Browsing by Author "Esposito, Francesca"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Contributi della psicologia di comunità per lo sviluppo dei servizi su base comunitaria per le persone con malattie mentaliPublication . Ornelas, José; Moniz, Maria João Vargas; Sacchetto, Beatrice; Esposito, FrancescaInexistente
- Ecology of sites of confinement: everyday life in a detention center for illegalized non-citizensPublication . Esposito, Francesca; Ornelas, José; Briozzo, Erica; Arcidiacono, CaterinaDrawing on almost 3 years of fieldwork, comprising qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations, this study provides an exploration into the detention of illegalized non-citizens in Italy. Taking the largest detention center as a case study, the fabric of everyday life and the lived experiences of people, both detainees and professional actors, are the focus of examination. An ecological community psychology framework, with a focus on justice, guided the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Findings highlight the oppressive qualities of detention, and its ripple effects on people's life spaces. Scarcity of resources, activities, and information created a very distressing environment for detainees, also enhancing feelings of powerlessness and frustration in professionals willing to assist them. Uncertainty and instability, rather than coercion or discipline, emerged as modes of governing and dominating. Bound in a different space and time, detainees were turned into unwanted and expendable others, their confinement becoming a means to extract profit from them. Yet, people languishing in these sites displayed an extraordinary ability to cope with, resist, and challenge the persisting conditions of injustice they endured. We conclude by highlighting the potential of the proposed framework, and discussing broader implications of our findings and avenues for research and action.
- Ecology of sites of confinement: Everyday life in a detention center for Illegalized non-citizensPublication . Esposito, Francesca; Ornelas, José; Briozzo, Erica; Arcidiacono, CaterinaDrawing on almost 3 years of fieldwork, comprising qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations, this study provides an exploration into the detention of illegalized non-citizens in Italy. Taking the largest detention center as a case study, the fabric of everyday life and the lived experiences of people, both detainees and professional actors, are the focus of examination. An ecological community psychology framework, with a focus on justice, guided the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Findings highlight the oppressive qualities of detention, and its ripple effects on people's life spaces. Scarcity of resources, activities, and information created a very distressing environment for detainees, also enhancing feelings of powerlessness and frustration in professionals willing to assist them. Uncertainty and instability, rather than coercion or discipline, emerged as modes of governing and dominating. Bound in a different space and time, detainees were turned into unwanted and expendable others, their confinement becoming a means to extract profit from them. Yet, people languishing in these sites displayed an extraordinary ability to cope with, resist, and challenge the persisting conditions of injustice they endured. We conclude by highlighting the potential of the proposed framework, and discussing broader implications of our findings and avenues for research and action.
- Migration-related detention centers : The challenges of an ecological perspective with a focus on justicePublication . Esposito, Francesca; Ornelas, José; Arcidiacono, CaterinaBackground: In recent years, border control and migration-related detention have become increasingly widespread practices affecting the lives of undocumented migrants, their families, and communities at large. In spite of the concern within academia, few studies have directly witnessed the life and experiences of people confined to migration-related detention centers. In the medical and psychological fields, a considerable body of research has demonstrated the pathogenic nature of detention in terms of mental health, showing an association between length of detention and severity of distress. Nevertheless, it was limited to the assessment of individuals’ clinical consequences, mainly focusing on asylum seekers. There currently exists a need to adopt an ecological perspective from which to study detained migrants’ experiences as context-dependent, and influenced by power inequalities. This paper addresses this gap. Discussion: Drawing upon advances in community psychology, we illustrate an ecological framework for the study of migration-related detention contexts, and their effects on the lives of detained migrants and all people exposed to them. Making use of existing literature, Kelly’s four principles (interdependence, cycling of resources, adaptation, succession) are analyzed at multiple ecological levels (personal, interpersonal, organizational, communal), highlighting implications for future research in this field. A focus on justice, as a key-dimension of analysis, is also discussed. Wellbeing is acknowledged as a multilevel, dynamic, and value-dependent phenomenon. Summary: In presenting this alternative framework, the potential for studying migration-related detention through an ecological lens is highlighted, pointing the way for future fields of study. We argue that ecological multilevel analyses, conceptualized in terms of interdependent systems and with a focus on justice, can enhance the comprehension of the dynamics at play in migration-related detention centers, providing an effective tool to address the multi-level challenges of doing research within them. Furthermore, they can contribute to the development of policies and practices concerned with health, equality, and human rights of all people exposed to migration-related detention. Consistent with these assumptions, empirical studies adopting such a framework are strongly encouraged. These studies should use mixed and multi-method culturally situated designs, based on the development of collaborative and empowering relationships with participants. Ethnographic approaches are recommended.
- Migration-related detention: A focus on the Italian contextPublication . Esposito, Francesca; Ornelas, José; Arcidiacono, CaterinaInspired by a community psychology ecological perspective, this chapter addresses migration-related detention as part of that set of practices implemented by the EU and the Schengen Area to ensure internal security by strengthening external borders control. In particular, it focuses on the Italian context. Starting from a historical overview of the Italian legal and policy framework on migration, a critical analysis of the rationale for migrant detention and deportation is developed, highlighting the business interests at stake. In this regard, the concept of immigration industrial complex is utilized, emphasizing its similarities with the military and prison industrial complexes. Finally, the case of an Italian migration-related detention center is illustrated. We argue for the use of ecological multilevel analysis to grasp the complexity of these sites of confinement, and shed light on the forces and interests that revolve around them. Alternatives are advocated based on freedom and justice for all.
