Exploration of Identity Formation of Asylum Seeker Children Using Art

Exploration of Identity Formation of Asylum Seeker Children Using Art | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Exploration of Identity Formation of Asylum Seeker Children Using Art Elyse Gefen Steinfeld, Ephrat Huss This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8938856/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Asylum-seeking children (ASC) face many challenges in life, most significantly affecting their health, development, and learning, including oppression, insufficient healthcare, and limited social services. Identity formation, a central challenge for all youth, is particularly challenging in this context. The arts, long recognized for their psychosocial and therapeutic qualities, offer an alternative nonverbal language for communication with the self and othersacross cultures. The project researched in this paper aimed to utilize the arts to explore and enhance the experiences and identity formation of latency-aged Eritrean and Sudanese ASC. A 12-week art-making workshop was offered to 25 children through an after-school program for ASC. The artwork and group processes were qualitatively analyzed using intersectionality, the theory of third space, and agential realism. The aim was to shift from psychological to social theories in order to take the high-context experience of being asylum-seeking youth into account. The findings show the tensions of this experience in relation to youth identity and the ways in which they negotiate hybrid identity elements through the arts. This research contributes to practical recommendations for the development of future art workshops with ASC children. It also provides a unique lens through which to understand ASC experiences and identity formation from a broad social perspective. Asylum-seeking children arts-based research refugee art diffractional methodology identity formation Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Introduction Asylum seekers Asylum-seeking children (ASCs) face many risks and challenges in their mental and physical health and development. This is due to economic distress, insufficient diet, lack of sufficient healthcare, and often adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, or other household dysfunctions (ASSAF & The Garden Library, 2020). As in many countries, Eritrean and Sudanese populations are often grouped under a common status despite different cultures, historical narratives, and reasons for leaving their nations, creating tensions within migrant communities (Weinblum, 2017). Identify formation Identity formation has long been known as a central developmental milestone for youth (Tannenbaum & Stern, 2022). Identity, while understood from different angles in varied fields, can be simply defined as who a person thinks they are (Berry, 2022). It influences mental processes, behavior, relationship formation, health, and well-being (Erikson, 1963, 1968; Schuff, 2016). Three theoretical frameworks that focus on the contextuality of identity were used in this research as lenses through which to explore the identity formation of ASC: 1) intersectionality, 2) the theory of third space or hybridity, and 3) agential realism. The use of multiple theoretical lenses, a method termed diffractional methodology by feminist theoretical physicists and philosopher Karen Barad, is expected to aid in gaining a broader, more complex understanding (Barad, 2007). Intersectionality, an identity theory proposed by Kimberly Crenshaw (1989, 2015), posits that where categories of difference, such as gender, race, class, and ethnicity, intersect, there is an effect of compounding the complexity of identity. Such intersections create different patterns of discrimination and privilege. Drawing upon intersectionality and narrative theories of identity, Valentine et al. (2009) and Sporton et al. (2006) suggest that, for refugees and asylum seekers, identity develops by locating oneself in hegemonic social narratives, which are often racialized and gendered, and interpreting those narratives to produce one’s own identity. Otto & Kaufman (2020) call attention to the need for deconstructing categories and normalizations while working with youth to avoid “Othering” them with general categorical assumptions. Krumer-Nevo and Malka (2012) note that immigrant adolescents also hold painful memories of shame, inferiority, and humiliation connected to their ethnicity and low social status, which leads to “identity wounds.” This is particularly relevant for refugee children, who suffer from multiple forms of oppression and racism. The theory of third space, also known as the theory of hybridity, is a cultural identity theory. Bhabha (1994) explained that when two cultures meet, a liminal third space is created in the overlap. In this space, existing at the level of discourse and enunciation, a third identity emerges. Within this space, identity formation is a dynamic process of constant hybridization–translating, negotiating, appropriating, and navigating two seemingly binary cultures and their symbols. Instability and in-betweenness may provide conditions that allow for freedom, creativity, fertility, and new possibilities (Bhandari, 2020; Fay & Haydon, 2017). This theory is relevant to ASC that exist within such a third space (Ball & Moselle, 2016; Ensor, 2016; Kagan et al., 2022). It is important to understand migrant children’s varied practices of multilingualism as sense-making processes of hybridity (Ibrahim, 2016). The third theoretical lens, Karen Barad’s agential realism, is a philosophical framework in the field of new materialism, a paradigm claiming that entities (human and otherwise) have relational rather than absolute boundaries (Barad, 2007). Entangled, dynamic entities emerge, and their identifying features and properties become distinct through their relating in a process that Barad termed intra-action, as opposed to an interaction of two already separate and existing entities (Akomolafe & Ladha, 2017; Barad, 2003, 2007). New materialism sees children particularly as demonstrating an understanding of connectedness and entanglement with their environment (Hickey-Moody et al., 2021). This is perhaps especially true for ASC, who are in an ongoing process of becoming through intra-actions with other people, places, objects, and beyond-human entities (Frimberger et al., 2018). There is the possibility of reconfiguring, reworking, and resisting in identity formation (Hultin & Introna, 2019). gency arises through this possibility, opening opportunities for repositioning or transformation (Rosiek & Snyder, 2020). Using the above three theories, instead of west-centric psychological theories of development, enables the migration context to be considered when trying to understand the identity formation of ASC (Ball & Moselle, 2016). Using creative tools to enhance psychological resilience and identity formation Arts-based practices are highly suitable for working with populations such as children and people who have experienced trauma, dislocation, and ongoing stress, including refugees and asylum seekers (Buk, 2009; Cohen-Yatziv & Regev, 2019; Dieterich-Hartwell & Koch, 2017; Sesar et al., 2022). Arts are used in education for psychosocial development as well as social and community work (Huss & Hafford-Letchfield, 2019; Jeong & Shim, 2021; Malchiodi, 2003, 2015; Metzl, 2022; Mitchell et al., 2019; Rubin, 2011). Practices in these areas see art not only as a psychodynamic language, but also from a social perspective as a way to shift participants from the position of object to subject, excavate socially silenced narratives, and show the relationship between subjective experience and social reality (Beauregard et al., 2017; Brown et al., 2020; Genç, 2022; Gil Schwartzberg et al., 2021; Huss & Sela-Amit, 2019; Lee & Northcott, 2021; Schubert & Gray, 2015). Thus, arts can also be used to enhance identity formation from a social rather than a psychological perspective. Arts-based methods can aid in the expression of experiences and subjectivities that do not fit into verbal discourse, helping to tap into knowledge that is sensorial, visceral, material or emotional. This can be the first step in finding meaning and words to define these often-painful experiences (Huss & Alhaiga-Taz, 2013). Art allows for creative expressions that are both embodied and affective, highlighting the phenomenology of personal experiences (Huss et al., 2020). This manner of expression opens a safe and multilevel space for children to build resilience and confidence and facilitates a sense of agency (Hickey-Moody et al., 2021). Regarding logistical implementation, arts-based methods are particularly suited to the volatile and changing physical and social contexts of refugees, who cannot commit to long-term therapy and who often do not speak the dominant language (Burruss et al., 2021). Additionally, some cultures express feelings indirectly and within shared reality contexts, rather than verbally in individual contexts, making art in groups a more suitable, familiar format (Andemicael, 2011; Sahim & Huss, 2025). Arts-based practices are likewise appropriate and commonly used for the exploration of issues of identity (Carr, 2014; Lin et al., 2020; Mayor, 2012), specifically with vulnerable children, such as refugees and ASC (O’neill et al., 2019; Quinlan et al., 2016; Rubesin, 2016). Creative acts are innately associated with self-identification as creating individual projects on the page and defining the content of the art creation, becoming completely immersed in the process and work created (Brown & Bousalis, 2017). Visual spaces are larger hermeneutic spaces than words and enable individuals to create a sense of wholeness by exploring and combining elements of the self that may otherwise seem contradictory, exploring experiences, identity wounds, and personal boundaries (Beauregard, 2020; Beauregard et al., 2017; Elkchirid & Motia, 2022). The above describes how the arts can be used as therapeutic and psychosocial tools by asylum seekers. Another element of this is arts-based research (ABR), in which arts are used to understand the lived experiences of populations that often do not have a direct voice (Leavy, 2020; Nielsen & Sørensen, 2019). Thus, the arts serve both to enhance well-being and to communicate experiences with others. Arts-based research (ABR) is a paradigm that challenges dominant research models by providing new ways of understanding people and the world through holistic and engaged methods that integrate both theory and practice (Leavy, 2017). Studies on the effectiveness of these arts-based methods are limited (Ball & Moselle, 2016; Cowling & Anderson, 2023; Kevers et al., 2022). This research hopes to expand the understanding of arts-based methods used in interventions with ASC. Additionally, studies that integrate ASC reporting on their own experiences are limited (Ben Asher et al., 2020; Huss et al., 2021; Meir et al., 2014). This study aims to fill these gaps in literature. Methodology Field of study Asylum seekers in Israel Currently, approximately 30,000 Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers live in Israel, 8,000 of whom are children (ASSAF, n.d.-a). The majority arrived in Israel between 2006 and 2013, taking dangerous escape routes from disaster areas in their countries (Nakash et al., 2015; Nuttman-Shwartz & Levanon, 2019). Israel provides basic rights such as education and healthcare (Kamir, 2020). However, exclusionary and restrictive immigration policies for non-Jews indicate that Israel will not be a long-term haven (Dorchin, 2020). Additionally, political discourse and the public climate are divided on the issue of asylum seekers (Burris, 2021). Despite these difficulties, many asylum seekers manage to integrate into Israeli society and the workforce, demonstrating agency and adaptability (Anteby-Yemini, 2017). Their adaptability seems to be spurred by their sense of urgency and determination, which enables them to overcome difficult obstacles and prosper (Lavie-Ajayi & Slonim-Nevo, 2017). Field site Concerning the asylum seeker children in this study, all were born in Israel (ASSAF, n.d.