Heritage as an affective and meaningful information literacy practice : an interdisciplinary approach to the integration of asylum seekers and refugees

Le Louvier, Kahina and Innocenti, Perla (2021) Heritage as an affective and meaningful information literacy practice : an interdisciplinary approach to the integration of asylum seekers and refugees. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology. ISSN 2330-1643 (In Press)

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Abstract

Information studies have identified numerous needs and barriers to the integration of asylum seekers and refugees; however, little emphasis has been placed thus far on their need to keep their own culture, values, and traditions alive. In this work we use ethnographic constructivist grounded theory to explore the place of heritage in the information experience of people who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom. Based on our findings, we propose to conceptualise heritage as an affective and meaningful information literacy practice. Such conceptualisation fosters integration by allowing people to simultaneously maintain their own ways of knowing and adapt to local ones. Our research approach provides scholars with a conceptual tool to holistically explore affective, meaningful, and cultural information practices. This study also reveals implications for policymakers, third sector organisations, and cultural institutions working towards the more sustainable integration of asylum seekers and refugees.