Weaving threads of time, experience of temporality, protactedness and the future of women refugees in Karenni site 1

Abstract

The thesis analyses the experiences of women living in Karenni Site 1, one of the refugee camps along the Thai/Burma border. The base of the analysis is the friction between two concepts of time, temporality and protractedness. The refugee camp is created as a temporary space to reside. At the same time, the protracted conflict in Myanmar and the length of displacement contradicts the idea of a temporary stay in the refugee camp. The future is inherent to both modes of time. The temporality of staying in the refugee camps connotes the experience of waiting, and protractedness folds into the experience of being stuck in a present situation. Hopes and dreams for the future consist of ideas different from the current situation. Therefore, time is a central aspect of the experience of displacement in the refugee camp.