Marriage in the ruins of war: Intergenerational hauntings in the Afghan diaspora

Abstract

Marriage is a central life event and vital conjuncture in which the life trajectories and histories of two individuals and their respective families intersect. When the upcoming generation of Afghan refugees residing in Denmark marry, they often realise that the conflict, war and atrocities of the past seem to reappear and are expressed in different ways within and between the families. In this respect, Afghan families are haunted by the past. In this article, partner choice and marriage are used as prisms through which to explore how turbulent pasts and possible futures are articulated, negotiated and contested in the context of migration. Furthermore, the concept of ‘everyday diplomacy’ is suggested as a way to grasp how families negotiate who they are and where they come from. An ability and willingness to articulate new identities and place/perspectives might become a way to deal with the ghosts of memory and hauntings from the past.