Myriam Denov | McGill University (original) (raw)
Papers by Myriam Denov
Genocide studies international, May 31, 2023
This paper explores the realities of men and women forced to marry by the Khmer Rouge regime in C... more This paper explores the realities of men and women forced to marry by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, as well as the perspectives of children born of forced marriages. Forced marriage has been predominantly investigated in relation to violence and coercion towards girls and women. However, less attention has been paid to forced unions involving both spouses, as well as to children born of these couples. Data were collected from 80 participants, including in-depth interviews with 28 women and 30 men who experienced forced marriage, and focus groups with 22 children born of forced marriages. Those who experienced forced marriage highlighted the coercion and threats of violence that underlay the marriage process. However, interviews also pointed to spouses’ key coping mechanisms and resources, such as the long-term acceptance of the marriage and support from larger community, which sustained positive familial relations. Children born of these unions, who regarded their parents’ marriage as generally loving and supportive, corroborated these findings. Our study revealed the ways in which forced marriages within the context of genocide were not necessarily characterized by domestic violence and abuse. We suggest that the shared and widespread nature of forced marriage and post-genocide community support may play a role in leading to positive family relationships in the context of unwanted unions.
Journal of Youth Studies, 2007
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
Columbia University Press eBooks, Sep 5, 2017
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
For those living in contexts of affluence and security, ' crisis' is normally understood as a tem... more For those living in contexts of affluence and security, ' crisis' is normally understood as a temporary condition linked to a particularly devastating event whether the loss of a family member, a sexual trauma, a physical assault or a natural disaster (Scheper-Hughes 2008). However, for many people around the world, the reality of ' crisis' is not episodic, but rather endemic and chronic, and shapes and configures all aspects of social life. Crisis thus becomes context and individuals and communities must continually adjust and readjust to the ever-changing and volatile social environment. As Vigh (2008) notes in his discussion of crisis and chronicity: Instead of being a passing period of chaos, [crisis] settles as a social state. Rather than seeing social processes implode and disintegrate, what we see in situations of prolonged crisis is that the state of emergency becomes a 'situation of emergence' whereby social life is made sense of and unfolds within a terrain of risk and uncertainty (12-13). The aftermath of war is typically referred to as 'post-conflict', often insinuating a stage of relative calm following a period of armed violence, upheaval and strife. However, the assumption that the postwar context brings forth peace, prosperity and stability negates the reality that conflict, violence and poverty may become embedded in the postwar social fabric. The context of post-conflict
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2011
Oxford University Press eBooks, Jan 25, 2023
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Young, Jun 1, 2023
Despite the growing body of literature dedicated to ethical and methodological issues related to ... more Despite the growing body of literature dedicated to ethical and methodological issues related to youth engagement and youth participation in arts-based research, the ethics of ownership in relation to the production and sharing of visual artefacts remains an understudied area. This work is particularly critical in the context of war-affected youth, and youth addressing issues of gender-based violence in their lives. Drawing on the voices and perspectives of a group of girls and young women affected by sexual violence in rural South Africa, we explore their views on the idea of ownership of the visual productions (videos, photos, policy briefs) created in an arts-based research project. As we highlight in the article, ownership is a complex ethical issue, and one that cuts across a range of concerns including consent, rights and personal engagement.
Routledge eBooks, Jun 9, 2020
Building on the growing body of work that recognizes the value of participatory arts based method... more Building on the growing body of work that recognizes the value of participatory arts based methods such as drawing, collage, photovoice and drama in work with war-affected children and young people and their families, this article how asks the question: how can the findings from practice based interventions become central to the work of preparing social workers who are at the beginning of their professional programs? As the article highlights, there has been only limited attention in the literature on what these methods might mean for social work education, particularly in relation to family practices and especially in working with children of war. What could arts-based family practices with war affected children look like? The article maps out a framework, which draws together two bodies of literature, the literature on the arts in Social Work education, and literature on the arts and war affected children and their families. Central to this framework is a set of five pedagogical practices that align well with arts-based methodologies. These include, reflexivity, situating one's self, observation, ethical practice and taking action. The article concludes that although arts based methods as central to the Social Work curricula are not a panacea, 'learning by doing' is a promising practice for those starting out in the profession.
