. The study shows that external actors (such as NGOs) may be able to both initiate and guide institutional change and development. Yet in challenging environments such as Afghanistan, there may be limitations to their endeavors, with strong resistance from local power holders, unpredictable entrepreneurs and disruptive (local) events. The use of liberal cultural/religious narratives has proved fundamental in permitting change processes. Emerging open-minded beliefs have unleashed a more democratic ''narrative" on women, particularly if championed by progressive leaders, or credible outsiders in ''receptive" local conditions. This has led to the evolution of new attitudes and preferences, with potential effects beyond the market, including increasing girls' education and women's property rights. The research has generated a micro-social perspective of institutional change, identifying key actors and conditions that may shape grassroots institutional processes in enterprise development. In emerging outcomes, the paper presents insights into the role of dominant entrepreneurs in driving (nested) institutional pathways. This may promote inclusive opportunities for (new) power and wealth through open institutions, in ''productive institutional pathways." Yet it can equally foster distorted economies if exclusive institutions are allowed to prevail in more ''destructive institutional pathways." To further develop micro-institutional theory, the paper argues for a greater appreciation of culture, religion, and fragility.

This paper explores nuanced entrepreneurial phenomena through the lens of (social) institutions, ... more This paper explores nuanced entrepreneurial phenomena through the lens of (social) institutions, and the role of both actors and the local context in shaping economic development in the uncertain context of Afghanistan. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research, the case study examines the creation and design of new market institutions ('social innovations') in a women's food processing enterprise. The study highlights the strategies of the entrepreneur, local power holders and external actors (agency), and the influence of local conditions (structure) in the process of institutional construction. It is indicated that entrepreneurship can promote inclusive opportunities for (new) power and wealth through 'open' institutions, even in fragile contexts. It can equally foster distorted economies if 'exclusive' institutions are allowed to prevail.

New Media & Society

This article examines the growing influence of Informational Communication Technologies (ICTs) in... more This article examines the growing influence of Informational Communication Technologies (ICTs) in less certain refugee contexts and the role of civil society groups. Drawing on an empirical case study of Somali refugees in Kenya, the article explores the grassroots use of ICTs by refugee women and local socio-economic dynamics in processes of inclusion. Adopting a micro-institutional perspective, the discussion looks at the emerging influence of mobile technology on refugee women’s precarious norms related to mobility and work, and the evolution of new digital norms. The article highlights the strategic role of women’s groups and proactive group members as ‘institutional entrepreneurs’, in aiding levels of ICT adoption among group members, motivated by connection, protection and collective enterprise, with potential effects far beyond the group. In a transitory and fragile refugee context however, constraints on civil society may lead to the exclusion of more isolated populations wi...

Social change happens everywhere in society, at the global level as well as in communities, gover... more Social change happens everywhere in society, at the global level as well as in communities, governments, markets, and families. This paper will unpack the concept of civic innovation from an institutional perspective towards the development of a theory of actor-driven social change. Civic innovation depends on the “24/7 citizen”, a representative agent that engages in public and civic actions towards social transformation. This paper centres on the 24/7 citizens that are constituted by the institutions prevalent in a particular space and time, and which install a tendency or inclination to act in a certain way. The 24/7 citizen does not exist independently from the social context: it is an agent who breakfasts as a family member according to the patterns of food consumption in the area, gets dressed according to the social customs of gender and local custom, engages in work –paid or unpaidin line with the work ethic of his or her corresponding class and status, and participates in t...

An estimated 2 billion people live in countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence. Ext... more An estimated 2 billion people live in countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence. Extreme poverty is increasingly concentrated in these areas, and governments and international agencies seek avenues to enable socio-economic recovery and to support people as they try to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. ___People, Aid and Institutions in Socio-economic Recovery: Facing Fragilities___ provides an in-depth understanding of people’s strategies in the face of conflict and disaster-related fragility and examines how policies and aid interventions enable their socio-economic recovery – or fail to do so. Through field-based research, the book captures the complex and unfolding realities on the ground, exploring the interfaces between economic, social and institutional change. This provides a rich and unique vantage point from which to reflect on the impact of recovery policies. The book provides a set of cross-cutting findings that aim to inform policy and practice. The detai...

