Reclaiming agency in migration: organizing efforts of Ukrainian women in Sweden through the lens of Arendt’s theory

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores Ukrainian women experience of the forced displacement caused by Russian invasion, examining how they reconstruct their identity and agency through organizational efforts. The research uses in-depth interviews, social-constructivist perspective, and artistic tools. Using Hannah Arendt’s theoretical framework, I explore how Ukrainian migrant women shape the realms of private and public space around them to create spaces of meaningful appearance. With this research, I reframe and compliment the discussion about agency of the refugees by analysing the manifestations of political action in everyday tasks and personal interactions, and how they are being transformed into organizational processes. It also investigates the role of speech in Arendt’s framework, looking into the variety of ways it can present in migrant communities. Ultimately, this study advocates for an agency-centred approach in migration and organizational studies that recognises the autonomy and acting potential in forced migrants. The text follows the transition from individual resilience to collective empowerment within the Ukrainian diaspora in Sweden through first-person stories told by women who stand behind migrant-led initiatives.