Hospitality Dynamics in Refugee Contexts
Summary
Hospitality Dynamics in Refugee Contexts encompass the socially and culturally embedded processes by which displaced individuals are received, supported and integrated. This field of research views hospitality not as unilateral generosity but as a negotiated encounter shaped by power relations, temporal rhythms and spatial boundaries. Scholars examine how informal acts of welcome—offering food, shelter or advice—intersect with formal reception systems and government policies. Emphasis falls on the impact of hospitality on refugees’ psychosocial well-being, identity formation and pathways to belonging. Studies reveal how hospitality can both challenge and reinforce social hierarchies, foster solidarity networks or give rise to exclusionary practices. Work spans multiple scales, from family-level gestures in border zones to urban community initiatives and digital platforms facilitating peer assistance. Practical applications include the design of reception programmes that prioritise dignity and mutual recognition, intercultural training for host communities and the integration of refugees into local labour markets through reciprocal arrangements. The global significance of this research is underscored by its relevance across diverse contexts—from emergency camps to metropolitan neighbourhoods—highlighting hospitality as a vital lens on displacement, resilience and social cohesion.
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Hospitality Dynamics in Refugee Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in hospitality dynamics in refugee contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Hospitality: The culturally and socially embedded practices through which hosts and guests negotiate welcome, care and access to resources.
Host-guest encounter: The interactional process between receiving communities and displaced individuals, shaped by power differentials and social norms.
Reciprocity: Mutual exchange of services, support or goods that underpins sustained social relationships in host-refugee interactions.
Calibrated hospitality: A conceptual framework capturing the situational adjustment of hospitality boundaries in terms of timing, duration and scope to manage inclusion and exclusion dynamics.
References
- Between Estrangement at Home and Marginalization by the Host: Tracing Senses of Belonging through Music †. Arts (2023).
- Calibrating home, hospitality and reciprocity in migration. Anthropological Theory (2022).
- To the future guests of Lesvos: Hospitality and history among Syrian refugees in Greece. History and Anthropology (2024).
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