-a) but are de facto stateless (Rozen et al., 2022). We focus on elementary school-aged children who may experience contradicting environments in one day: school, non-formal education, and home. Intergenerational relations can become challenging as school-aged children are more acculturated and may begin to dismiss their parents’ traditional perspectives and attitudes (Ensor, 2016). Like their adult counterparts, ASC demonstrate agency and significant strengths such as capabilities in problem-solving, decision making, and creativity, which, according to Ball and Moselle (2016), may be developed through the necessity of navigating a life in a liminal state. Amitay (2022) found that many ASC developed independence and a strong ability to recruit people to help them. Sample and location Participating latency-aged children between the ages of 7 and 11 were all ASC born in Israel: 11 Eritrean Christians, 10 Sudanese Muslims, three Sudanese Christians, and one child of mixed Sudanese and Eritrean ethnicities whose religion is unknown. In addition to fluent Hebrew, Eritrean children speak some level of Tigrinya at home, while Sudanese children speak Arabic. Sessions took place in an underground community bomb shelter from which a local non-profit organization operates. A carpeted and windowless space situated in an urban neighborhood, the shelter is provided rent-free by the municipality and also serves as an after-school program clubhouse for the ASC. Research strategy and procedure The methodology used was a twelve-week art workshop for 25 latency-aged ASC that took place during an after-school program. The workshop began as a 3-week project of personal book-making. After the second session, we recognized the need to shift towards a more flexible participatory research model. We adopted principles from a portable open studio model (Kalmanowitz, 2018). To establish relationships and a sense of safety that could increase participation, we extended the number of sessions. Each week, a project idea was introduced, and various art materials were provided, but the children could freely choose projects and materials. Projects included “feeling monsters,” group drawings about the clubhouse, group identity puzzles, personal folders, heritage art, and abstract art inspired by African painters. Source materials such as books on art and information on Eritrea and Sudan were available each week for educational purposes, inspiration, and to expand cultural knowledge. It is important to note that there was a paucity of source materials on Sudan and Eritrea in Hebrew and English. At the end of the 12 sessions, an art exhibition was held at a local community center. The children’s work was displayed, families were invited, and representatives from the organization and the community attended. Data sources and analysis Data sources consisted of observational notes of the arts meetings, children’s artwork, and the research journal of the participant researcher. The analysis was conducted according to grounded theory and inductive content analysis. Multiple analyses were conducted on children’s work using both literal and interpretive examinations of content and composition. Content refers to elements such as objects, figures, actions, and words in the image. Compositional or aesthetic elements include color, line, form, and composition (Huss, 2013). Since the viewer may interpret art in a way that is quite different from how the creator intended, the artwork was examined alongside the observational notes, including notes on relevant discussions in which the children explained their work, to preserve the phenomenological perspective and understand the emotional meaning connected to the work (Ganesh, 2011; Huss & Alhaiga-Taz, 2013). In addition, the work was examined through social and cultural lenses to better interpret it in the spatiotemporal context in which it was created (Ganesh, 2011; Huss, 2013; Margolis & Zunjarwad, 2018). This type of analysis was used to identify possible gaps between what is seen in the artwork and what is described by the children (Margolis & Zunjarwad, 2018). Attention was paid to the stories that the children talked about their lives and environments and the connected thoughts and emotions. Equally important was how the stories were told, for whom the stories were intended, and the stories that were not being told (Gauntlett, 2007). Narratives were analyzed for logic and coherence (Wasserman et al., 2007), or alternatively, for the absence of serial narrative, as characterizes Bhabha’s (1994) third space. An additional analysis was conducted based on the social theories of identity outlined above: third space, intersectionality, and agential realism. Positionality of researcher The first researcher, an artist, and a social worker with a specialization in art therapy, who worked with the youth and thus was familiar to them, led the group. The second researcher, a professor specializing in social arts, supervised the group. Trustworthiness and validity Validation and trustworthiness were achieved through multiple analyses and triangulation of multiple data sources (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018). The data sources include both visual and textual corpora, researcher reflexivity, and the children’s explanations, providing detailed descriptions of the research process and context as well as robust analytical descriptions (Leavy, 2017). Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the management and the supervising social worker of the non-profit organization that runs the clubhouse. Ethical approval was granted by the university’s ethics review board. Informed parental consent and the children’s assent were obtained. The researcher used trauma-informed (Levenson, 2017) and culturally competent practices (Danso, 2018) at all stages of research and group facilitation (Leavy, 2017). Findings Findings were organized into seven categories according to patterns identified in the way the children related to others, places, materials, and directives. The categories are: 1) relations to social categories; 2) relations to place; 3) relations to art materials and directives; 4) psychological coping through art processes; 5) relations between children; 6) relations with adult leaders; and 7) relations with family. Category 1- Relations to social categories The first category refers to the ways in which children relate to intersectional social categories, including poverty, race, ethnicity, and gender. 1: Poverty We observed that children demonstrated awareness of the impoverished conditions of the clubhouse, as demonstrated in the following conversation between a child and the clubhouse facilitator: Arsema: There are geckos in the clubhouse! And there’s no water to wash my hands today! Facilitator: I know, it was leaking all over the floor, I have to call the plumber, he’ll come to fix the sinks this week. Arsema: It’s gross, the floor is all wet and it stinks in here! 2: Race Skin color and race were negotiated expressively. References to being black with a derogatory tone were common and were always initiated by Sudanese children. This negotiation was presented both humorously and in more aggressive demonstrations, including bullying. For example, in one session the children playfully discussed who is “dark chocolate” or “milk chocolate,” but the conversation ended in a fight over who was racist. Figure 1 shows a drawing used to tease one girl for her dark skin. 3: Ethnicity as pride The children’s references to their own ethnicities and cultures were positive. They often proudly referenced food and their mothers’ cooking, expressed longing for better language competency, and spoke in pride of their parents’ language competency. They expressed excitement in seeing source books with art from Eritrea and Sudan. 4: Ethnicity as dividing Conversely, friendships tended to remain divided by ethnicity. Sudanese children sometimes spoke Arabic between them. Often, the switch to Arabic enabled communication without having others outside their group understand. There was the ever-present question of “Who’s clubhouse is it?”, and instances of Eritrean girls being bullied by Sudanese girls in the form of hurtful insults, teasing, hitting, and even art, as seen in Figure 2. 5: Gender differences Gender differences were apparent in gendered concepts of materials, such as one boy’s statement, “Watercolours are for girls!”. Girls also participated more often in the sessions. At times, older girls would be absent from the clubhouse due to the babysitting of younger children, as was expected from their parents. There were no cases of boys staying home to babysit during the 12 sessions. 6: Religion Interestingly, religion was not a social categorization that held weight within the clubhouse or was presented in the artwork. While many of the Eritrean children, both male and female, wore necklaces with large white crosses, religion was not discussed at all, did not appear in artwork, and did not seem to affect friendships. Category 2: Relations to physical place The second category, relations to physical place in the host country, includes the children’s ways of relating to Israeli culture, school, the clubhouse, and the local community center. 7: Embedment in Israeli Culture Relating to Israel at a macro level was shown through the expression of Israeli cultural elements, which happened both in the clubhouse dynamics and in the content of the art. The children spoke mainly in Hebrew with the common slang of Israeli children and constantly referenced Israeli culture such as songs, dance, TikTok trends, and games. The children referred to local seasonal activities and vacation times, as seen in Duwana’s painting (Figure 3), which references summer breaks with watermelon and suns. Soccer, another popular Israeli interest, was referenced often. At the same time, elements from other cultures were drawn, and children often added English writing to drawings. 8: School events as important The subject of school as a local place arose often, indicating that it is an important place for the children. The children discussed school events, included school elements in their artwork, and created art for school events. Figure 4 shows a girl’s drawing of the desk layout in the classroom. 9: Clubhouse as safe space Despite the impoverished condition of the clubhouse, it was treated as a secondary home. The clubhouse offered safety, a stable weekly framework, the freedom to choose games and activities, and acceptance of all identity elements by the staff. When we created a group puzzle about the clubhouse, a few girls named it “The Magic Clubhouse.” Children would often sprawl out and play on the carpeted floor. 10: Pride in art products and sense of community The end of the study was marked by the exhibition of the children’s art in the local community center (Figure 5). The children were proud to show their work; they came dressed up and showed off their art to friends and family. The atmosphere was comfortable and happy. The children seemed to enjoy the attention of the community center staff. Category 3: Relations to materials and directives 11: Learning through dealing with new art materials Throughout the study, the children showed an interest in unfamiliar materials, such as charcoal and metal wire, enjoying demonstrations, touching, and asking questions. 12: Needing directives rather than free expression Children preferred learning or developing skills and new directed techniques, as opposed to more expressive artmaking. Success in something as simple as drawing a five-point star could be celebrated. 13: Gaining skills and cultural familiarity through art The children often searched for video tutorials on the internet. In their art, they often revisited Israeli and Western-style elements, such as hearts, stars, rainbows, drip borders, and simply drawn seas, which they felt confident in drawing. 14: Use of cultural art sources Source materials were of various interest to the children, who generally showed more interest in Eritrean and Sudanese art books than in books on European or Israeli art. Perusal led to inquiries and discussions about the countries and their families’ connections with them. Category 4: Psychological coping through art process Throughout the sessions, the children exhibited various strategies and skills to deal with the experience of art-making, which seem to be representative of the skills and strategies used to cope with other life challenges. 15: Refusal and avoidance Refusing to engage in art-making or avoiding were common strategies that at times seemed to be a show of toughness, and at others marked a lack of confidence, as expressed by the statement, “I don’t know how to draw.” This statement was repeated by many. This could also be a form of self-protection. 16: Fear of ridicule A couple of the children expressed that they would not draw things about themselves because they did not want other children to make fun of them. As Gili explained to the facilitator, “I’m not going to draw personal stuff here, everyone’s going to see and laugh at me!” Alternatively, they often wrote their names largely in their work. Home life was not intimately shown in the art or discussed in the clubhouse. The clubhouse facilitator explained that it was not culturally appropriate to talk about home life outside their community. 16: Problem solving and self-regulation Problem-solving and self-regulation could be seen in the ways the children approached art directives and dealt with challenging art-making processes, as seen in Figure 6. They found methods of simplifying projects, such as tracing, taking facilitator examples, and using video tutorials. They dealt with frustration that often arose and managed feelings when a project was “ruined” or stained. They demonstrated patience while waiting for help, and perseverance despite the difficulties or lack of confidence. 17: Focus on process and ventilation through materials Watercolor paints were particularly popular and seemed to lead to more experimental, free, and embodied work. A few of the children were more interested in the process than the product, using fingers in mark making, cutting up paper (Figure 7), and splattering paint. These children often abandoned end products. Some children threw or broke materials on purpose, while others looked after them and helped clean up at the end of the sessions. 18: The art as a space to imagine a better future Art was a platform for showing hope and elements of alternative realities and futures. The children drew and spoke of what they wanted to be when they grew up, what it would be like to move to Canada, or meet famous people. Category 5: Relations between the children Relationships ran the gamut from being extremely close and caring to aggressive. The group dynamics and the level of expressivity and freedom in art-making could change significantly according to the personalities of the children present on a particular day. 19: Closeness and shared art making Children who were friendly tended to work physically close together and even cramped together. At times, they worked together on pictures or made pictures of one another. They tended to choose neutral, socially acceptable subject matter, often choosing together or copying one another. 20: Laughter Varying forms of laugher were often heard. An expression of happiness and lightness between friends could be heard as they held friendly competitions or gently poked fun at one another’s work. Laughter could also be heard as children insulted or made derogatory remarks towards artwork and children that they were not friendly with. 21: Pride in art work and compliments The children took pride in showing off “pretty” or skillful work and also generously complimented one another. 22: Fighting As previously stated, there were also multiple fights between different ethnic groups and children who created an atmosphere of violence. Category 6: relations with adult leaders While the children interacted regularly with the participating researcher and research assistant, their relationships with the clubhouse facilitator were particularly noteworthy. The facilitator actively created a safe and supportive environment for the children. During the sessions, she did so by praising, prompting, asking questions, making suggestions, and encouraging children. 