Journal of Youth Studies, May 1, 2007
Anthropologica, 2006
Resume: Malgre la protection garantie aux enfants en vertu de la Convention relative aux droits d... more Resume: Malgre la protection garantie aux enfants en vertu de la Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant de TONU, la question des enfants-soldats s'est erigee en une preoccupation majeure sur le plan international. Plus de 250 000 soldats de moins de 18 ans combattent en effet ...
This chapter explores the complex phenomenon of child soldiers—in theory and in practice. The cha... more This chapter explores the complex phenomenon of child soldiers—in theory and in practice. The chapter begins by outlining the international legal instruments aimed at preventing the use of children in armed conflict, as well as summarizing global estimates of the issue. The rights violations faced by children involved in armed conflict are addressed, with a particular focus on girls, who are often overlooked. The chapter then provides an overview of the depictions of child soldiers in popular media, highlighting how iconography may contribute to the shaping of policy and programming. The chapter discusses the tensions and paradoxes associated with the translation of formal legal commitments into practice. It concludes with a discussion of areas for future policy and research.
Terrorism and Political Violence, Mar 1, 2006
Child soldiers are generally portrayed either as victims of structural forces that are beyond the... more Child soldiers are generally portrayed either as victims of structural forces that are beyond their control and comprehension or as knowing agents of mayhem in search of revolutionary change or personal gain. Yet these singular perspectives are bedevilled by their dialectical limitations, the one overlooking capacities of individual will, the other prone to discounting historical and socioeconomic contexts. In this paper, through the lens of structuration theory that postulates the interconnectedness of structure and agency, we examine how boys were transformed into armed and organized combatants in Sierra Leone's recent civil war. Drawing from a series of interviews with a cohort of boys who fought with the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF), we map out their experiences and perspectives in a way that highlights the juxtaposition of profound social forces and the capacity for personal agency that underlay the process of becoming child soldiers. We conclude by ruminating on the challenges of rehabilitating and reintegrating former child soldiers in the impoverished circumstances of postwar Sierra Leone. Introduction: Child Soldiers and the Conundrum of Structure and Agency Violence and armed conflict are commonplace in the everyday lives of many of the world's children. Not only have millions of young people been first-hand witnesses of war and the atrocities that invariably accompany armed aggression, but over the last decade increasing numbers of children have been drawn into combat as active belligerents. Severe societal turbulence, the collapse of states, the rise of The authors wish to thank the boys who granted us interviews and spoke with us at length, our colleagues at DCI-SL for their marvelous collaboration, and to the Child Protection Branch of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) which provided a grant for this study. We are also grateful to Barry Riddell at Queen's University and to the two anonymous reviewers whose comments contributed substantially to revisions of the manuscript. Richard Maclure is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa (Canada), and specializes in youth rights and education in Africa and
Genocide studies international, May 31, 2023
This paper explores the realities of men and women forced to marry by the Khmer Rouge regime in C... more This paper explores the realities of men and women forced to marry by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, as well as the perspectives of children born of forced marriages. Forced marriage has been predominantly investigated in relation to violence and coercion towards girls and women. However, less attention has been paid to forced unions involving both spouses, as well as to children born of these couples. Data were collected from 80 participants, including in-depth interviews with 28 women and 30 men who experienced forced marriage, and focus groups with 22 children born of forced marriages. Those who experienced forced marriage highlighted the coercion and threats of violence that underlay the marriage process. However, interviews also pointed to spouses’ key coping mechanisms and resources, such as the long-term acceptance of the marriage and support from larger community, which sustained positive familial relations. Children born of these unions, who regarded their parents’ marriage as generally loving and supportive, corroborated these findings. Our study revealed the ways in which forced marriages within the context of genocide were not necessarily characterized by domestic violence and abuse. We suggest that the shared and widespread nature of forced marriage and post-genocide community support may play a role in leading to positive family relationships in the context of unwanted unions.
