Premium
‘I Want to Bring Him from the Aeroplane to Here’: The Meaning of Animals to Children of Refugee or Migrant Backgrounds Resettled in Australia
Author(s) -
Riggs Damien W.,
Due Clemence,
Taylor Nik
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/chso.12196
Subject(s) - refugee , safe haven , meaning (existential) , grief , context (archaeology) , thematic analysis , sociology , haven , gender studies , psychology , criminology , political science , qualitative research , social science , history , law , psychiatry , international economics , archaeology , economics , psychotherapist , mathematics , combinatorics
Separation from animals with whom children have caring relationships can lead to considerable loss and grief, perhaps especially in the case of migration. This article reports on a thematic analysis of interviews undertaken with children of migrant or refugee backgrounds who had resettled in Australia. Findings suggest that children who spoke about animals framed their experiences in ways that either evoked a sense of loss with regard to animals or referred to animals as engendering a safe haven following resettlement. The article concludes by exploring potential service responses and encourages a focus on animals' needs in the context of migration.