23: The clubhouse facilitator as an important and trusted figure The children sought her out for help and encouragement and to sit next to. They ran to show her pictures and to receive validation, and drew her pictures as gifts. 24: Seeking out help from adults The children often sought help, asked for assistance, or convinced an adult to do something for them. 25: Disciplinary problems At times, the children disobeyed the rules of the clubhouse facilitator or clubhouse. For instance, during several sessions, arguments or bullying behaviors broke out. The facilitator attempted to de-escalate the situation, and the children often stopped momentarily and then continued. 26: Switching to Arabic so as not to be understood Sometimes, Sudanese children switched to speaking in Arabic, so that adults would not understand what they were saying. Category 7: Relation to home and family through art 27: Absence of family in the art Though children would fondly mention members of their family and speak with pride about the mothers’ abilities to cook and speak Tigrinya, family members were rarely drawn. However, the presence of the family was strongly felt. 28: Negotiating parental consent to come to clubhouse For many children, attending the clubhouse was not an automatic right. Sometimes, it was more important to their parents that they babysit a younger sibling or stay at home to study. To attend the workshops, the children showed problem-solving skills that enabled them to balance their desires with their parents’ expectations or pressures. For instance, older girls would occasionally bring preschool-aged siblings with them rather than staying at home to babysit. One girl found a way to satisfy her father’s concern for education while also being able to attend and participate by choosing to make a book in English, as seen in Figure 8. Alt text: The front cover of a child’s folded paper book entitled “My book in my life.” Underneath the title the child drew an Eritrean flag and next to it wrote “Tigrinya,” and below an Israeli flag and the word “Hebrew.” Below the flags are two hearts, one with the colors of Eritrea and one with a blue star of David. 29: Lack of involvement of parents Few parents attended the exhibition. Of the handful who did, they were mostly mothers, and they came dressed up for the occasion in festive dresses. They praised the children and took pictures next to the art, and the children expressed pride and enjoyment in having their parents there. Children whose parents did not attend did not say anything about it and expressed similar happiness and pride in sharing their artwork with their friends. Two sisters expressed that their mother wanted to come but couldn’t, “Mom couldn’t come, she had to go to a funeral, but she wanted to. Can you please take a picture of us with one of our pictures for her? So we can show her?” Discussion What did we learn about how asylum-seeking children construct their identity, using the three social theoretical prisms described above, intersectionality, hybridity, and agential realism rather than west-centric psychological child development theories? How did art help identity formation based on these theories? Intersectionality First, in accordance with Crenshaw’s (1989; 2015) intersectionality theory, patterns of marginalization and differences due to the intersection of the children’s various social categorizations were dominant in their artwork, including racism, poverty, and gender (Nakash et al., 2015; Jok, 2012; Latif, 2019). Art as a visual language enables color to be shown, externalized, and explored. We saw how “black,” which often started as humorous, such as the example of a drawing of a face with dark brown skin, tended to lead to racial comments, arguments and bullying. Similar to color, ethnicity was an issue; Eritreans and Sudanese were grouped without considering the differences and tensions between the two populations together in Israel. Such ethno-cultural tension within asylum seeker or refugee populations is well documented in the literature (Huss et al., 2021; Kalmanowitz & Lloyd, 2016). In line with the claims of Valentine et al. (2009) and Sporton et al. (2006), these ethnic struggles for social dominance and position were enacted by children in the clubhouse. Poverty (in the underground shelter) was also experienced by the children, while Western psychological theories situate childhood as focused on subjective experience and not aware of systemic issues. The findings here show how central the social context of their lives was for the children’s identity formation. This can lead to “identity wounds,” as described by Krumer-Nevo and Malka (2012), caused by painful memories of shame, inferiority, and humiliation connected to ethnicity and low social status. Artmaking offered a medium by which the children could explore their intersectional experiences, as described by Kuri (2017), and enabled externalization of this knowledge about societal and cultural contexts, as well as to resist and react to it (Brown et al, 2020; Clark, 2011). They wrote their names largely on a piece of artwork, which can be understood as an act of taking up space and demanding it to be seen, as suggested by Hickey-Moody et al. (2021). They struggled with ethnic status. The addition of source materials, such as cultural art books from their countries of origin, expanded cultural knowledge and validation for children (Amitay 2022; Otto & Kaufman, 2020). While they expressed anger over the impoverished shelter, the creation of an exhibition spotlighted in a community center promoted appreciation by members of their community as well as the broader Israeli community, taking a step towards visibility, pride, and integration (Dorchin, 2020). Ball and Moselle (2016) noted that learning to navigate an unpredictable life in flux may enhance the development of unique capabilities for independent decision making, problem solving, role taking, and creativity. These occurred through processes of negotiation, appropriation, translation, and meaning-making in their artwork and in interactions with others. While Western psychology highlights the difficulty in creating identity in such hard social contexts, we see that the children also struggled against their limitations. The strategy of refusal to cooperate, which was met with acceptance and understanding by facilitating adults, could be important in facilitating a sense of control and power over one’s own life. According to Eliyahu-Levi and Ganz-Meisher (2018), this type of positive relationship may encourage children to be active rather than passive and to speak up for themselves rather than to stay silent. These findings echo those of Slonim-Nevo and Levi-Ajayi (2017), who showed that Darfurian asylum seekers are resilient and capable. An example of integration for clubhouse children can be seen through anecdotes of their participation in class and school activities, such as leading dances and speaking in school ceremonies. Among their strategies for survival are maintenance of hope, dreams of better houses, and creating alternative narratives (Winer et al., 2021). The theory of third space/hybridity The lives of the ASC in Eilat matched Kalua’s (2009) description of ASC lives of liminality, in which instability and contradictions in their lives do not provide an opportunity for the formation of a fixed identity. The children are aware of their liminal situation, as was demonstrated by the discussion of Eritreans moving to Canada, since Israel would not give them a permanent visa. They see themselves as Eritreans or Sudanese as well as Israelis. They are connected to their ethnic communities and cultures, as well as Israeli culture (Kagan et al, 2022). This study shows that art serves as a physical manifestation of third space, creating a holding space for the meeting of cultures and identity hybridization processes (Leavy, 2017; Rutten et al., 2013; Timm-Bottos & Reilly, 2015). The clubhouse provided safety, acceptance, time, and freedom to explore and express, which insulated and protected the creative processes of artmaking and identity formation in a space that was not the Israeli school and not their homes. This finding is supported by other research on clubhouses and youth movements for ASC, which suggests that they are protective (Winer et al., 2021), promote perceptions of self-efficacy and positive social positioning (Eliyahu-Levi & Ganz-Meishar, 2018), and aid in increasing the sense of agency and belonging (Amitay, 2022). We observed how this in-between and hybrid space provided conditions for freedom, creativity, and fertility. In terms of expressions of hybridization of identity, perhaps the clearest and most creative demonstrations were in the artwork, showing multiple and varied cultural elements simultaneously, such as Elisheva’s book in English with Eritrean and Israeli flags and Helen’s picture of a unicorn and Eritrean flag. This finding builds on the work of Beauregard (Beauregard, 2020; Beauregard et al., 2017), which states that art allows for combinations of aspects of the self that may otherwise seem contradictory. Similarly, Frimberger et al. (2018) showed how a collage could be used to organize and communicate a multiple but coherent identity. The children’s varied practices of multilingualism, such as shifting between languages and language referencing, were another form of hybridization seen both in interactions and art (Ibrahim 2016). Hebrew, the language of the dominant culture, was the main language spoken in the clubhouse. For Eritrean children, proficiency in Tigrinya was a source of pride. Sudanese children used Arabic to establish group inclusion and exclusion. English also played an important role as part of children’s education for a better future. This was apparent in the case of Elisheva, whose father allowed her to attend one of the sessions only when she convinced him that she would be practicing English. The children’s use of self-protection through toughness or aloofness, fostering connections, recruiting others to their aid, and balancing cultural expectations from home and society were all strategies congruent with hybrid identities, similar to those observed by Amitay (2022). While west-centric developmental psychology focuses on creating a coherent single identity, we see that these children actively use art to express the multiple components of a hybrid identity. Agential realism In this study, in line with Barad’s (2007) theory of agential realism, the emergence of the children’s identities was constructed and reconstructed through children’s varied, dynamic intra-actions with art, with others, and with the environment. The intra-actions changed from session to session, in relation to who was present– shifting from aloofness and non-participation to anger and friendliness, exploring materials alone, working with friends, and showing resistance or affection towards adult leaders. The writings of new agential educators Hickey-Moody et al. (2021) and others writing about working with asylum-seeking children (Huss et al., 2021) show how the children and facilitators are co-learners, creating a liminal or transitional space together. The workshops are unlikely to go as planned, facilitators are not always in control, and children can choose the direction and teach themselves. This was the experience of the study. The nature of the relationship between facilitators and children is also congruent with the work of educators Frimberg et al. (2018), who note relationship-building through artmaking, as well as the ways in which through art and exploration of identity children may resist a determined, fixed world. Hultin & Itrona (2019) state that agency arises through the possibility of changing one’s actions that are generally repeated in the material-discursive practices of everyday life, and which keep an individual in a static, and for these children, minority status, subject position. The clubhouse and art engagement, which is not as rigid as schoolwork, enabled a safe space to test different ways of being and acting. First, children have a relationship with the clubhouse. Despite its subpar conditions, the clubhouse offers a comfortable, carpeted space outfitted with an abundance of toys, craft materials, and computers in which they can sprawl out, move freely, and play in what are seen as age-appropriate ways in Israel. The children seemed to feel welcome, wanted, and supported by facilitating adults. This is a different context than they meet at school, where they are likely to deal with their differences and educational gaps and find themselves in marginalized subject positions. It also offers a very different experience than home, where they may lack age-appropriate toys and where they are expected to take more responsibility and get by on their own as parents work long hours. In the clubhouse, they could be children, act out, and test different relationships with each other and with leaders, as a more fluid and free space than home or school. Art materials enable multiple positions, from regression to learning new skills and experiencing success to being reflective or communicative, and to shifting between these positions very quickly. Some of the children showed embodied methods of working and were more engaged in the exploration of materials and the process of creating than they were with the finished product. This observation fits Garber’s (2019) proposition that art is performative, dynamic, engaged, and sensual, moving beyond words, representation, and logic, and Golanska’s (2018) claim that art is processual, material-semiotic, and affective at the material level as well as meaningful and representational. Specifically, Feen-Calligan et al. (2020) suggested that exploring media may release stress and promote healing and calmness through its kinesthetic and sensory qualities, and indeed it seemed that the art-making and use of more familiar materials had a calming effect on the children. As mentioned above, one could say that children who are not in stable contexts, where they can create a static identity, learn, as part of their identity, to react differently in different situations, rather than to create a coherent static sense of self. Combining the theories In sum, we saw how intersectionality, the theory of third