This is part of the assessment for the MA class Anthropology of Migration (Winter Semester 2025-2026) MA in Human Rights and Migration Studies
The assignment was coordinated by Dr Eleni Sideri , Assistant Prof. Dept. of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies
Students of various backgrounds had to follow the below instructions in order to produce the mini ethnographic snapshot.
Observe one small instance of migration or mobility in everyday life—this might involve a place (e.g., a shop, bus stop, or workplace), an object (e.g., a food item, product, or document), or a brief encounter. Describe what you observe and analyze it using one key concept from the course (e.g., borders, belonging, transnationalism, home). You will submit this as: 1. A 3–5 minute audio reflection and 2. A photo essay (3–4 images + captions + 200-word commentary).
Purpose of the exercise: To apply anthropological observation to everyday
Useful tips: 1. Choose a meaningful "slice of life," an incident, moment, or scene that has things to say to you in regard to the concept you are analyzing; don't make last-moment decisions because you didn't have time. 2. Be clear about what the focus/angle is. Through this angle you will describe the scene. 2. Be clear about the theoretical aspects of the concept you are examining. 4. Before the recording, rehearse, or if it is helpful, write the text. 5. The 200-word comment will give info regarding the photograph (where it is taken from, when, how you are related to the place, person, item, etc., the title for each photograph, and why you chose the particular scene/motivation). 6. The reflection will discuss the connection between the concept and the scene for you and will try to explore your positionality vis-à-vis the field and the theoretical concept.
The following productions, opinions, analyses, photographs, and brief podcasts belong to students. For the publication, all participants were asked to give their consensus, and by doing that, they declare ownership of the copyright. For any issues with the content and the links, please contact the students themselves.
- MARIA-METAXIA ALEXANDRAKH (mhr26001@uom.edu.gr)
The photos that I chose to describe migration in everyday life, are photos of basements in
Athens. The first photo is a basement in Agios Eleftherios, the second photo is a basement in Agios Nikolaos, the third photo is also taken in Agios Eleftherios. and the fourth photo is taken in Exarcheia. All the photos are very similar and a clear depiction of some homes in the centre of Athens. I really like the contrast that these pictures portray between the houses that have balconies and access to the outside and the houses that don't.In these neighbourhoods, immigrants have settled in large numbers over the past 10 years and their presence is very vivid. They have created communities, their children go to school, they have mini markets, hair salons and “ halal “ butcher shops. My observation is that still many of them are living in basements in poor conditions and are directly affected by the housing crisis that Athens faces.
These photos were taken at a bus stop called Mpotsari, here in Thessaloniki, on my way to
work, the day after the incident I describe in my audio. I chose this scene, in a bus stop,
because I think that is the exact place where mobility becomes visible, metaphorically and
literally, and it is an ideal space for analyzing belonging. The images are taken very early
in the morning, around 6 o’clock. It is a moment when people are going to work or even
returning home. The first photo “The Waiting Shelter” captures the empty shelter and timetable. I chose it
to show the physical setting of my observation, without the presence of any people. When
people are there, the space is briefly “occupied”, making it a temporary zone of belonging.
The second photo focuses on the small objects someone can find in a bus stop. I selected
this photo, because even without the presence of mobility is there in constant flow. I found
this ticket in the pavement and it shows how belonging comes together with integration.
The third picture “Searching for a place to exist” is a chaotic collage with torn posters and
graffiti in the bus stop. I chose this image because I noticed that in the corner there is a sign
that says the Real Estate is wanted, and it reminded me of belonging and having a place
that feels like home. I chose these scenes because they demonstrate how mobility is not only about dramatic
relocations or visible migration. Mobility is also the small repeated movements. Also, these
scenes represent the constant move that a migrant does in order to find the perfect place to
call home, while trying to navigate through life in a city and with a language that isn’t
theirs.
The waiting shelter:
A common, shared space where belonging takes place without barriers.
Tracing:
A proof of movement and participation in everyday life of the city
Searching for a place to exist:
A chaotic collage of the bus stop, symbolizing the world we live in and how mobility becomes
stability invisibly just by finding a place to exist.
Athanasia's Podcast
3. FATIH AYDIN (mhr25017@uom.edu.gr)
The first photo was taken in November 2025 during my visit to Athens' Prosfygika
neighborhood, a historic residential complex built for refugees after the 1923 population
exchange. The other two photos are of the calendar in my living room and the campaign call
text on the fridge. Today, Prosfygika functions not only as a memory space preserving the
history of forced migration, but also as a living space that has actively housed migrants,
refugees, and activists for the past fifteen years. It also serves as a monument to displacement
and an ongoing, daily practice of solidarity. The first photograph, “Prosfygika: The Spatial
Memory of Forced Migration,” presents us with the most important slogan for the
neighborhood's survival over the past 15 years. The photograph shows the building facade with
the phrase “Solidarity is a common language” written on it. The second photograph, “Every Year Anew: The Prosfygika Calendar and the Struggle for Survival,” shows the 2025 community calendar. Its annual reprinting reflects the neighborhood's ongoing resistance to eviction and gentrification and embodies a sense of
continuity for the space.The third photo presents an international campaign text advocating for the preservation of Prosfygika, titled “Solidarity is a common language.” Written in English, this text shows how
local struggles extend beyond national borders and form transnational networks. When these
images are brought together, they highlight Prosfygika as a dynamic example of transnational
lives, movements, and solidarity.