Local Governance, Economic Development and Institutions, 2016

This chapter explores the fundamental question of how institutions change in fragile environments... more This chapter explores the fundamental question of how institutions change in fragile environments, going beyond the assumed tabula rasa in neo-institutional theory towards appreciating more nuanced outcomes, and their influence on economic development. In the market arena, there are powerful institutions that define who participates and the scope of that actor interaction. Drawing on Chang (2002), empirical research has sought to appreciate the causal structures and dynamics within firms and in the local environment, departing from the conventional focus on the power between firms and profit distribution. Using a case-study approach, research specifically examined the development of institutions (or ‘rules’) in women’s enterprises in Afghanistan through the lens of a critical social institution, women’s purdah (Ritchie 2013). Manifested by segregation, seclusion, modesty, and coveredness, the traditional practice of purdah determines the scope of women’s mobility and social interaction (due to the pressure to avoid being seen by non-family men), and shapes all potential aspects of their social and economic lives (Doubleday 2006). In the transformation of purdah, and subsequent formulation of enterprise institutions, the research indicates the embedded nature of rule development, and the interaction of diverse actors. These actors influence both the process and nature of emerging rules — including degrees of openness and flexibility — shedding new light on the institutional change process.

Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa (CFIA), 2018

In this discussion paper, I explore the growing focus on ‘humanitarian innovation’ and its potent... more In this discussion paper, I explore the growing focus on ‘humanitarian innovation’ and its potentially transformative role in opening up new pathways to refugee support and livelihoods. I take a special look at the expanding role of ICTs in this regard in ‘digital humanitarianism’, and the various tools that have been designed to improve refugee lives. At a grassroots level, I then turn to ‘bottom-up innovation’ in diverse refugee settings, and discuss micro-entrepreneurialism amongst refugees and links to ICTs. I highlight gaps in understanding the scope, usage and impact of ICTs for self-reliance and livelihoods, and deeper social dynamics, particularly risks related to (growing) digital exclusion in more fragile environments (Ritchie, 2018).

ODI, 2017

This paper examines emerging economic activities, institutional dynamics, and key social trends o... more This paper examines emerging economic activities, institutional dynamics, and key social trends of Syrian women refugees in Jordan in order to gain a deeper understanding of refugee livelihoods and their ‘goals, constraints, capabilities and strategies’ (Wake and Cheung, 2016).

SAGE, 2019

Advancing earlier studies in Afghanistan and Kenya, the research discussed in this case study sou... more Advancing earlier studies in Afghanistan and Kenya, the research discussed in this case study sought to further investigate gender and enterprise in “fragile settings”—where the state is weak, absent, or unwilling. The research case specifically explored Syrian refugee women’s evolving economic lives, and related socio- cultural dynamics in the context of Jordan. Adopting an “institutionalist” perspective, the research looked at the precarious nature of emerging social and economic practices—including women’s increased public mobility, and new work norms in enterprise. The empirical study drew on an “exploratory” in-depth case study approach, critical realism, to examine “less known social phenomena” in institutional change and the interplay between structure and agency. Such an approach may permit an exploration of different realities, but it necessitates a self-reflective and self-aware researcher, with flexibility to guide and reshape the investigation as necessary. At a grassroots level, the article expounds on the ethnographic tools employed and the value of such tools in less formal settings. Yet, the case study draws attention to three potential levels of bias that may influence the research process and outcomes, including the researcher, the research respondents, and the research process. A recognition and awareness of these biases may be of particular importance in open and iterative critical realist research that aims to explore the “social world,” and build an understanding of “reality” over the course of the research.

Disaster studies, 2018

the Netherlands Red Cross. The Academy's mission is to better understand processes of socio-econo... more the Netherlands Red Cross. The Academy's mission is to better understand processes of socio-economic recovery and the roles of formal and informal institutions in conditions of state fragility. The research comprises several PhD trajectories and a number of short-term research projects, and is geared towards catalyzing cross-fertilizing exchange between the domains of policy, practitioners and academia in the field of socio-economic recovery in fragile states. The IS Academy Human Security in Fragile States publishes articles, occasional papers and research briefs. Occasional papers are essays or reports that are commissioned by the IS Academy to contribute to the debate on a certain topic. The perspective of an occasional paper is the author's and is supported by substantial research. Occasional papers usually come forth from short-term research projects. Other occasional papers, as well as more information on the IS Academy, can be accessed via www. ISAcademyHSFS.org.