space/hybridity, and agential realism assist in revealing active identity formation. Art, as another type of hybrid liminal and dynamic space (as compared to school work, or verbal interaction), enhanced the ability to see these aspects and processes and also supported the children’s development and expression of these more fluid, hybrid, and reactive identities that their social context demands (Barad, 2007; Geerts et al., 2022; Venn, 2014). It considers the challenge of understanding the complexity and difficulties of identity formation for ASC, as described by Ensor (2016). Additionally, it is in line with the research of Ball and Moselle (2016), who noted that the identity construction of ASC may be difficult to fully understand and support through conventional Western developmental and psychology theories and research. We saw that children could not create a single, “core” identity that could count on the surroundings to support it (Erikson 1963; Issawi & Dauphin, 2020). Conclusion In sum, we saw how the three social theories of intersectionality, the theory of third space/hybridity, and agential realism assisted in revealing active identity formation in relation to racial, ethnic, and gendered positions: This was not a linear and fixed construct and thus the three perspectives helped to capture identity formation. This is in line with the research of Ball and Moselle ( 2016 ), who noted that the identity construction of ASC may be difficult to fully understand and support through conventional Western developmental and psychology theories and research. We saw how both embracing and resisting racial, ethnic, and class elements were central to this identity formation, rather than counting on social surroundings to support a coherent identity, as in middle class western theories of identity formation in childhood (Erikson, 1963 ; Issawi & Dauphin, 2020 ). We saw how the art, as a type of hybrid, liminal, and dynamic space (as compared to schoolwork or verbal interaction), enhanced the ability to see these aspects and processes and also supported the children’s development and expression of these more fluid, hybrid, and reactive identities that their social context demands (Barad, 2007 ; Geerts et al., 2022 ; Venn, 2014 ; Ensor, 2016). The above triple theoretical lens enabled us to capture an elusive, fragmented, and difficult context for creating identity through art, perceived of through these theories as a type of “liminal” space. Limitations of this study may be the small sample size, and duration of only 12 weeks. The participant observer position made data gathering more complicated. On the other hand, the immersion in the somewhat chaotic setting enabled the facilitator to experience and better understand the children and dynamics, through use of self. This in-depth study, using three social theories, enabled demonstration of how these theories work in the real world on the one hand, and through them, to “see” how the children formed identities through art within a high-context social reality. On the other hand, it is a useful perspective for youth workers, helping to make sense out of the often chaotic and fragmented experience of working with youth with chaotic and fragmented social realities. Declarations Ethics statement Ethical approval for this study was granted by the ethical review board of the associated university. Additionally, consent to conduct the research at the clubhouse was provided by the management and social worker of the non-profit organization that runs the after-school program. Informed parental consent and child assent were obtained prior to participation. Clinical Trial Number This declaration is not applicable. Funding This declaration is not applicable as this was an independent study and no funding was received. Author Contribution All authors contributed to the study conception and design. E.G.S performed material preparation, data collection and analysis. E.H. supervised the study. The main manuscript text was written by E.G.S., as well as figure preparation. E.H. edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgement We want to thank the children of the CIMI clubhouse, as well as the CIMI staff and management. Without them, this study would not have been possible. 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Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203893845 Rutten, K., Dienderen, A., & Soetaert, R. (2013). Revisiting the ethnographic turn in contemporary art. Critical Arts: South-North Cultural and Media Studies , 27 (5), 459–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560046.2013.855513 Schubert, L., & Gray, M. (2015). The death of emancipatory social work as art and birth of socially engaged art practice. British Journal of Social Work , 45 (4), 1349–1356. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcv020 Schuff, H. (2016). Supporting identity development in cross-cultural children and young people: Resources, vulnerability, creativity. FLEKS-Scandinavian Journal of Intercultural Theory and Practice , 3 (1). https://doi.org/10.7577/fleks.1687 Sesar, K., Dodaj, A., Vasilj, V., Sesar, D., Smoljan, I., & Mikulić, M. (2022). The creative art therapies in work with children and adolescents with traumatic experiences. Central European Journal of Pediatrics , 18 (1), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.5457/p2005-114.319 Sporton, D., Valentine, G., & Nielsen, K. B. (2006). Post conflict identities: Affiliations and practices of Somali asylum seeker children. Children’s Geographies , 4 (2), 203–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733280600807062 Tannenbaum, M., & Stern, A. R. (2022). Children of asylum seekers and migrant workers in Israel: Language and identity dilemmas. In R. Levie, A. Bar-On, O. Ashkenazi, E. Dattner, & G. Brandes (Eds.), Developing Language and Literacy (Vol. 23, pp. 555–571). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99891-222 Timm-Bottos, J., & Reilly, R. C. (2015). Learning in third spaces: Community art studio as storefront university classroom. American Journal of Community Psychology , 55 (1), 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10464-014-9688-5 Valentine, G., Sporton, D., & Nielsen, K. B. (2009). Identities and belonging: A study of Somali refugee and asylum seekers living in the UK and Denmark. Environment and Planning: Society and Space , 27 (2), 234–250. https://doi.org/10.1068/d3407 Venn, C. (2014). ‘Race’ and the disorders of identity: Rethinking difference, the relation to the other and a politics of the commons. Subjectivity , 7 (1), 37–55. https://doi.org/10.1057/sub.2013.17 Wasserman, K., Niffenegger, A., & Drucker, J. (2007). The book as art: Artists’ books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Princeton Architectural Press. Weinblum, S. (2017). The management of African asylum seekers and the imaginary of the border in Israel. In M. Leese & S. Wittendorp (Eds.), Security/Mobility: Politics of movement (pp. 114–131). Manchester University Press. Winer, N., Nuttman-Shwartz, O., & Huss, E. (2021). “A home of my own”: The experience of children of international migrants. Clinical Social Work Journal , 49 (3), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00811-1 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8938856","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":602301585,"identity":"92c455dc-9c38-489e-b471-65a2eb8643ef","order_by":0,"name":"Elyse Gefen Steinfeld","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACdhBRAWayQYUYGw/g1cIMIs6ANcC1NBDWwtiGooWBAa8WfmYe4w8f592Rk5/fwPbwaxuDPH8DM35bJJt5zCRnbntmbHCMgd1Yto3BcMYBAg4zOMxjxsy77XDiBqDDpCXbGBg3EPKL/WEe489/5xxOnN8G0WJPUIsBM4+BNGPD4cSGYwxskh/bGBIJapE4zFYm2XMM5JfEdmOGcxLJMw4T0MLf3rz5w48aYIg1Hz728EeZjW1/e/vDB/i0MDBwGDBAIoKxgZmHQQIauXgB+wMGWNwx/iCoehSMglEwCkYiAABcLUkKiFMWRQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elyse","middleName":"Gefen","lastName":"Steinfeld","suffix":""},{"id":602301586,"identity":"b8014276-a9bb-4d40-8912-c9b2ef4feaaf","order_by":1,"name":"Ephrat Huss","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ephrat","middleName":"","lastName":"Huss","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-22 11:53:16","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8938856/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8938856/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108978180,"identity":"65c5e76d-0d4d-4ffb-b627-6502a924e078","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 11:34:41","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":380896,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA drawing used to tease a girl for her dark skin\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: A child’s marker drawing of a brown-skinned girl’s face with a large smile.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/574c17b7967360d2f41d2b22.png"},{"id":108972283,"identity":"d01c3afe-01ce-415f-bcc4-b9b02ce3692e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 10:35:46","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":408895,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA painting drawn to tease a girl of mixed ethnicity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: A very simple, undetailed child’s painting of a black face with eyes and mouth painted white.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/b2d47108f25523a7df07a2ca.png"},{"id":108972285,"identity":"4a272aa9-78e1-4e47-8855-202e995959a4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 10:35:46","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":403076,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDuwana’s painting of summer vacation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: A colorful child’s painting of a watermelon slice surrounded by a design of suns with faces, pink squiggled lines, and blue dots.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/0450682e4b3b3833e27cdde8.png"},{"id":108977693,"identity":"44115ff1-657e-4139-be81-cbb06004caa4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 11:32:33","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":84879,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA drawing of desk layout in a classroom\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: A child’s diagram drawing of the desk layout of her classroom on a pink background.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/62d24c443e409e96ef555bd5.png"},{"id":108978081,"identity":"669925b8-5ea0-4d36-8734-12740986e5d2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 11:33:58","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":262920,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExhibition at the community center\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: A photograph from a children’s art exhibit in which drawings and paintings are exhibited on easels.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/3e4c2fe560996034342e89b2.png"},{"id":108972286,"identity":"8536012b-fae8-49bd-a5e4-7fa49bb05b12","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 10:35:46","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":227218,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGili learned to use scrap paper to sketch out a drawing she was afraid she would ruin\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: A child’s sketch of butterflies over water\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/c5a55b11afef87e0113c5181.png"},{"id":108972284,"identity":"c4f18785-d790-4523-b06c-1cdcfb58216b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 10:35:46","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":143697,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZula’s processual cut-paper art\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: Photograph of a child’s artwork. Purple paper was cut into many uneven pieces.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/f9c96b3f6a94bda1c445de37.png"},{"id":108972289,"identity":"035f8292-63bd-4db0-8cb9-c91a7accdf65","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 10:35:46","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":178968,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElisheva’s book about her life, in English\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: \u0026nbsp;The front cover of a child’s folded paper book entitled “My book in my life.” Underneath the title the child drew an Eritrean flag and next to it wrote “Tigrinya,” and below an Israeli flag and the word “Hebrew.” Below the flags are two hearts, one with the colors of Eritrea and one with a blue star of David.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/24b24d4f387e4f6871753dd9.png"},{"id":108979937,"identity":"2b0054ff-c96c-4242-bfa5-f00fa7a7f599","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-11 12:02:28","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3273875,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8938856/v1/09affa6e-2428-4c63-94d3-3bb57fe6f994.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Exploration of Identity Formation of Asylum Seeker Children Using Art","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAsylum seekers\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAsylum-seeking children (ASCs) face many risks and challenges in their mental and physical health and development. This is due to economic distress, insufficient diet, lack of sufficient healthcare, and often adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, or other household dysfunctions (ASSAF \u0026amp; The Garden Library, 2020). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs in many countries, Eritrean and Sudanese populations are often grouped under a common status despite different cultures, historical narratives, and reasons for leaving their nations, creating tensions within migrant communities (Weinblum, 2017).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIdentify formation\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdentity formation has long been known as a central developmental milestone for youth (Tannenbaum \u0026amp; Stern, 2022). Identity, while understood from different angles in varied fields, can be simply defined as who a person thinks they are (Berry, 2022). It influences mental processes, behavior, relationship formation, health, and well-being (Erikson, 1963, 1968; Schuff, 2016). