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ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the family as a site of geopolitics. Bridging scholarship in feminist geopolitics, political psychology and sociology, we explore the psycho-social dynamics of family life and theorise the family as a multi-scalar, relational site of security. Original data collected with ethnic and religious minority youth in Scotland are presented alongside an analysis of how family relations, at interconnected scales, mitigate against and/or re-inscribe broad geopolitical narratives of security. We employ the concept of ontological security (OS) to analyse the role of the family, and the relationships within it, on shaping youth securities. We discuss (1) how family histories and intergenerational experience shape young people’s sense of security; (2) how young people negotiate and resist family norms and values that reproduce securitizing geopolitical narratives; and (3) how young people find security when family is absent or indeterminate. In each case, we analyse how geopolitics operates through family life. The paper makes two key contributions: first, we use original empirical data to theorise ethnic and religious minority youth securities; second, we show the value of OS as a conceptual tool for understanding psycho-social dimensions of familial geopolitics.
Notes
1. For similar work in critical security studies, see Booth (Citation2007); Bourne (Citation2014); Enloe (Citation1989); Neocleous (Citation2008); Shepherd (Citation2013); Wibben (Citation2011).
2. ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ is an immigration status granted by the UK Home Office meaning an individual has permission to stay in the UK permanently. Scotland is under UK jurisdiction for immigration and asylum and is required to comply with UK Home Office rules. However, the Scottish Government is responsible for devolved matters such as access to healthcare, education and strategies for integration of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers (see New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy (Scottish Government Citation2017).