Catching One’s Breath in a Small Village in the Cévennes. Ethno-geography of the Reception of Exiles in Rural Areas

Bibliographic Data

ID19005144
AuthorsElise Martin (0000-0001-7725-1391, Acteurs, Ressources et Territoires dans le Développement, corresponding author)
TranslatorsKatherine Booth, Alexandra Poméon O’Neill
Year2020
Volume36
Issue2-3
Publication date2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRevue européenne des migrations internationales (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0765-0752 • E-ISSN: 1777-5418
PublisherOpenEdition (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4000/remi.17885
OpenAlexW4206710032
LanguageEN
References cited23

Based on ethnological fieldwork, this research note focuses on the reception of exiles in a small village in the low mountain range of the Cévennes (reception of an Afghan family by citizens and reception of eight young Afghan men through a state scheme). Although initially the modalities of reception affected the spatial practices of those concerned and their integration in the territories, both the family and the young men ended up being fully supported by a group of twenty inhabitants and settling into the village. The research note reveals two pre-conditions for successfully receiving exiles in French rural areas, namely housing availability and the social commitment of retirees, in particular from the protestant community. The analysis also highlights a local singularity: the tradition of welcome in the Cévennes (reception of persecuted Protestants during the French Wars of Religion and Jews during the Second World War), showing the area as a space of sanctuary

Economic geography · Geography · Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues · Migration and Exile Studies · Migration, Identity, and Health

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