Refugees and Political Theorists: The problem of Complicity

Phil Cole (University of the West of England)

Abstract  This paper examines the role of Political Theory in framing the forcibly displaced in a way that confines their political and theoretical agency. This confinement is caused by the way in which Political Theory is structured around the nation-state system of membership, such that the displaced have no context within which to exercise political agency, as they are, by definition, displaced outside of that system. It is also caused by the nature of Political Theory as a discourse of power, in which the displaced are constituted as objects of study, with no recognition that they can be agents of theory. This paper applies Postcolonial Theory to arrive at a framework which focuses on the political agency of the forcibly displaced and their ability to contribute solutions to their own challenges, and which recognises their capacity to be agents of theory, providing essential theoretical insights based upon their experiences.   For more information please check the seminar webpage, or contact [email protected]