This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests.
Rawan Arar is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of California, San Diego and a researcher at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies. Rawan is a political sociologist whose research interests include international immigration, race and ethnicity, refugee studies, human rights, gender, law, and conflict and post-conflict societies. Rawan’s dissertation investigates the role of Jordan in the unfolding Syrian refugee crisis. Through in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, Rawan explores the relationship between hosting large numbers of refugees and state sovereignty.
Bearing Witness to the Refugee Crisis: Western Audiences and Jordanian Humanitarian Workers
This essay is not about the Syrians who have fled their homes or those who are unable to leave despite the barrel bombs. Nor is it about Syrian refugees who are caught in limbo in neighboring countries, those that took perilous journeys to Europe by boat, or those who face rejection in the “land(s) of the free.” Instead, this essay is about the witnesses — those closest to Syrian refugees and those farthest away. It juxtaposes images produced for consumption by Western audiences with reflections of Jordanian humanitarian aid workers.