- Multiculturalism in dominant ethnic populations: A transnational profile analysisPublication . Rochira, Alessia; Verbena, Serena; Briozzo, Erica; De Simone, Evelyn; Esposito, Francesca; Garrido, Rocío; Ramirez Garcia, Manuel; Paloma, Virginia; Vargas-Moniz, M.; Mannarini, TerriFollowing a person-centered approach, the present study investigates support for multiculturalism of dominant ethnic members. Using Latent Profile Analysis, the current investigation aimed to identify subgroups of dominant ethnic participants and examine potential difference in their endorsement of multiculturalism towards subaltern ethnic groups. Based on the existing literature, subgroups of dominant members were identified along with the combination of multiple obstacles (i.e., national identity and intolerance) and resources (i.e., positive intergroup contact, psychological resilience and universalism) towards the endorsement of multiculturalism. Findings from a transnational sample of individuals (N. 636) across three Southern European Countries (i.e., Italy, Portugal and Spain) yielded five distinct profiles (i.e., Cosmopolitans, Glocals, Parochials, Resilient Intolerants and Disengaged). Also, they indicated that the identified subgroups differed on patterns of key psychosocial variables and degree of endorsement of multiculturalism. The majority of the sample (Cosmopolitans, Glocals and Disegnaged) show high level of multiculturalism, despite interesting differences characterized the distribution of the profiles across the three countries: the more intolerant profiles (Parochials and Resilient Intolerants) were prevalent in Italy. Contrarily to our expectations, national identity was not exclusionary per se, as has been reported elsewhere. Rather, depending on its combination with other key variables, it worked either as an obstacle or as a resource towards the support for multiculturalism of dominant ethnic members. Potential contributions of Latent Profile Analysis for an in depth understanding of multiculturalism and implications for interventions are discussed.
- Practicing ethnography in migration-related detention centers: A reflexive accountPublication . Esposito, FrancescaFeminist scholars, as well as community psychologists, have advocated the role of reflexive engagement in the research process in order to challenge power relations. Moreover, the liberating potential of storytelling, especially when working with issues of diversity and marginalization, has been stressed. The purpose of this article is to reflect on an ethnographic work underway in the Identification and Expulsion Center-CIE of Ponte Galeria, Rome. How the researcher's identities, values, and experiences, alongside power and privilege, have influenced her positioning in the research setting and the relationships formed with the different setting members is the subject of discussion. In sharing the story of this work, the final intent is to contribute to the joint effort to foster a reflexive community psychology practice incorporating feminist goals and a dialogue about ethnography in community psychology.
- Sexual prejudice in portugal: Results from the first wave european study on heterosexual’s attitudes toward same-gender marriage and parentingPublication . Costa, Pedro Alexandre; Carneiro, Francis Anne Teplitzky; Esposito, Francesca; D’Amore, Salvatore; Green, Robert JayThe objective of this study was to document the prevalence and evolution of sexual prejudice toward gay men and lesbian, same-gender marriage, and same-gender parenting among a large sample of Portuguese young adults. The sample consisted of 704 self-identified heterosexual individuals (24% men and 76% women), aged between 18 and 30 years (M = 22; SD = 3), who participated in an online survey. ANOVA results revealed that women were less sexually prejudiced, were less likely to endorse social etiological beliefs of homosexuality, and were more supportive of samegender marriage and same-gender parenting than were men. Further mediation analysis revealed that the effects of gender, religiosity, importance of religious beliefs, and political leaning on the support for same-gender marriage and same-gender parenting were partially mediated by etiological beliefs and attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. The complexity of attitudes toward same-gender marriage and same-gender parenting was highlighted, indicating how attitudes toward gay men and lesbians and the belief that homosexuality is controllable impact on the support for same-gender parented families. These results are important to inform affirmative polities designed to correct inequalities and recognize same-gender families.
- Statement on the effects of deportation and forced separation on immigrants, their families, and communitiesPublication . Langhout, Regina Day; Buckingham, Sara L.; Oberoi, Ashmeet Kaur; Chavez, Noe Ruben; Rusch, Dana; Esposito, Francesca; Suarez-Balcazar, Yolandainexistente
- Voices from the inside: lived experiences of women confined in a detention centerPublication . Esposito, Francesca; Ornelas, José; Scirocchi, Silvia; Arcidiacono, CaterinaDrawing on two years of fieldwork, this article focuses on the lived experiences of women detained inside Rome’s Identification and Expulsion Center, the main migration-related detention facility in Italy. We employed a thematic narrative analysis to examine the narratives of five women with different life trajectories in order to identify continuities and discontinuities within and across their stories. This analysis reveals that women’s experiences of oppression and agency—in their countries of origin, transit, and settlement—are deeply intertwined and strongly influenced by structural forces. Gender and sexuality, in relation to other hierarchies of power such as class, race, and nationality, profoundly shape such experiences, becoming crucial in the production of women as excludable and deportable subjects. Further, as the accounts of our participants lay bare, the immigration control system appears to play a key role in the (re)production of a dominant normative order. However, women are not passive spectators of the violence to which they are forcibly exposed. Rather, they struggle to cope with and resist the regimes of power that oppress their everyday lives. Through a feminist stance, this contribution seeks to enrich the body of scholarship on the lived experiences of women subject to practices of immigration and border control, particularly those confined in detention centers. Moreover, it highlights the need for a feminist project based on the creation of political and affective alliances across borders and axes of difference, particularly those related to legally produced statuses.