I Don’t Have a Plan B : Changing Family Relationships in Forced Migration

Abstract

In times of crises, relationships change, and these changes do not necessarily comprise a linear process of clear and distinct stages in which trust and closeness develop over time. On the contrary, relationships are in continual flux and the experiences of closeness may vary. In this study, we focus on one individual, Fatema, who has been living in Finland since 2015. Her story is derived from a linguistic ethnography carried out at a reception centre located in a rural Swedish-dominant region of Finland. We describe the changes and negotiations within Fatema’s close family relationships with her children and husband. We look at meaningful turning points in these relationships in order to broaden the understanding of the changes in closeness and contribute to the knowledge of how and why such relationships grow, change, weaken, and are reconceptualised during dramatic life changes due to forced migration and over time.