Invisible or Networked? Exploring Dynamics of Social Capital and Networking Among Urban Refugees in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania


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Vukelic, Megan Mackenzie




Policy in refugee hosting states plays a significant role in how urban refugees plot their exile strategies. However, there is a divide between refugee policy as written and the manner in which it is experienced. As such, there is variation in how refugees manage their social networks in exile. This thesis analyzes the social capital and livelihood procurement strategies of urban refugees in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It will illustrate how capital and pre-exile experiences create variation in social and livelihood strategy in exile, as well as demonstrate how political factors are limited in accounting for strategy differences. While refugees are regarded as a uniform group, strategies differ as conditioned by relative accumulation of capital. The unequal possession of capital creates a distinct refugee geography. Given the multitude of refugee groups that inhabit the city, Dar es Salaam provides a rich setting for exploring the drivers of these social nuances.


Political Science
International Law and Relations




Carleton University

Thesis Degree Name: 

Master of Arts: 

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Thesis Degree Discipline: 

Political Science

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Theses and Dissertations