Mobile Urbanity, Dec 31, 2022

Disasters, 2018

World Development, 2016

New Media & Society

Local Governance, Economic Development and Institutions, 2016

Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa (CFIA), 2018

ODI, 2017

SAGE, 2019

Advancing earlier studies in Afghanistan and Kenya, the research discussed in this case study sou... more Advancing earlier studies in Afghanistan and Kenya, the research discussed in this case study sought to further investigate gender and enterprise in “fragile settings”—where the state is weak, absent, or unwilling. The research case specifically explored Syrian refugee women’s evolving economic lives, and related socio- cultural dynamics in the context of Jordan. Adopting an “institutionalist” perspective, the research looked at the precarious nature of emerging social and economic practices—including women’s increased public mobility, and new work norms in enterprise. The empirical study drew on an “exploratory” in-depth case study approach, critical realism, to examine “less known social phenomena” in institutional change and the interplay between structure and agency. Such an approach may permit an exploration of different realities, but it necessitates a self-reflective and self-aware researcher, with flexibility to guide and reshape the investigation as necessary. At a grassroots level, the article expounds on the ethnographic tools employed and the value of such tools in less formal settings. Yet, the case study draws attention to three potential levels of bias that may influence the research process and outcomes, including the researcher, the research respondents, and the research process. A recognition and awareness of these biases may be of particular importance in open and iterative critical realist research that aims to explore the “social world,” and build an understanding of “reality” over the course of the research.

Disaster studies, 2018

Mobile Urbanity: Somali Presence in Urban East Africa, N. Carrier and T. Scharrer, 2019

This edited collection examines the globally rising phenomenon of civic innovation. Combining nua... more This edited collection examines the globally rising phenomenon of civic innovation. Combining nuanced theory with rich empirical examples, this book defines the dynamic and complex process of civic innovation as the multiple economic, political and social processes where people, organizations,movements and ideas are shaping struggles for global justice on the interface of capitalism.Exploring Civic Innovation for Social and Economic Transformation reflects the increasingly holistic approach to development in terms of both teaching and research, and illustrates how civic innovation happens everywhere; at the global and institutional level as well as in communities and for individuals.Through conceptual debate and narrative accounts, this book explores the new practices emerging from varying economies, transformative empowerment strategies in global value chains, local politics of social movements and the struggles for rights in regards to race, gender and sexuality. Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines, this book would be of interest to post-graduate students of development studies, with an interest in social research.

Routledge, Apr 2016

George Bernard Shaw once said that reasonable people adapt themselves to the world but unreasonab... more George Bernard Shaw once said that reasonable people adapt themselves to the world but unreasonable people adapt the world to themselves. In a sense, this book explores how these so-called ‘unreasonable people’ may interact to re-fashion the world around them in fragile economic development. Drawing on empirical research in the volatile and traditional context of Afghanistan, the study investigates the challenge of poor women’s participation in business, and diverse outcomes for local development.

Institutional Innovation and Change in Value Chain Development takes a unique look at nuanced institutional phenomena through the lens of social institutions, with a subtle appreciation of the interaction of structure and agency. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research in Afghanistan, the case studies specifically investigate the transformation of the women’s norm of purdah, and the subsequent development of new market institutions in three women’s enterprises.

Shedding new light on the opaque process of institutional change, the research shows that external actors (such as NGOs) can both initiate and guide institutional development in fragile environments. Yet there may be limitations to their endeavours, with strong resistance from local power holders. Meanwhile, dominant entrepreneurs are shown to play a major role in fostering institutional development pathways. This influences the scope of inclusion and exclusion in enterprise and value chains, and broader streams of socio-economic development.

Holly Ritchie | Institute of Social Studies, The Hague (original) (raw)

Papers by Holly Ritchie