Labels such as 'refugee,' 'migrant,' and 'asylum seeker' are limited, often reflecting experiences rather than complete identities. These terms can invoke narratives of conflict and social upheaval while establishing relational dynamics between refugees and host country citizens. Such positioning emphasizes perceived differences over shared humanity. The essentialist perspective views identities as fixed, while the non-essentialist perspective recognizes that identity is fluid, shaped by context and personal experiences. Identity should not be reduced to legal or migratory status but must embrace the complexities of relational existence.
Labels such as "refugee," "migrant," and "asylum seeker" are often temporary and do not reflect the full identity of individuals who have left their homes to begin a new life elsewhere.
These identity labels are often associated with narratives of war and conflict set against a background of social upheaval. Labels are implicitly relational - for example, refugees are not native to the country, yet the host country provides the conditions for refugees to exist.
This positioning typically leads to a perception of difference rather than similarity between refugees and host country nationals, whereby refugees are seen as "others."
An essentialist view assumes that the label "refugee" carries a fixed set of characteristics that are shared by all refugees, whereas a non-essentialist view focuses on both differences and shared characteristics.
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