Responses To Forced Migration: The Domination Of The Body and The Mind

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Academic Writing / Media Analysis / Research

In my third year, one of my favorite courses was POLI 369D, which examined forced migration. In my final paper, I sought to answer the question: "Are responses to forced migration colonial in nature?" My answer was yes. I exemplifed that through the idea of domination. However, I had two avenues of thought: the domination of the mind through media (framing of migrants) and the domination of the body through policed practices that migrants are subjected to.

Link to essay: Task 3_ POLI 369 essay

This essay was situated in an Australian context, as the two types of domination, through media, political discourse, and ship-board processing, are well documented and prevalent. The first section of this essay examined Australian media, political discourses , and the manner in which they influence one another. I argue that their formation as responses to forced migration is rooted in racialized notions of ‘the other’, which is rooted in ideological forms of colonial domination. The second section of this essay asserted that discourse, both in the media and the political scene, legitimizes the ‘domination of the body’. It demonstrates that ship-board processing, a physical response to forced migration, reeks of colonial dynamics as it contains the mobility of ‘underdeveloped life’ (Duffield, 2008, p.146). It is ‘containment’ in action, which thrives on the dehumanization and inferiority of the ‘other’.

A scan of Australia's political and media discourse was central to completing this paper successfully. From digging into parliament meeting minutes to reading opinion pieces, media literacy was a skill that I continued to develop. It was important for me to accept that there are a myriad of opinions and views that exist in a society, but also, if it is legitimate politicians that express xenophobia, then that should be accepted as dangerous to the preservation of respect for all.

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Learning Significance

  1. - I have learned that states' actions in dealing with refugees and migrants are remnants of the past rather than exceptional.
    - I am quite satisfied with how I've used the concept of domination to uphold my argument as I ensure that I have concrete evidence in support (utilizing the media and ship-board processing).
    - This writing experience was challenging as I had to fight the urge to go on tangents as every section of this essay could deserve a paper of its own. Choosing my words succinctly is always a hard task.