New book discusses intimate lives of refugee men

The Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health was proud to launch Samuel Muchoki’s new book ‘’Intimacies, Citizenship and Refugee Men”, on Tuesday February 7.

The centre’s acting co-executive manager Alison Coelho spoke about her connection to Samuel through his work at the CEH and how proud of him and the important work he has produced.

The book has been acknowledged as an extensively researched text that addresses a pressing need to understand refugee men’s encounters with settlement and multiple citizenships. Alison’s speech that launched this new work (below) discusses some of the key areas the book examines and is a great introduction to his work:

“Before I begin I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land: the Wurundjeri and pay my respects to elders past and present and respectfully acknowledge any members of Aboriginal communities with us here today. I am personally honored to be here at the launch of my dear friend and former colleague Samuel’s book. 

The launch today tells the story of men forced to leave their homes, men on a journey who (mostly) have reached their destination. For Aboriginal communities the intergenerational trauma resulting from invasion and occupation continues to this day. 

We are very pleased to be launching of ‘Intimacies, Citizenship and Refugee Men’.

This book provides substance and viewpoints that substantiate the perspectives of our many clients and the ideas held by many men from refugee backgrounds regarding: belonging and relationships.

Samuel has captured important information that, I believe, will support workers in a number of sectors to improve their understanding and enhance their practice with men from refugee backgrounds. Sectors beyond sexual health can benefit from understanding the old, new and mixed approaches to relationships (traditional and postmodern) and the importance of manufacturing sources of support in a new world. Fulfilling desires and seeking comfort upon arrival could assist in the development of more integrated and targeted approaches to: education, training, employment, strategies for the prevention of violence against women, citizenship and health.

Particularly interesting to the work of CEH is the exploration of citizenship within this book and the context of forced migration as well as the association to sexual activity and relationships right through the refugee journey to the final host country. The communal way of life in some home countries have many benefits for the participants such as support, social networks, safety and cultural practice and family. Where this becomes interesting for us is the associated stigma and shame that comes hand in hand with this traditional way of organising communities. These traditional concepts also serve to galvanize gender roles and contribute to unhealthy ideas about women and their bodies. Upon arrival, men seek to fill the gaps, and negotiate new relationships and new networks of support. 

Samuel describes many issues that are useful for us to consider in our practice:

  • The varying concepts of citizenship,
  • What does it mean to be labeled a refugee?
  • the need for better pathways of support, including employment
  • addressing concepts of masculinity
  • traditional gender roles
  • understanding fetishism
  • the duty of care to clients in our care-ethical practice/power relations

More broadly, it is very interesting to take into account the perspective of these men regarding social policy. Feelings of emasculation exacerbated by the welfare system, providing funds directly to partners and supporting children to leave the family.  Also this work highlights the inadequacies and fundamental contradictions of ‘Multiculturalism’ as participants see it in light of meeting their needs, their traditional practice, social laws and many other areas.

On a personal level, I was privileged to work alongside Samuel for many years. Samuel brought with him a deep contemplative and reflective manner that enriched our reach in many sectors and enhanced our evaluation capacity. One of things that I take great pleasure in the book is the fact it is written by an African man.  This is not a colonial summation, or a voyeuristic impression painted with unconscious bias of the ‘black men’s sexual practices’. Instead Samuel offers us a thoughtful expressions giving a voice to men on a sensitive topic that will hopefully support us all to have a better understanding that can then be translated into practice.”.

Related Information

Reflect and and reset for 2024

Have you set your goals for 2024? Time is often the greatest barrier to reflection, so while the pace is a little slower as we enter the new year, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect and set our goals for the months ahead.

read more