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Three theoretical frameworks that focus on the contextuality of identity were used in this research as lenses through which to explore the identity formation of ASC: 1) intersectionality, 2) the theory of third space or hybridity, and 3) agential realism. The use of multiple theoretical lenses, a method termed \u003cem\u003ediffractional methodology\u003c/em\u003e by feminist theoretical physicists and philosopher Karen Barad, is expected to aid in gaining a broader, more complex understanding (Barad, 2007). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntersectionality, an identity theory proposed by Kimberly Crenshaw (1989, 2015), posits that where categories of difference, such as gender, race, class, and ethnicity, intersect, there is an effect of compounding the complexity of identity. Such intersections create different patterns of discrimination and privilege. Drawing upon intersectionality and narrative theories of identity, Valentine et al. (2009) and Sporton et al. (2006) suggest that, for refugees and asylum seekers, identity develops by locating oneself in hegemonic social narratives, which are often racialized and gendered, and interpreting those narratives to produce one\u0026rsquo;s own identity. Otto \u0026amp; Kaufman (2020) call attention to the need for deconstructing categories and normalizations while working with youth to avoid \u0026ldquo;Othering\u0026rdquo; them with general categorical assumptions. Krumer-Nevo and Malka (2012) note that immigrant adolescents also hold painful memories of shame, inferiority, and humiliation connected to their ethnicity and low social status, which leads to \u0026ldquo;identity wounds.\u0026rdquo; \u0026nbsp; This is particularly relevant for refugee children, who suffer from multiple forms of oppression and racism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe theory of third space, also known as the theory of hybridity, is a cultural identity theory. \u0026nbsp;Bhabha (1994) explained that when two cultures meet, a liminal third space is created in the overlap. In this space, existing at the level of discourse and enunciation, a third identity emerges. \u0026nbsp;Within this space, identity formation is a dynamic process of constant hybridization\u0026ndash;translating, negotiating, appropriating, and navigating two seemingly binary cultures and their symbols. Instability and in-betweenness may provide conditions that allow for freedom, creativity, fertility, and new possibilities (Bhandari, 2020; Fay \u0026amp; Haydon, 2017). \u0026nbsp;This theory is relevant to ASC that exist within such a third space (Ball \u0026amp; Moselle, 2016; Ensor, 2016; Kagan et al., 2022). It is important to understand migrant children\u0026rsquo;s varied practices of multilingualism as sense-making processes of hybridity (Ibrahim, 2016).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe third theoretical lens, Karen Barad\u0026rsquo;s agential realism, is a philosophical framework in the field of new materialism, a paradigm claiming that entities (human and otherwise) have relational rather than absolute boundaries (Barad, 2007). Entangled, dynamic entities emerge, and their identifying features and properties become distinct through their relating in a process that Barad termed intra-action, as opposed to an interaction of two already separate and existing entities (Akomolafe \u0026amp; Ladha, 2017; Barad, 2003, 2007). New materialism sees children particularly as demonstrating an understanding of connectedness and entanglement with their environment (Hickey-Moody et al., 2021). This is perhaps especially true for ASC, who are in an ongoing process of becoming through intra-actions with other people, places, objects, and beyond-human entities (Frimberger et al., 2018). There is the possibility of reconfiguring, reworking, and resisting in identity formation (Hultin \u0026amp; Introna, 2019). \u0026nbsp; gency arises through this possibility, opening opportunities for repositioning or transformation (Rosiek \u0026amp; Snyder, 2020). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsing the above three theories, instead of west-centric psychological theories of development, enables the migration context to be considered when trying to understand the identity formation of ASC (Ball \u0026amp; Moselle, 2016).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsing creative tools to enhance psychological resilience and identity formation\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArts-based practices are highly suitable for working with populations such as children and people who have experienced trauma, dislocation, and ongoing stress, including refugees and asylum seekers (Buk, 2009; Cohen-Yatziv \u0026amp; Regev, 2019; Dieterich-Hartwell \u0026amp; Koch, 2017; Sesar et al., 2022). \u0026nbsp;Arts are used in education for psychosocial development as well as social and community work (Huss \u0026amp; Hafford-Letchfield, 2019; Jeong \u0026amp; Shim, 2021; Malchiodi, 2003, 2015; Metzl, 2022; Mitchell et al., 2019; Rubin, 2011). Practices in these areas see art not only as a psychodynamic language, but also from a social perspective as a way to shift participants from the position of object to subject, excavate socially silenced narratives, and show the relationship between subjective experience and social reality (Beauregard et al., 2017; Brown et al., 2020; Gen\u0026ccedil;, 2022; Gil Schwartzberg et al., 2021; Huss \u0026amp; Sela-Amit, 2019; Lee \u0026amp; Northcott, 2021; Schubert \u0026amp; Gray, 2015). \u0026nbsp; Thus, arts can also be used to enhance identity formation from a social rather than a psychological perspective. Arts-based methods can aid in the expression of experiences and subjectivities that do not fit into verbal discourse, helping to tap into knowledge that is sensorial, visceral, material or emotional. This can be the first step in finding meaning and words to define these often-painful experiences (Huss \u0026amp; Alhaiga-Taz, 2013). Art allows for creative expressions that are both embodied and affective, highlighting the phenomenology of personal experiences (Huss et al., 2020). \u0026nbsp; This manner of expression opens a safe and multilevel space for children to build resilience and confidence and facilitates a sense of agency (Hickey-Moody et al., 2021).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding logistical implementation, arts-based methods are particularly suited to the volatile and changing physical and social contexts of refugees, who cannot commit to long-term therapy and who often do not speak the dominant language (Burruss et al., 2021). Additionally, some cultures express feelings indirectly and within shared reality contexts, rather than verbally in individual contexts, making art in groups a more suitable, familiar format (Andemicael, 2011; Sahim \u0026amp; Huss, 2025). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArts-based practices are likewise appropriate and commonly used for the exploration of issues of identity (Carr, 2014; Lin et al., 2020; Mayor, 2012), specifically with vulnerable children, such as refugees and ASC (O\u0026rsquo;neill et al., 2019; Quinlan et al., 2016; Rubesin, 2016). Creative acts are innately associated with self-identification as creating individual projects on the page and defining the content of the art creation, becoming completely immersed in the process and work created (Brown \u0026amp; Bousalis, 2017). \u0026nbsp; Visual spaces are larger hermeneutic spaces than words and enable individuals to create a sense of wholeness by exploring and combining elements of the self that may otherwise seem contradictory, exploring experiences, identity wounds, and personal boundaries (Beauregard, 2020; Beauregard et al., 2017; Elkchirid \u0026amp; Motia, 2022). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe above describes how the arts can be used as therapeutic and psychosocial tools by asylum seekers. Another element of this is arts-based research (ABR), in which arts are used to understand the lived experiences of populations that often do not have a direct voice (Leavy, 2020; Nielsen \u0026amp; S\u0026oslash;rensen, 2019). \u0026nbsp; Thus, the arts serve both to enhance well-being and to communicate experiences with others. Arts-based research (ABR) is a paradigm that challenges dominant research models by providing new ways of understanding people and the world through holistic and engaged methods that integrate both theory and practice (Leavy, 2017). Studies on the effectiveness of these arts-based methods are limited (Ball \u0026amp; Moselle, 2016; Cowling \u0026amp; Anderson, 2023; Kevers et al., 2022). This research hopes to expand the understanding of arts-based methods used in interventions with ASC.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, studies that integrate ASC reporting on their own experiences are limited (Ben Asher et al., 2020; Huss et al., 2021; Meir et al., 2014). This study aims to fill these gaps in literature.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eField of study\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAsylum seekers in Israel\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently, approximately 30,000 Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers live in Israel, 8,000 of whom are children (ASSAF, n.d.-a). The majority arrived in Israel between 2006 and 2013, taking dangerous escape routes from disaster areas in their countries (Nakash et al., 2015; Nuttman-Shwartz \u0026amp; Levanon, 2019). Israel provides basic rights such as education and healthcare (Kamir, 2020). \u0026nbsp;However, exclusionary and restrictive immigration policies for non-Jews indicate that Israel will not be a long-term haven (Dorchin, 2020). Additionally, political discourse and the public climate are divided on the issue of asylum seekers (Burris, 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite these difficulties, many asylum seekers manage to integrate into Israeli society and the workforce, demonstrating agency and adaptability (Anteby-Yemini, 2017). Their adaptability seems to be spurred by their sense of urgency and determination, which enables them to overcome difficult obstacles and prosper (Lavie-Ajayi \u0026amp; Slonim-Nevo, 2017). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eField site\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConcerning the asylum seeker children in this study, all were born in Israel (ASSAF, n.d.-a) but are de facto stateless (Rozen et al., 2022). \u0026nbsp;We focus on elementary school-aged children who may experience contradicting environments in one day: school, non-formal education, and home. Intergenerational relations can become challenging as school-aged children are more acculturated and may begin to dismiss their parents\u0026rsquo; traditional perspectives and attitudes (Ensor, 2016).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike their adult counterparts, ASC demonstrate agency and significant strengths such as capabilities in problem-solving, decision making, and creativity, which, according to Ball and Moselle (2016), may be developed through the necessity of navigating a life in a liminal state. Amitay (2022) found that many ASC developed independence and a strong ability to recruit people to help them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSample and location\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipating latency-aged children between the ages of 7 and 11 were all ASC born in Israel: 11 Eritrean Christians, 10 Sudanese Muslims, three Sudanese Christians, and one child of mixed Sudanese and Eritrean ethnicities whose religion is unknown. In addition to fluent Hebrew, Eritrean children speak some level of Tigrinya at home, while Sudanese children speak Arabic. \u0026nbsp;Sessions took place in an underground community bomb shelter from which a local non-profit organization operates. A carpeted and windowless space situated in an urban neighborhood, the shelter is provided rent-free by the municipality and also serves as an after-school program clubhouse for the ASC.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResearch strategy and procedure\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe methodology used was a twelve-week art workshop for 25 latency-aged ASC that took place during an after-school program. The workshop began as a 3-week project of personal book-making. After the second session, we recognized the need to shift towards a more flexible participatory research model. We adopted principles from a portable open studio model (Kalmanowitz, 2018). To establish relationships and a sense of safety that could increase participation, we extended the number of sessions. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach week, a project idea was introduced, and various art materials were provided, but the children could freely choose projects and materials. Projects included \u0026ldquo;feeling monsters,\u0026rdquo; group drawings about the clubhouse, group identity puzzles, personal folders, heritage art, and abstract art inspired by African painters. \u0026nbsp; Source materials such as books on art and information on Eritrea and Sudan were available each week for educational purposes, inspiration, and to expand cultural knowledge. It is important to note that there was a paucity of source materials on Sudan and Eritrea in Hebrew and English. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the 12 sessions, an art exhibition was held at a local community center. The children\u0026rsquo;s work was displayed, families were invited, and representatives from the organization and the community attended. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData sources and analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData sources consisted of observational notes of the arts meetings, children\u0026rsquo;s artwork, and the research journal of the participant researcher.