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In the World : Action and Fabrication by and on Behalf of Undocumented Persons

Spång, Mikael and Lundberg, Anna LU orcid (2019) p.72-98
Abstract
In this article, we analyse initiatives by and on behalf of undocumented migrants through Hannah Arendt’s notions of action and fabrication. We take three initiatives from the city of Malmö, Sweden, as our empirical examples: a musical, a relay, and a tent-camp action. By showing how these initiatives involve not only action and speech but also a fabrication of things, including works of art, we emphasise how these initiatives contribute to establishing what Arendt calls a space of appearance. Besides addressing the interrelation between action
and work, we also address the importance of work in changing relations between things of the world. We argue that this way of looking at action is relevant when wanting to overcome the problems... (More)
In this article, we analyse initiatives by and on behalf of undocumented migrants through Hannah Arendt’s notions of action and fabrication. We take three initiatives from the city of Malmö, Sweden, as our empirical examples: a musical, a relay, and a tent-camp action. By showing how these initiatives involve not only action and speech but also a fabrication of things, including works of art, we emphasise how these initiatives contribute to establishing what Arendt calls a space of appearance. Besides addressing the interrelation between action
and work, we also address the importance of work in changing relations between things of the world. We argue that this way of looking at action is relevant when wanting to overcome the problems associated with the inclusion/exclusion distinction. Moreover, our analysis allows for new understandings of how undocumented migrants release themselves from the circumstances of undocumentedness through political action. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
solidarity, solidary struggles
host publication
Challenging the Political Across Borders : Migrants’ and Solidarity Struggles - Migrants’ and Solidarity Struggles
pages
27 pages
publisher
Center for Policy Studies, Central European University
ISBN
978-963-386-007-6
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
b3bbb246-a0a8-4cc5-b520-549f906bd593
alternative location
https://cps.ceu.edu/publications/books/challenging-political-across-borders-migrants-and-solidarity-struggles
date added to LUP
2023-02-14 08:58:35
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:14:14
@inbook{b3bbb246-a0a8-4cc5-b520-549f906bd593,
  abstract     = {{In this article, we analyse initiatives by and on behalf of undocumented migrants through Hannah Arendt’s notions of action and fabrication. We take three initiatives from the city of Malmö, Sweden, as our empirical examples: a musical, a relay, and a tent-camp action. By showing how these initiatives involve not only action and speech but also a fabrication of things, including works of art, we emphasise how these initiatives contribute to establishing what Arendt calls a space of appearance. Besides addressing the interrelation between action<br/>and work, we also address the importance of work in changing relations between things of the world. We argue that this way of looking at action is relevant when wanting to overcome the problems associated with the inclusion/exclusion distinction. Moreover, our analysis allows for new understandings of how undocumented migrants release themselves from the circumstances of undocumentedness through political action.}},
  author       = {{Spång, Mikael and Lundberg, Anna}},
  booktitle    = {{Challenging the Political Across Borders : Migrants’ and Solidarity Struggles}},
  isbn         = {{978-963-386-007-6}},
  keywords     = {{solidarity; solidary struggles}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{72--98}},
  publisher    = {{Center for Policy Studies, Central European University}},
  title        = {{In the World : Action and Fabrication by and on Behalf of Undocumented Persons}},
  url          = {{https://cps.ceu.edu/publications/books/challenging-political-across-borders-migrants-and-solidarity-struggles}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}