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‘If we hadn’t left … we would have all died’: Escaping Famine on the Greek Island of Chios, 1941–44

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Violetta HionidouORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

The decision-making processes of historical famine-induced migration movements have rarely been examined in detail. This paper discusses such a movement from the Greek island of Chios and into Turkey in the early 1940s using first-hand accounts of famine survivors collected in the period 1999–2009. This paper outlines the unfolding famine situation, describes the point at which individuals made the decision to leave or to stay, and examines how that decision was implemented. The decision-making involved an elaborate process where pros and cons were assessed, where the wishes of individual family members were taken into consideration and where the long-term well-being of the family unit was the most important factor in any decision made. Difficult decisions, some of which may today appear irrational, were made. The paper argues that individuals, even in crises situations, demonstrate agency and plan their actions and future, albeit within the constraints of a given situation.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Hionidou V

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Refugee Studies

Year: 2021

Volume: 34

Issue: 1

Pages: 1101-1120

Print publication date: 01/03/2021

Online publication date: 06/07/2019

Acceptance date: 29/04/2019

Date deposited: 25/04/2019

ISSN (print): 0951-6328

ISSN (electronic): 1471-6925

Publisher: Oxford University Press

URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez041

DOI: 10.1093/jrs/fez041


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
056211

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