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analysis was conducted according to grounded theory and inductive content analysis. Multiple analyses were conducted on children\u0026rsquo;s work using both literal and interpretive examinations of content and composition. Content refers to elements such as objects, figures, actions, and words in the image. Compositional or aesthetic elements include color, line, form, and composition (Huss, 2013). \u0026nbsp; Since the viewer may interpret art in a way that is quite different from how the creator intended, the artwork was examined alongside the observational notes, including notes on relevant discussions in which the children explained their work, to preserve the phenomenological perspective and understand the emotional meaning connected to the work (Ganesh, 2011; Huss \u0026amp; Alhaiga-Taz, 2013). \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, the work was examined through social and cultural lenses to better interpret it in the spatiotemporal context in which it was created (Ganesh, 2011; Huss, 2013; Margolis \u0026amp; Zunjarwad, 2018). This type of analysis was used to identify possible gaps between what is seen in the artwork and what is described by the children (Margolis \u0026amp; Zunjarwad, 2018). \u0026nbsp; Attention was paid to the stories that the children talked about their lives and environments and the connected thoughts and emotions. Equally important was how the stories were told, for whom the stories were intended, and the stories that were not being told (Gauntlett, 2007). Narratives were analyzed for logic and coherence (Wasserman et al., 2007), or alternatively, for the absence of serial narrative, as characterizes Bhabha\u0026rsquo;s (1994) third space.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn additional analysis was conducted based on the social theories of identity outlined above:\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003ethird space, intersectionality, and agential realism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePositionality of researcher\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first researcher, an artist, and a social worker with a specialization in art therapy, who worked with the youth and thus was familiar to them, led the group. The second researcher, a professor specializing in social arts, supervised the group.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrustworthiness and validity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eValidation and trustworthiness were achieved through multiple analyses and triangulation of multiple data sources (Denzin \u0026amp; Lincoln, 2018). The data sources include both visual and textual corpora, researcher reflexivity, and the children\u0026rsquo;s explanations, providing detailed descriptions of the research process and context as well as robust analytical descriptions (Leavy, 2017).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Considerations\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was approved by the management and the supervising social worker of the non-profit organization that runs the clubhouse. \u0026nbsp; Ethical approval was granted by the university\u0026rsquo;s ethics review board. \u0026nbsp; Informed parental consent and the children\u0026rsquo;s assent were obtained. \u0026nbsp;The researcher used trauma-informed (Levenson, 2017) and culturally competent practices (Danso, 2018) at all stages of research and group facilitation (Leavy, 2017). \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Findings","content":"\u003cp\u003eFindings were organized into seven categories according to patterns identified in the way the children related to others, places, materials, and directives.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe categories are: 1) relations to social categories; 2) relations to place; 3) relations to art materials and directives; 4) psychological coping through art processes; 5) relations between children; 6) relations with adult leaders; and 7) relations with family. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 1- Relations to social categories\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first category refers to the ways in which children relate to intersectional social categories, including poverty, race, ethnicity, and gender.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e1: Poverty\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe observed that children demonstrated awareness of the impoverished conditions of the clubhouse, as demonstrated in the following conversation between a child and the clubhouse facilitator:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArsema: There are geckos in the clubhouse! And there\u0026rsquo;s no water to wash my hands today!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFacilitator: I know, it was leaking all over the floor, I have to call the plumber, he\u0026rsquo;ll come to fix the sinks this week.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArsema: It\u0026rsquo;s gross, the floor is all wet and it stinks in here!\u003c/em\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e2: Race\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Skin color and race were negotiated expressively. References to being black with a derogatory tone were common and were always initiated by Sudanese children. This negotiation was presented both humorously and in more aggressive demonstrations, including bullying. For example, in one session the children playfully discussed who is \u0026ldquo;dark chocolate\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;milk chocolate,\u0026rdquo; but the conversation ended in a fight over who was racist. Figure 1 shows a drawing used to tease one girl for her dark skin. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e3: Ethnicity as pride\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;The children\u0026rsquo;s references to their own ethnicities and cultures were positive. \u0026nbsp;They often proudly referenced food and their mothers\u0026rsquo; cooking, expressed longing for better language competency, and spoke in pride of their parents\u0026rsquo; language competency. They expressed excitement in seeing source books with art from Eritrea and Sudan.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e4: Ethnicity as dividing\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConversely, friendships tended to remain divided by ethnicity. Sudanese children sometimes spoke Arabic between them. Often, the switch to Arabic enabled communication without having others outside their group understand. There was the ever-present question of \u0026ldquo;Who\u0026rsquo;s clubhouse is it?\u0026rdquo;, and instances of Eritrean girls being bullied by Sudanese girls in the form of hurtful insults, teasing, hitting, and even art, as seen in Figure 2. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e5: Gender differences\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGender differences were apparent in gendered concepts of materials, such as one boy\u0026rsquo;s statement, \u0026ldquo;Watercolours are for girls!\u0026rdquo;. Girls also participated more often in the sessions. At times, older girls would be absent from the clubhouse due to the babysitting of younger children, as was expected from their parents. There were no cases of boys staying home to babysit during the 12 sessions. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e6: Religion\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterestingly, religion was not a social categorization that held weight within the clubhouse or was presented in the artwork. While many of the Eritrean children, both male and female, wore necklaces with large white crosses, religion was not discussed at all, did not appear in artwork, and did not seem to affect friendships.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 2: Relations to physical place\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second category, relations to physical place in the host country, includes the children\u0026rsquo;s ways of relating to Israeli culture, school, the clubhouse, and the local community center. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e7: Embedment in Israeli Culture\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelating to Israel at a macro level was shown through the expression of Israeli cultural elements, which happened both in the clubhouse dynamics and in the content of the art. The children spoke mainly in Hebrew with the common slang of Israeli children and constantly referenced Israeli culture such as songs, dance, TikTok trends, and games. The children referred to local seasonal activities and vacation times, as seen in Duwana\u0026rsquo;s painting (Figure 3), which references summer breaks with watermelon and suns. Soccer, another popular Israeli interest, was referenced often. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the same time, elements from other cultures were drawn, and children often added English writing to drawings. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e8: School events as important\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;The subject of school as a local place arose often, indicating that it is an important place for the children. The children discussed school events, included school elements in their artwork, and created art for school events. \u0026nbsp;Figure 4 shows a girl\u0026rsquo;s drawing of the desk layout in the classroom.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e9: Clubhouse as safe space\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the impoverished condition of the clubhouse, it was treated as a secondary home. The clubhouse offered safety, a stable weekly framework, the freedom to choose games and activities, and acceptance of all identity elements by the staff. When we created a group puzzle about the clubhouse, a few girls named it \u0026ldquo;The Magic Clubhouse.\u0026rdquo; \u0026nbsp;Children would often sprawl out and play on the carpeted floor. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e10: Pride in art products and sense of community\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe end of the study was marked by the exhibition of the children\u0026rsquo;s art in the local community center (Figure 5). The children were proud to show their work; they came dressed up and showed off their art to friends and family. The atmosphere was comfortable and happy. The children seemed to enjoy the attention of the community center staff. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 3: Relations to materials and directives\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e11: Learning through dealing with new art materials\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the study, the children showed an interest in unfamiliar materials, such as charcoal and metal wire, enjoying demonstrations, touching, and asking questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e12: Needing directives rather than free expression\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChildren preferred learning or developing skills and new directed techniques, as opposed to more expressive artmaking. Success in something as simple as drawing a five-point star could be celebrated.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e13: Gaining skills and cultural familiarity through art\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe children often searched for video tutorials on the internet. In their art, they often revisited Israeli and Western-style elements, such as hearts, stars, rainbows, drip borders, and simply drawn seas, which they felt confident in drawing. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e14: Use of cultural art sources\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Source materials were of various interest to the children, who generally showed more interest in Eritrean and Sudanese art books than in books on European or Israeli art. Perusal led to inquiries and discussions about the countries and their families\u0026rsquo; connections with them.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 4: Psychological coping through art process\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the sessions, the children exhibited various strategies and skills to deal with the experience of art-making, which seem to be representative of the skills and strategies used to cope with other life challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e15: Refusal and avoidance\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRefusing to engage in art-making or avoiding were common strategies that at times seemed to be a show of toughness, and at others marked a lack of confidence, as expressed by the statement, \u0026ldquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t know how to draw.\u0026rdquo; This statement was repeated by many. \u0026nbsp;This could also be a form of self-protection.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e16: Fear of ridicule\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA couple of the children expressed that they would not draw things about themselves because they did not want other children to make fun of them. As Gili explained to the facilitator, \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m not going to draw personal stuff here, everyone\u0026rsquo;s going to see and laugh at me!\u0026rdquo; Alternatively, they often wrote their names largely in their work. \u0026nbsp; Home life was not intimately shown in the art or discussed in the clubhouse. The clubhouse facilitator explained that it was not culturally appropriate to talk about home life outside their community. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e16: Problem solving and self-regulation\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProblem-solving and self-regulation could be seen in the ways the children approached art directives and dealt with challenging art-making processes, as seen in Figure 6. They found methods of simplifying projects, such as tracing, taking facilitator examples, and using video tutorials. \u0026nbsp; They dealt with frustration that often arose and managed feelings when a project was \u0026ldquo;ruined\u0026rdquo; or stained. They demonstrated patience while waiting for help, and perseverance despite the difficulties or lack of confidence.