To return or to stay; Phenomenology of identification of Afghan working children in Iran

Subject Areas : sociology

Elham Ghanizadeh ¹ , Samad Rasool Zadeh ² , mehrdad mohammadian ³

1 - Doctoral student of sociology, Khalkhal Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khalkhal, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Family and Women's Studies, Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan, Tabriz, Iran (corresponding author) [e-mail]
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Khalkhal Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khalkhal, Iran.

Received: 2024-04-25 Accepted : 2024-06-30 Published : 2024-09-21

Keywords: working children, Afghan children, immigrant children, immigration phenomenology, re-immigration, identification of immigrants,

Abstract :

The study of children’s perception of migration and their daily experiences is an underexplored area. This research delves into the perspectives of Afghan working children in Iran, considering the premise that emigration is not an impulsive decision, but rather a conclusion reached after years of contemplation and experience. The study was carried out among Afghan working children at an educational center under the jurisdiction of Tehran Municipality. The research aimed to understand the children’s identity through their daily economic activities and used Interpretive Phenomenology Analysis (IPA) as its methodology to reevaluate their understanding of migration. The findings, based on 11 key themes - collectivism, self-reliance, early adulthood, trusted network, future outlook, family, work and resilience enhancement, traditions and identity, livability, self and others, and violence; reveal that these children have a satisfactory level of contentment with their life in Iran. Their narratives suggest that they have adapted well to the Iranian conditions, thanks to the alignment of traditions and values of their social network, where they quickly become significant members. This adaptation seems to reduce their likelihood of considering re-migration

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