Abstract (eng)
Like many global crises, the Covid-19 pandemic does not affect everyone equally. Ideological border demarcations are increasingly differentiating along social labels such as migration status or citizenship when it comes to access support via state infrastructures. Consequently, refugees, among other groups, are marginalized, both in Great Britain and Austria. At the same time, opportunities for civil society to act in solidarity are gradually being curtailed, and the day-to-day work of coping with the pandemic is being shifted into the private sphere. Amidst these developments, women with refugee status, are often disadvantaged intersectionally – but how do these women assess their personal situation? This work qualitatively sheds light on how women with asylum status perceive support in everyday life in London and Vienna. Using Kolb’s participatory photo-interview, photos and narratives on informal support were collected in 2020/21. The exploratory approach places the standpoints of interviewees at the centre of the analysis. A visual structure is formed through the cross-case evaluation of data. Along the three main themes – mobility, social relationships, hope – interpretations are interwoven with theories. As a result, eleven constructed categories show a broad spectrum of subjective, interpersonal and civil society actions to meet societal expectations and defy social conditions. Support takes place across emotional, social and geographical proximity and distance, handling equally quotidian challenges and struggles for survival. Multiple strategies and networks go beyond established forms of solidarity and individual coping. They revolve around the pursuit of autonomy and normality, but, above all, one thing: not being alone.