Asylum and Reification

This chapter describes Axel Honneth’s concept of reification, which differs significantly from the original version by Georg Lukacs. The theoretical approach is adapted and used for sociological consideration of the reifying conditions under which people with a history of flight suffer in Austria. The empirical considerations are divided into two parts. In the first part, the reifying conditions faced by asylum seekers and recognized refugees are presented. These are dominated by the influence of authorities on almost all areas of life. And in the second part, the effects of these reifying conditions on people with experiences of flight are discussed. Finally, an outlook shows how, with the support of social work institutions, they can respond in order to mitigate or even prevent reification.