Journal of Youth Studies, 2007
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
Columbia University Press eBooks, Sep 5, 2017
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jan 13, 2023
For those living in contexts of affluence and security, ' crisis' is normally understood as a tem... more For those living in contexts of affluence and security, ' crisis' is normally understood as a temporary condition linked to a particularly devastating event whether the loss of a family member, a sexual trauma, a physical assault or a natural disaster (Scheper-Hughes 2008). However, for many people around the world, the reality of ' crisis' is not episodic, but rather endemic and chronic, and shapes and configures all aspects of social life. Crisis thus becomes context and individuals and communities must continually adjust and readjust to the ever-changing and volatile social environment. As Vigh (2008) notes in his discussion of crisis and chronicity: Instead of being a passing period of chaos, [crisis] settles as a social state. Rather than seeing social processes implode and disintegrate, what we see in situations of prolonged crisis is that the state of emergency becomes a 'situation of emergence' whereby social life is made sense of and unfolds within a terrain of risk and uncertainty (12-13). The aftermath of war is typically referred to as 'post-conflict', often insinuating a stage of relative calm following a period of armed violence, upheaval and strife. However, the assumption that the postwar context brings forth peace, prosperity and stability negates the reality that conflict, violence and poverty may become embedded in the postwar social fabric. The context of post-conflict
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2011
Oxford University Press eBooks, Jan 25, 2023
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Young, Jun 1, 2023
Despite the growing body of literature dedicated to ethical and methodological issues related to ... more Despite the growing body of literature dedicated to ethical and methodological issues related to youth engagement and youth participation in arts-based research, the ethics of ownership in relation to the production and sharing of visual artefacts remains an understudied area. This work is particularly critical in the context of war-affected youth, and youth addressing issues of gender-based violence in their lives. Drawing on the voices and perspectives of a group of girls and young women affected by sexual violence in rural South Africa, we explore their views on the idea of ownership of the visual productions (videos, photos, policy briefs) created in an arts-based research project. As we highlight in the article, ownership is a complex ethical issue, and one that cuts across a range of concerns including consent, rights and personal engagement.
Routledge eBooks, Jun 9, 2020
Building on the growing body of work that recognizes the value of participatory arts based method... more Building on the growing body of work that recognizes the value of participatory arts based methods such as drawing, collage, photovoice and drama in work with war-affected children and young people and their families, this article how asks the question: how can the findings from practice based interventions become central to the work of preparing social workers who are at the beginning of their professional programs? As the article highlights, there has been only limited attention in the literature on what these methods might mean for social work education, particularly in relation to family practices and especially in working with children of war. What could arts-based family practices with war affected children look like? The article maps out a framework, which draws together two bodies of literature, the literature on the arts in Social Work education, and literature on the arts and war affected children and their families. Central to this framework is a set of five pedagogical practices that align well with arts-based methodologies. These include, reflexivity, situating one's self, observation, ethical practice and taking action. The article concludes that although arts based methods as central to the Social Work curricula are not a panacea, 'learning by doing' is a promising practice for those starting out in the profession.
Journal of Youth Studies, May 1, 2007
Anthropologica, 2006
Resume: Malgre la protection garantie aux enfants en vertu de la Convention relative aux droits d... more Resume: Malgre la protection garantie aux enfants en vertu de la Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant de TONU, la question des enfants-soldats s'est erigee en une preoccupation majeure sur le plan international. Plus de 250 000 soldats de moins de 18 ans combattent en effet ...
This chapter explores the complex phenomenon of child soldiers—in theory and in practice. The cha... more This chapter explores the complex phenomenon of child soldiers—in theory and in practice. The chapter begins by outlining the international legal instruments aimed at preventing the use of children in armed conflict, as well as summarizing global estimates of the issue. The rights violations faced by children involved in armed conflict are addressed, with a particular focus on girls, who are often overlooked. The chapter then provides an overview of the depictions of child soldiers in popular media, highlighting how iconography may contribute to the shaping of policy and programming. The chapter discusses the tensions and paradoxes associated with the translation of formal legal commitments into practice. It concludes with a discussion of areas for future policy and research.
