EXPRESS: Resourcing Hope: Refugee Agentive Consumption Acts in Protracted Displacement

Abstract

The global refugee crisis presents a complex challenge, with millions experiencing protracted displacement in inhospitable conditions. This study examines the lived experiences of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon, focusing on how they resource hope and maintain well-being amid forced liquidity and uncertainty. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with 26 Syrian refugee women, we uncover the profound effects of changed consumer roles and the critical function of agentive anchoring acts of consumption in resourcing hope. Our findings reveal that refugees employ four types of anchoring acts—domesticity, spirituality, self-care, and socializing—to momentarily restore normalcy, affirm dignity, and enhance well-being. These acts serve as vessels for resourcing and mobilizing hope, allowing refugees to ‘live through’ their present circumstances while aspiring for a better future. We introduce the concept of hope as a social resource that can be collectively shared and mobilized, highlighting the dynamic interplay between hope and hopelessness in refugee experiences. This research contributes to understanding how marketing and service systems can improve refugee well-being in protracted displacement, offering insights for stakeholders to create conditions that foster rather than inhibit subjective well-being among vulnerable consumers experiencing protracted displacement and involuntary liquidity in global modernity to resource hope.