Projektinformation
Beskrivning
Abstract
The project examines historical relationships between Scandinavian children born to IS foreign fighters and to German soldiers during WWII. Fear over their potential radicalization and contested national inclusion characterized the situation in both contexts. Through a combination of interviews with affected families, archival research, and discourse analysis, I will investigate whether past controversies around the 1) integration, 2) repatriation and 3) representation of WWII Children Born of War created patterns in Scandinavian approaches to enemy children that may still shape how stakeholders perceive IS children today. The comparison will enable me to probe possible connections and develop a deeper theoretical understanding of how cultural ideals and national norms around childhood shape the access of Children Born of War to basic rights then and now. The project seeks to contribute new perspectives to the study of European Children Born of War and Scandinavian human rights history.
The project examines historical relationships between Scandinavian children born to IS foreign fighters and to German soldiers during WWII. Fear over their potential radicalization and contested national inclusion characterized the situation in both contexts. Through a combination of interviews with affected families, archival research, and discourse analysis, I will investigate whether past controversies around the 1) integration, 2) repatriation and 3) representation of WWII Children Born of War created patterns in Scandinavian approaches to enemy children that may still shape how stakeholders perceive IS children today. The comparison will enable me to probe possible connections and develop a deeper theoretical understanding of how cultural ideals and national norms around childhood shape the access of Children Born of War to basic rights then and now. The project seeks to contribute new perspectives to the study of European Children Born of War and Scandinavian human rights history.
Populärvetenskaplig beskrivning
Popular science description
The repatriation of IS-affiliated Scandinavian mothers and their children born under the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) is a central unresolved societal and political concern in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Despite widespread recognition of the plight of the children in the camps, the punishment of their mothers has largely taken precedent over the children’s rights. The fear that these children could radicalize and become IS terrorists in the future further permeates arguments for and against their integration. Few realize that Scandinavia struggled with similar questions and fears in the aftermath of WWII as the region had to find a way to deal with the existence of children born to German soldiers.
This project offers historical perspectives on how the situation of Scandinavian IS children relates to the histories of Norwegian and Danish children born of war during and after WWII. Through a combination of interviews with affected families, archival research, and discourse analysis, I will investigate whether past controversies around the 1) integration, 2) repatriation and 3) representation of WWII Children Born of War created patterns in Scandinavian approaches to enemy children that may still shape how Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish stakeholders perceive IS children today. This comparison will enhance our understanding of how the cases of Scandinavian IS children build on, or re-configure, historical notions of nation, childhood, and children’s rights.
The repatriation of IS-affiliated Scandinavian mothers and their children born under the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) is a central unresolved societal and political concern in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Despite widespread recognition of the plight of the children in the camps, the punishment of their mothers has largely taken precedent over the children’s rights. The fear that these children could radicalize and become IS terrorists in the future further permeates arguments for and against their integration. Few realize that Scandinavia struggled with similar questions and fears in the aftermath of WWII as the region had to find a way to deal with the existence of children born to German soldiers.
This project offers historical perspectives on how the situation of Scandinavian IS children relates to the histories of Norwegian and Danish children born of war during and after WWII. Through a combination of interviews with affected families, archival research, and discourse analysis, I will investigate whether past controversies around the 1) integration, 2) repatriation and 3) representation of WWII Children Born of War created patterns in Scandinavian approaches to enemy children that may still shape how Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish stakeholders perceive IS children today. This comparison will enhance our understanding of how the cases of Scandinavian IS children build on, or re-configure, historical notions of nation, childhood, and children’s rights.
| Status | Slutfört |
|---|---|
| Gällande start-/slutdatum | 2022/03/01 → 2024/02/29 |
Ämnesklassifikation (UKÄ)
- Humaniora