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The fragility of welcome – commentary to Gill

Darling, Jonathan

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Abstract

In this commentary, I take Nick Gill’s discussion of the ‘suppression of welcome’ and the politics of hospitality, as a starting point for reflection on how ‘cultures of welcome’ are produced. In exploring the work of those supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Sheffield, UK, I argue that welcome may encompass a range of practices, with varying levels of intention and recognition attached. Yet what draws these practices together are two factors, first, a positive engagement with difference that holds the potential to promote solidaristic, or at the very least non-violent, relations. And second, a fragility that means that welcome is always at risk of being suppressed or commandeered for other purposes. In considering the implications of the ‘suppression of welcome’, I argue for a focus on welcoming as a negotiated process that involves varying durations, demands and levels of commitment.

Citation

Darling, J. (2018). The fragility of welcome – commentary to Gill. Fennia, 196(2), 220-224. https://doi.org/10.11143/fennia.75756

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Oct 19, 2018
Online Publication Date Oct 31, 2018
Publication Date Oct 31, 2018
Deposit Date Nov 13, 2018
Publicly Available Date Nov 13, 2018
Journal Fennia.
Electronic ISSN 1798-5617
Publisher Geographical Society of Finland
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 196
Issue 2
Pages 220-224
DOI https://doi.org/10.11143/fennia.75756

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
Advance online version © 2018 by the author. This open access article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.




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