Doctoral Dissertation Research: Displacement and Consent in Voluntary Urban Resettlement of Internally Displaced People

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation research project examines the dynamics surrounding the resettlement of internally displaced people (IDPs), focusing on understanding the consent to voluntarily resettle in urban places. IDPs result from many actions including forced removal from land for the extraction of resources, and most resettlement is forced and into alternative rural spaces. This project looks at voluntary resettlement into urban areas. Methods consist of a combination of mixed-methods (participant observation, surveys and interviews) as well as participatory film-making. By examining complex forces in-depth this research will contribute a nuanced understanding of contemporary social transformations taking place in locations with limited economic development. The investigators with work collaboratively with local organizations and as a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career. Resettled populations have typically faced enormous social, psychological, and economic hardships, which has been widely documented by scientists studying resettlement policies and outcomes. In recent decades, rural land acquisition for large-scale agriculture and natural resource production (e.g. mining, oil extraction, hydroelectric development) have accelerated human displacement and resettlement in many locations. Scientists who study internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to focus primarily on forced resettlement, usually to rural areas, rather than voluntary resettlement programs to urban areas. This study will shed light on the factors that shape consent to urban resettlement. It will account for social, economic, political, and ecological factors shaping IDP consent. In particular, the study will investigate three broad sets of factors: 1) political pressures on communities; 2) pre-existing pressures on rural economies and eco-systems; and 3) desires for social mobility through urban resettlement. The research methodology also features an innovative approach to social research by implementing participatory filmmaking among participating IDPs. Although this doctoral dissertation research project will focus on case material from Ecuador, the research will provide new insights and approaches for dealing with the resettlement of internally displaced people in many other countries, including the United States.