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Thinking with the quite famous French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, there are more kinds of capital than just money. Besides the economic capital, which is indeed the money you own or inherit, Bourdieu also defines cultural and social capital. In general, capital can be described as anything a person or entity is able to „spend“ or use when competing with others on any market. How does this impact the vulnerability of refugees?

Having to worry about health is a constant source of stress and a source of vulnerability in the truest sense of the word. According to the World Health Organization, health is not merely „the absence of disease and infirmity" but "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being“. In this Episode, we want to explore how health - physical and mental health - has an impact on the lives of asylum seekers.

Gender - next to other factors, such as health or age - plays a central role at different levels, when vulnerabilities are being assessed in reception centers and by social workers. We talked about it with Fatima, Gabriel and Jameela.

Food is the fuel of every living creature on this planet. We need it to have energy for our daily duties and to maintain life itself. Children need it to grow and be healthy. But food can also be a part of our daily struggles and sorrows. Climate change, financial crisis and wars, such as Russia's war in Ukraine, endanger the food supply of millions of people - especially in the Global South. The food crisis is hitting those who are already the most vulnerable particularly hard.

Family can be a source of resilience to everyone who faces any struggles in live - and having a family, if by blood or by choice, is one important way to deal with vulnerability for many refugees. Helping each other, having similar experiences and having someone to talk to when feeling helpless or overwhelmed - those are some of the aspects family means to many many people.
The key element is togetherness. Not being and not feeling alone. That is why UNHCR makes keeping families together or reuniting them a priority in their refugee policy.

Home to most people is more than just a space or residence, where one lives. It is a concept that has to do with belonging, yearning or: homesickness - which is a feeling you may know from your childhood or when you are on a long journey, far away from the people you love.

In this six parts podcast series, we bring together the scientific fielwork of VULNER researchers in Uganda, Lebanon and Belgium and the personal stories of Gabriel, Fatima and Jameela. We talked to them about food, health, gender, home, family and capital - six topics that strongly influence the vulnerability or resilience strategies of refugees all over the world.