Refugee Resilience and Adaptation in the Middle East

Reclaiming Agency in the Informal Economies of Lebanon and Jordan

Haya Al-Dajani editor Nasser Yassin editor Maysa Baroud editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:3rd May '23

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Refugee Resilience and Adaptation in the Middle East cover

This edited volume investigates how refugee communities in the Middle East have adapted to secure their livelihoods within the informal economy.

Focusing on Lebanon and Jordan, which between 2011 and 2020 received more refugees as a proportion of their population than any other countries in the world, this edited volume investigates the informal mechanisms that Syrian refugees have adopted to fit into the informal economies of Lebanon and Jordan in the face of significant challenges and barriers. The volume investigates how legality, temporality, connectedness, gender, and geography, among other factors, have influenced the emergence of refugee communities’ informal adaptive mechanisms. Drawing on in-depth, original research among Syrian refugee tribal communities, agricultural workers, female-headed households, and micro-entrepreneurs, the volume provides tangible policy and practice recommendations to help to improve the situation of refugees and vulnerable populations that are employed in the informal economy.

Highlighting the resilience and agency demonstrated by refugees, this edited volume’s original community-based analysis will be of interest to students, researchers, and professionals from across Middle East studies, refugee studies, informal labor economics, and development studies.

"Al-Dajani, Baroud and Yassin illustrate a powerful story of resilience and adaptation by the forcibly displaced Syrian people. The refugee crisis is a global one, but experiences of forcible displacement and resettlement are complex and vary considerably between contexts and populations. This book sheds light on the brutal conditions faced by the refugees and their struggling host communities in Jordan and Lebanon, whilst emphasising their agency and resourcefulness in negotiating formal structures and institutions to survive. An absolute must read for learning about how refugees co-create an informal, community-led and grassroots network to gain a livelihood, a sense of belonging and welfare support. It is a testament to the power of resilience and the power of adaptation when humans are thrust into survival mode."

Dr Sophie Alkhaled, Lancaster University, United Kingdom

"For anyone seeking to better understand informal adaptive mechanisms and agency among Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan, this volume is a welcome resource. Through a series of case studies, the book emphatically engages with the question of how refugees from Syria overcome everyday challenges in securing their livelihoods."

Professor Maja Janmyr, University of Oslo, Norway

ISBN: 9781032253121

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 553g

200 pages