Stories of Displacement: A Phenomenological Study of Migrant Experience

The study explores the state of displacement through the lens of phenomenology. Many studies examine displacement as something caused by an external factor, such as war or natural disasters, but few examine displacement as a state of being. Drawing from Edward Said’s description of displacement as feeling “out of place,” this study aims to demonstrate how displacement affects people’s perception of themselves and their ability to create meaning. The study is guided by the question: What is it like to be displaced? Working with the stories of displaced people, the study explored subjective experiences. The phenomenological approach was used as a methodological framework to focus on the lived experiences of displaced people. Data was collected through two sessions of semi-structured interviews with eight participants. Participants in the study were volunteers ranging in age from 18 to 55, with a variety of immigration statuses. The study found that the experience of displacement is often expressed through “evocative objects” (Bollas) and, relatedly, through evocative places. Keywords: Place, Experience of Displacement, Home, Evocative Places, Evocative Objects.