Ottoman History Podcast Refugees, Humanitarianism, and the Politics of Kinship
Jan 22, 2026
Sophia Balakian, an anthropologist who studies migration, kinship, and humanitarian policy, discusses how refugee resettlement hinges on narrow ideas of family. She explores DNA testing, vetting practices, and the racialized norms that define who counts as a family. The conversation follows her long-term fieldwork in Kenya and the U.S., reflecting on methods, ethics, and what kinship politics mean for displaced people.
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Most Displaced Families Deemed Ineligible
- Resettlement classifies over 99% of displaced families as ineligible or fraudulent due to narrow definitions of family.
- Practices labeled fraudulent by agencies often reflect moral survival strategies in unequal contexts.
DNA Testing Pilot Sparked The Research
- Balakian traced her interest to a kinship course and a 2008 DNA testing pilot used in refugee vetting.
- That pilot launched her study of how humanitarian programs clash with real family forms.
Personal Family History Shaped The Study
- Balakian described family stories from her Armenian-genocide survivor relatives and Diyarbakir origins.
- Those personal histories shaped her interest in displaced communities and kinship.
