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Journal of Refugee Studies Advance Access originally published online on February 11, 2009
Journal of Refugee Studies 2009 22(1):11-29; doi:10.1093/jrs/fen051
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© The Author [2009]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

The Birth of a ‘Discipline’: From Refugee to Forced Migration Studies

B. S. Chimni

Centre for International Legal Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 10067

bschimni{at}hotmail.com

This essay seeks to understand and explain the birth of Forced Migration Studies. It argues that the turn from Refugee Studies to Forced Migration Studies must be viewed against the backdrop of the history and relationship of colonialism and humanitarianism, as a certain commonality binds the past and present eras. The move to Forced Migration Studies accompanies the inauguration of a phase of political humanitarianism with a distinct accent, albeit encapsulated in new forms and issues, on ‘civilizing’ the Other. In making this contention the paper distances itself from both the defenders and critics of the turn to Forced Migration Studies. It inter alia contends that Refugee Studies, like Forced Migration Studies, has served the geopolitics of hegemonic states. But since all knowledge is dual use, both have also had humanitarian effects. But a greater degree of disciplinary reflexivity would go a long way to ensure that the genuinely humanitarian strand in Forced Migration Studies prevails.

Key Words: refugee studies • forced migration studies • political humanitarianism

MS received March 1, 2008 ; revised MS received December 1, 2008
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