The Israeli occupation has shaped the lives of Palestinian families for generations. Under occupation, Palestinian children continue to craft identities connected to place, specifically in their relationship with Palestine as a nation-state. Drawing from a qualitative research project using the concept of place as a lens through which to view children's negotiations with their environments, this article examines how Palestinian identity is related to marginalization and dislocation from place as a result of the ongoing Israeli occupation. A total of 18 interviews were conducted with Palestinian children and their families living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The research used a place-based methodology including collaborative family interviews, mapmaking, and drawing. The data generally reinforced the view that a history of dislocation and marginalization from place due to the longstanding occupation contributes to emotions of frustration and hope, which in turn play a significant role in the national imaginary of families and children and ultimately shape Palestinian national identity or being Palestinian.
In: In N. Worth, I. Hardill, & S. Lucas (Eds.), Researching the lifecourse: Critical reflections from the social sciences. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Forthcoming