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e17: Focus on process and ventilation through materials\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWatercolor paints were particularly popular and seemed to lead to more experimental, free, and embodied work. A few of the children were more interested in the process than the product, using fingers in mark making, cutting up paper (Figure 7), and splattering paint. These children often abandoned end products. Some children threw or broke materials on purpose, while others looked after them and helped clean up at the end of the sessions. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e18: The art as a space to imagine a better future\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArt was a platform for showing hope and elements of alternative realities and futures. The children drew and spoke of what they wanted to be when they grew up, what it would be like to move to Canada, or meet famous people. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 5: Relations between the children\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelationships ran the gamut from being extremely close and caring to aggressive. The group dynamics and the level of expressivity and freedom in art-making\u0026nbsp;could change significantly according to the personalities of the children present on a particular day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e19: Closeness and shared art making\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChildren who were friendly tended to work physically close together and even cramped together. \u0026nbsp; At times, they worked together on pictures or made pictures of one another. They tended to choose neutral, socially acceptable subject matter, often choosing together or copying one another.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e20: Laughter\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVarying forms of laugher were often heard. An expression of happiness and lightness between friends could be heard as they held friendly competitions or gently poked fun at one another\u0026rsquo;s work. Laughter could also be heard as children insulted or made derogatory remarks towards artwork and children that they were not friendly with.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e21: Pride in art work and compliments\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe children took pride in showing off \u0026ldquo;pretty\u0026rdquo; or skillful work and also generously complimented one another. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e22: Fighting\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs previously stated, there were also multiple fights between different ethnic groups and children who created an atmosphere of violence.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 6: relations with adult leaders\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile the children interacted regularly with the participating researcher and research assistant, their relationships with the clubhouse facilitator were particularly noteworthy. The facilitator actively created a safe and supportive environment for the children. During the sessions, she did so by praising, prompting, asking questions, making suggestions, and encouraging children.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e23: The clubhouse facilitator as an important and trusted figure\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe children sought her out for help and encouragement and to sit next to. They ran to show her pictures and to receive validation, and drew her pictures as gifts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e24: Seeking out help from adults\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe children often sought help, asked for assistance, or convinced an adult to do something for them. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e25: Disciplinary problems\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt times, the children disobeyed the rules of the clubhouse facilitator or clubhouse. For instance, during several sessions, arguments or bullying behaviors broke out. The facilitator attempted to de-escalate the situation, and the children often stopped momentarily and then continued.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e26: Switching to Arabic so as not to be understood\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes, Sudanese children switched to speaking in Arabic, so that adults would not understand what they were saying.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory 7: Relation to home and family through art\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e27: Absence of family in the art\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough children would fondly mention members of their family and speak with pride about the mothers\u0026rsquo; abilities to cook and speak Tigrinya, family members were rarely drawn. However, the presence of the family was strongly felt.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e28: Negotiating parental consent to come to clubhouse\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor many children, attending the clubhouse was not an automatic right. Sometimes, it was more important to their parents that they babysit a younger sibling or stay at home to study. \u0026nbsp;To attend the workshops, the children showed problem-solving skills that enabled them to balance their desires with their parents\u0026rsquo; expectations or pressures. \u0026nbsp; For instance, older girls would occasionally bring preschool-aged siblings with them rather than staying at home to babysit. One girl found a way to satisfy her father\u0026rsquo;s concern for education while also being able to attend and participate by choosing to make a book in English, as seen in Figure 8.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlt text: \u0026nbsp;The front cover of a child\u0026rsquo;s folded paper book entitled \u0026ldquo;My book in my life.\u0026rdquo; Underneath the title the child drew an Eritrean flag and next to it wrote \u0026ldquo;Tigrinya,\u0026rdquo; and below an Israeli flag and the word \u0026ldquo;Hebrew.\u0026rdquo; Below the flags are two hearts, one with the colors of Eritrea and one with a blue star of David.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e29: Lack of involvement of parents\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew parents attended the exhibition. Of the handful who did, they were mostly mothers, and they came dressed up for the occasion in festive dresses. They praised the children and took pictures next to the art, and the children expressed pride and enjoyment in having their parents there. Children whose parents did not attend did not say anything about it and expressed similar happiness and pride in sharing their artwork with their friends. Two sisters expressed that their mother wanted to come but couldn\u0026rsquo;t, \u0026ldquo;Mom couldn\u0026rsquo;t come, she had to go to a funeral, but she wanted to. Can you please take a picture of us with one of our pictures for her? So we can show her?\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eWhat did we learn about how asylum-seeking children construct their identity, using the three social theoretical prisms described above, intersectionality, hybridity, and agential realism rather than west-centric psychological child development theories? How did art help identity formation based on these theories?\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntersectionality\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, in accordance with Crenshaw\u0026rsquo;s (1989; 2015) intersectionality theory, patterns of marginalization and differences due to the intersection of the children\u0026rsquo;s various social categorizations were dominant in their artwork, including racism, poverty, and gender (Nakash et al., 2015; Jok, 2012; Latif, 2019). Art as a visual language enables color to be shown, externalized, and explored. We saw how \u0026ldquo;black,\u0026rdquo; which often started as humorous, such as the example of a drawing of a face with dark brown skin, tended to lead to racial comments, arguments and bullying. Similar to color, ethnicity was an issue; Eritreans and Sudanese were grouped without considering the differences and tensions between the two populations together in Israel. Such ethno-cultural tension within asylum seeker or refugee populations is well documented in the literature (Huss et al., 2021; Kalmanowitz \u0026amp; Lloyd, 2016). In line with the claims of Valentine et al. (2009) and Sporton et al. (2006), these ethnic struggles for social dominance and position were enacted by children in the clubhouse. Poverty (in the underground shelter) was also experienced by the children, while Western psychological theories situate childhood as focused on subjective experience and not aware of systemic issues. The findings here show how central the social context of their lives was for the children\u0026rsquo;s identity formation. This can lead to \u0026ldquo;identity wounds,\u0026rdquo; as described by Krumer-Nevo and Malka (2012), caused by painful memories of shame, inferiority, and humiliation connected to ethnicity and low social status.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtmaking offered a medium by which the children could explore their intersectional experiences, as described by Kuri (2017), and enabled externalization of this knowledge about societal and cultural contexts, as well as to resist and react to it (Brown et al, 2020; Clark, 2011). \u0026nbsp; They wrote their names largely on a piece of artwork, which can be understood as an act of taking up space and demanding it to be seen, as suggested by Hickey-Moody et al. (2021). They struggled with ethnic status. The addition of source materials, such as cultural art books from their countries of origin, expanded cultural knowledge and validation for children (Amitay 2022; Otto \u0026amp; Kaufman, 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile they expressed anger over the impoverished shelter, the creation of an exhibition spotlighted in a community center promoted appreciation by members of their community as well as the broader Israeli community, taking a step towards visibility, pride, and integration (Dorchin, 2020). \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBall and Moselle (2016) noted that learning to navigate an unpredictable life in flux may enhance the development of unique capabilities for independent decision making, problem solving, role taking, and creativity. These occurred through processes of negotiation, appropriation, translation, and meaning-making in their artwork and in interactions with others.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Western psychology highlights the difficulty in creating identity in such hard social contexts, we see that the children also struggled against their limitations. \u0026nbsp;The strategy of refusal to cooperate, which was met with acceptance and understanding by facilitating adults, could be important in facilitating a sense of control and power over one\u0026rsquo;s own life. According to Eliyahu-Levi and Ganz-Meisher (2018), this type of positive relationship may encourage children to be active rather than passive and to speak up for themselves rather than to stay silent. These findings echo those of Slonim-Nevo and Levi-Ajayi (2017), who showed that Darfurian asylum seekers are resilient and capable. \u0026nbsp;An example of integration for clubhouse children can be seen through anecdotes of their participation in class and school activities, such as leading dances and speaking in school ceremonies. Among their strategies for survival are maintenance of hope, dreams of better houses, and creating alternative narratives (Winer et al., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe theory of third space/hybridity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lives of the ASC in Eilat matched Kalua\u0026rsquo;s (2009) description of ASC lives of liminality, in which instability and contradictions in their lives do not provide an opportunity for the formation of a fixed identity. The children are aware of their liminal situation, as was demonstrated by the discussion of Eritreans moving to Canada, since Israel would not give them a permanent visa. They see themselves as Eritreans or Sudanese as well as Israelis. They are connected to their ethnic communities and cultures, as well as Israeli culture (Kagan et al, 2022).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study shows that art serves as a physical manifestation of third space, creating a holding space for the meeting of cultures and identity hybridization processes (Leavy, 2017; Rutten et al., 2013; Timm-Bottos \u0026amp; Reilly, 2015). The clubhouse provided safety, acceptance, time, and freedom to explore and express, which insulated and protected the creative processes of artmaking and identity formation in a space that was not the Israeli school and not their homes. This finding is supported by other research on clubhouses and youth movements for ASC, which suggests that they are protective (Winer et al., 2021), promote perceptions of self-efficacy and positive social positioning (Eliyahu-Levi \u0026amp; Ganz-Meishar, 2018), and aid in increasing the sense of agency and belonging (Amitay, 2022). \u0026nbsp;We observed how this in-between and hybrid space provided conditions for freedom, creativity, and fertility.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn terms of expressions of hybridization of identity, perhaps the clearest and most creative demonstrations were in the artwork, showing multiple and varied cultural elements simultaneously, such as Elisheva\u0026rsquo;s book in English with Eritrean and Israeli flags and Helen\u0026rsquo;s picture of a unicorn and Eritrean flag. This finding builds on the work of Beauregard (Beauregard, 2020; Beauregard et al., 2017), which states that art allows for combinations of aspects of the self that may otherwise seem contradictory. Similarly, Frimberger et al. (2018) showed how a collage could be used to organize and communicate a multiple but coherent identity. The children\u0026rsquo;s varied practices of multilingualism, such as shifting between languages and language referencing, were another form of hybridization seen both in interactions and art (Ibrahim 2016). Hebrew, the language of the dominant culture, was the main language spoken in the clubhouse. \u0026nbsp; For Eritrean children, proficiency in Tigrinya was a source of pride. Sudanese children used Arabic to establish group inclusion and exclusion. English also played an important role as part of children\u0026rsquo;s education for a better future. This was apparent in the case of Elisheva, whose father allowed her to attend one of the sessions only when she convinced him that she would be practicing English. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe children\u0026rsquo;s use of self-protection through toughness or aloofness, fostering connections, recruiting others to their aid, and balancing cultural expectations from home and society were all strategies congruent with hybrid identities, similar to those observed by Amitay (2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile west-centric developmental psychology focuses on creating a coherent single identity, we see that these children actively use art to express the multiple components of a hybrid identity. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAgential realism\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003eIn this study, in line with Barad\u0026rsquo;s (2007) theory of agential realism, the emergence of the children\u0026rsquo;s identities was constructed and reconstructed through children\u0026rsquo;s varied, dynamic intra-actions with art, with others, and with the environment. The intra-actions changed from session to session, in relation to who was present\u0026ndash; shifting from aloofness and non-participation to anger and friendliness, exploring materials alone, working with friends, and showing resistance or affection towards adult leaders. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe writings of new agential educators Hickey-Moody et al. (2021) and others writing about working with asylum-seeking children (Huss et al., 2021) show how the children and facilitators are co-learners, creating a liminal or transitional space together. The workshops are unlikely to go as planned, facilitators are not always in control, and children can choose the direction and teach themselves. This was the experience of the study. The nature of the relationship between facilitators and children is also congruent with the work of educators Frimberg et al. (2018), who\u0026nbsp;note relationship-building through artmaking, as well as the ways in which through art and exploration of identity children may resist a determined, fixed world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHultin \u0026amp; Itrona (2019) state that agency arises through the possibility of changing one\u0026rsquo;s actions that are generally repeated in the material-discursive practices of everyday life, and which keep an individual in a static, and for these children, minority status, subject position. The clubhouse and art engagement, which is not as rigid as schoolwork, enabled a safe space to test different ways of being and acting. First, children have a relationship with the clubhouse. Despite its subpar conditions, the clubhouse offers a comfortable, carpeted space outfitted with an abundance of toys, craft materials, and computers in which they can sprawl out, move freely, and play in what are seen as age-appropriate ways in Israel. The children seemed to feel welcome, wanted, and supported by facilitating adults. This is a different context than they meet at school, where they are likely to deal with their differences and educational gaps and find themselves in marginalized subject positions. It also offers a very different experience than home, where they may lack age-appropriate toys and where they are expected to take more responsibility and get by on their own as parents work long hours. In the clubhouse, they could be children, act out, and test different relationships with each other and with leaders, as a more fluid and free space than home or school. Art materials enable multiple positions, from regression to learning new skills and experiencing success to being reflective or communicative, and to shifting between these positions very quickly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Some of the children showed embodied methods of working and were more engaged in the exploration of materials and the process of creating than they were with the finished product. This observation fits Garber\u0026rsquo;s (2019) proposition that art is performative, dynamic, engaged, and sensual, moving beyond words, representation, and logic, and Golanska\u0026rsquo;s (2018) claim that art is processual, material-semiotic, and affective at the material level as well as meaningful and representational. Specifically, Feen-Calligan et al. (2020) suggested that exploring media may release stress and promote healing and calmness through its kinesthetic and sensory qualities, and indeed it seemed that the art-making and use of more familiar materials had a calming effect on the children.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs mentioned above, one could say that children who are not in stable contexts, where they can create a static identity, learn, as part of their identity, to react differently in different situations, rather than to create a coherent static sense of self.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCombining the theories\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn sum, we saw how intersectionality, the theory of third space/hybridity, and agential realism assist in revealing active identity formation. Art, as another type of hybrid liminal and dynamic space (as compared to school work, or verbal interaction), enhanced the ability to see these aspects and processes and also supported the children\u0026rsquo;s development and expression of these more fluid, hybrid, and reactive identities that their social context demands (Barad, 2007; Geerts et al., 2022; Venn, 2014). It considers the challenge of understanding the complexity and difficulties of identity formation for ASC, as described by Ensor (2016). Additionally, it is in line with the research of Ball and Moselle (2016), who noted that the identity construction of ASC may be difficult to fully understand and support through conventional Western developmental and psychology theories and research. We saw that children could not create a single, \u0026ldquo;core\u0026rdquo; identity that could count on the surroundings to support it (Erikson 1963; Issawi \u0026amp; Dauphin, 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn sum, we saw how the three social theories of intersectionality, the theory of third space/hybridity, and agential realism assisted in revealing active identity formation in relation to racial, ethnic, and gendered positions: This was not a linear and fixed construct and thus the three perspectives helped to capture identity formation. This is in line with the research of Ball and Moselle (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e), who noted that the identity construction of ASC may be difficult to fully understand and support through conventional Western developmental and psychology theories and research. We saw how both embracing and resisting racial, ethnic, and class elements were central to this identity formation, rather than counting on social surroundings to support a coherent identity, as in middle class western theories of identity formation in childhood (Erikson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1963\u003c/span\u003e; Issawi \u0026amp; Dauphin, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR105\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). We saw how the art, as a type of hybrid, liminal, and dynamic space (as compared to schoolwork or verbal interaction), enhanced the ability to see these aspects and processes and also supported the children\u0026rsquo;s development and expression of these more fluid, hybrid, and reactive identities that their social context demands (Barad, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e; Geerts et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR78\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Venn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR186\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Ensor, 2016). The above triple theoretical lens enabled us to capture an elusive, fragmented, and difficult context for creating identity through art, perceived of through these theories as a type of \u0026ldquo;liminal\u0026rdquo; space.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLimitations of this study may be the small sample size, and duration of only 12 weeks. The participant observer position made data gathering more complicated. On the other hand, the immersion in the somewhat chaotic setting enabled the facilitator to experience and better understand the children and dynamics, through use of self. This in-depth study, using three social theories, enabled demonstration of how these theories work in the real world on the one hand, and through them, to \u0026ldquo;see\u0026rdquo; how the children formed identities through art within a high-context social reality. On the other hand, it is a useful perspective for youth workers, helping to make sense out of the often chaotic and fragmented experience of working with youth with chaotic and fragmented social realities.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eEthics statement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval for this study was granted by the ethical review board of the associated university. Additionally, consent to conduct the research at the clubhouse was provided by the management and social worker of the non-profit organization that runs the after-school program. Informed parental consent and child assent were obtained prior to participation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eClinical Trial Number\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis declaration is not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFunding\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis declaration is not applicable as this was an independent study and no funding was received.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors contributed to the study conception and design. E.G.S performed material preparation, data collection and analysis. E.H. supervised the study. The main manuscript text was written by E.G.S., as well as figure preparation. E.H. edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe want to thank the children of the CIMI clubhouse, as well as the CIMI staff and management. Without them, this study would not have been possible. We are also grateful for the support of our families and of Ben Gurion University of the Negev.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData will be made available upon request to the corresponding author, Elyse Gefen Steinfeld.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel [ASSAF]. (n.d.-a). \u003cem\u003eRefugees in \u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eIsrael\u003c/em\u003e. Retrieved September 26, 2023, from https://assaf.org.il/en/refugees-in-israel/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel [ASSAF], \u0026amp; The Garden Library. 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(2021). \u0026ldquo;A home of my own\u0026rdquo;: The experience of children of international migrants. \u003cem\u003eClinical Social Work Journal\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e49\u003c/em\u003e(3), 325\u0026ndash;335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00811-1\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Asylum-seeking children, arts-based research, refugee art, diffractional methodology, identity formation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8938856/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8938856/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eAsylum-seeking children (ASC) face many challenges in life, most significantly affecting their health, development, and learning, including oppression, insufficient healthcare, and limited social services. Identity formation, a central challenge for all youth, is particularly challenging in this context. The arts, long recognized for their psychosocial and therapeutic qualities, offer an alternative nonverbal language for communication with the self and othersacross cultures. The project researched in this paper aimed to utilize the arts to explore and enhance the experiences and identity formation of latency-aged Eritrean and Sudanese ASC. A 12-week art-making workshop was offered to 25 children through an after-school program for ASC. The artwork and group processes were qualitatively analyzed using intersectionality, the theory of third space, and agential realism. The aim was to shift from psychological to social theories in order to take the high-context experience of being asylum-seeking youth into account. The findings show the tensions of this experience in relation to youth identity and the ways in which they negotiate hybrid identity elements through the arts. This research contributes to practical recommendations for the development of future art workshops with ASC children. It also provides a unique lens through which to understand ASC experiences and identity formation from a broad social perspective.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploration of Identity Formation of Asylum Seeker Children Using Art","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-11 10:35:40","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8938856/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"12dff713-a586-463b-8130-f301ecbec35f","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 11th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-11T10:35:41+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-11 10:35:40","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8938856","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8938856","identity":"rs-8938856","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}