Terrorism and Political Violence, Mar 1, 2006
Child soldiers are generally portrayed either as victims of structural forces that are beyond the... more Child soldiers are generally portrayed either as victims of structural forces that are beyond their control and comprehension or as knowing agents of mayhem in search of revolutionary change or personal gain. Yet these singular perspectives are bedevilled by their dialectical limitations, the one overlooking capacities of individual will, the other prone to discounting historical and socioeconomic contexts. In this paper, through the lens of structuration theory that postulates the interconnectedness of structure and agency, we examine how boys were transformed into armed and organized combatants in Sierra Leone's recent civil war. Drawing from a series of interviews with a cohort of boys who fought with the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF), we map out their experiences and perspectives in a way that highlights the juxtaposition of profound social forces and the capacity for personal agency that underlay the process of becoming child soldiers. We conclude by ruminating on the challenges of rehabilitating and reintegrating former child soldiers in the impoverished circumstances of postwar Sierra Leone. Introduction: Child Soldiers and the Conundrum of Structure and Agency Violence and armed conflict are commonplace in the everyday lives of many of the world's children. Not only have millions of young people been first-hand witnesses of war and the atrocities that invariably accompany armed aggression, but over the last decade increasing numbers of children have been drawn into combat as active belligerents. Severe societal turbulence, the collapse of states, the rise of The authors wish to thank the boys who granted us interviews and spoke with us at length, our colleagues at DCI-SL for their marvelous collaboration, and to the Child Protection Branch of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) which provided a grant for this study. We are also grateful to Barry Riddell at Queen's University and to the two anonymous reviewers whose comments contributed substantially to revisions of the manuscript. Richard Maclure is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa (Canada), and specializes in youth rights and education in Africa and
Similar to refugees in general, independent child migrants are frequently constructed in academic... more 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.
... Race & Class , 46: 310–352 ... addition to discrediting the claims of separated children,... more ... Race & Class , 46: 310–352 ... addition to discrediting the claims of separated children, the bullet child label may conceptually, if not actually, link separated children with potentially mobile populations residing in refugee-producing states. ... Theory, Culture, and Society , 19(4): 81–90 ...
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 2013
Of the approximate 18 million refugees worldwide, between 2 and 5% are estimated to be separated ... more Of the approximate 18 million refugees worldwide, between 2 and 5% are estimated to be separated children, a figure which represents between 360,000 and 900,000 children. Place and placemaking represent vital components and realities during flight. The concept of place addresses the physical and social environments within which separated children move through and live in. Place and placemaking both include elements of physical setting, activity, and meaning, with placemaking specifically constituting the act of transforming the places one finds oneself into the places in which one lives. Drawing upon in-depth interviews and a focus group with 17 youth respondents living in Canada, this paper explores the realities of place and placemaking in the lives of separated children. In particular, the paper highlights the meaning and significance of place during flight. It examines the ways in which respondents ‘made place’ in contexts of violence and insecurity through social networks, through reliance on language and cultural traditions, and through place attachment and identity. Uncertainty continues to surround the concept and meaning of place and placemaking in large part due to their contextual and subjective nature. Furthermore, the notion of place is often under-explored and under-theorized when considering separated children’s experiences and realities.
There is limited international recognition that domicide—or intentional destruction of home—is a ... more There is limited international recognition that domicide—or intentional destruction of home—is a violation of children's rights. While human rights documents allude to the crime of domicide, it is, however, never explicitly referred to as a human rights violation. Through an analysis of human rights documents and with a focus on the experiences of children, families and communities, we argue that domicide should be explicitly acknowledged as a violation of human rights so that it can effectively be prosecuted as a war crime in contexts of political violence.
What has been the impact of instruments and responses on the everyday lives of children affected ... more What has been the impact of instruments and responses on the everyday lives of children affected by political violence? What has been the experience of ‘living’ child rights discourses and policies in conflict zones and in the post-conflict period? Is there any disconnect between these rights-focused initiatives and the realities of children? What are the key areas of theory, policy and practice that need further attention and improvement? The articles in this special issue attempt to explore and push the boundaries of recent discussions regarding children’s rights and protections in contexts of political violence. The articles collectively address current controversies and debates that fall into three key areas of inquiry. First, we ask how ‘rights in theory’ translates into ‘rights in practice’, especially within the context of political violence. Second, is an exploration of local versus international approaches to rights and intervention.
Educational Research for Social Change, Apr 2014
There is a need for an ethically responsible means of conducting arts-based research with childre... more There is a need for an ethically responsible means of conducting arts-based research with children affected by global adversity, including children affected by war. The multiple effects of war on children remains a global issue. While there are many approaches to working with war-affected children, participatory arts-based methods such as photovoice, drama, and drawing are being increasingly relied upon. However, what are the ethical issues and how are researchers and practitioners taking up these issues in school, community, and “on the street” settings? By reviewing the literature on ethical issues that may arise when working with children through arts-based methods, this article identifies four critical ethical issues that represent specific challenges in relation to children affected by war: (1) informed consent; (2) truth, interpretation, and representation; (3) dangerous emotional terrain; and (4) aesthetics. The article highlights current gaps in the research and poses several unanswered questions in arts-based research with war-affected children.