Prosfygika: The Spatial Memory of Forced Migration
Each Year Anew: The Prosfygika Calendar
and the Struggle for Survival
Solidarity is the common language.
Fatih's Podcast (check with student)
The photographs were taken in Albstatt Germany, in April. The figure seen in the
photographs is my cousin. I went to Germany with the intention of finding a
temporary job until I acquire my undergraduate degree and start my postgraduate
studies. Unfortunately, I didn't but that's another story. One morning we decided to
take the car and go to a bakery for breakfast. After that we went to get groceries to
prepare a Greek meal. The reason why I chose these pictures, is that they show my
daily routine during my stay in a country which is very familiar to me, while also
incorporate the Greek culture in my daily life abroad. I have visited Germany multiple
times and many members of my family reside there, plus I speak the language since I
was nine years old, so for the last ten years it's been like my second home. This
routine was the one that popped in my mind, because it connected my life in Greece
with my life in Germany.
Disclaimer: My cousin approves of me using these images for the assignment.
Listening to German songs in the car
My cousin in the supermarket trying funny sunglasses
My cousin eating breakfast in a bakery
The photographic material comes from my family's archive and highlights a small part of the history of a family that, within a century, experienced both refugeeness and migration. The story of my family is a characteristic example of a
transnational family. The first photo, “Maria, Evgenia and Christos (1962)”, shows my grandmother Maria at the age of sixteen with her parents in Germany, where they had migrated as laborers. The next one, “Zoi, Evgenia, Christos (1985)”, presents my
grandmother’s sister, who was born and raised in Germany and has built her own family there, maintaining ties with both countries. The third photo, “Maria and Vaggelis (1968)”, depicts my grandmother and grandfather as newlyweds in
Germany, at the beginning of their life together. They later returned to Greece for their children’s education. However, when my mother and her sister were studying, their parents migrated once again to Germany to support them financially, recreating a transnational family life shaped by phone calls from neighborhood payphones and rare visits. The final photo, “Evaggelia and Maria (2001)”, shows me as a baby during a visit to Germany to see my grandparents. They relocated to Greece some years later for last time, so they can take care of their grandchildren.
PHOTO 1: Maria, Evgenia and Christos (1962)
PHOTO 2: Zoi, Evgenia, Christos (1985)
PHOTO 3: Maria and Vaggelis (1968)
PHOTO 4: Me and grandma Maria (2001)
These photos were taken inside a telecommunications shop in Thessaloniki during a moment
when I went to buy an international calling card for an upcoming trip. While I was looking for
the card, I noticed something that made me think about everyday inequalities. As a Greek
speaker I could immediately understand the information on the cards and make a quick choice.
But, I realised that this simple action might be much harder for many migrants. The first two
photos show the front and back of the calling card. The instructions are written almost
completely in Greek in the front side, with more English words in the back side. This made me
understand how even small, low-cost products can become difficult to use for people who do
not speak the local language. Many migrants for example Arabic speaking individuals, may
rely on these cards as their cheapest way to stay in contact with family, yet the language barrier
can limit their access. The third photo shows me holding the card. I included it to show my own
position in this scene. I can easily read the instructions, while others cannot, which made me
think about how belonging is affected by everyday practices. The fourth photo shows me at the
shop counter and the employee. There was only one international calling card available, which
also reflects limited options. I chose this scene because it shows how belonging is shaped not
only by big events but also by small objects that people depend on to stay connected with their
loved ones
Front side ; The Promise of Connection
A prepaid calling card; an affordable way for migrants to reach their families, yet its language
hints at who can easily access this connection and who cannot.
Back side; Instructions Beyond Reach
The back side displays activation steps written mainly in Greek and in English. This reveals
how a basic object meant to support communication can become inaccessible for migrants from
Middle East for example, who rely on it the most
At the Counter: A Moment of realisation
An image of the shop employee behind the counter, where only one international calling card
was available. This shortage reflects the limited choices migrants often face in their attempts to
stay connected across borders in a low cost way
The photos I captured aim to show what it is like for migrants to work in a
construction company.It's clear that this job requires a great deal of physical strength
and patience.One of the photos shows two individuals who have migrated from the
same place,working together closely in order to accomplish their tasks.Companies
such as this one tend to offer jobs to migrants and housing at the same time which
explains why many positions in such firms are filled by them.It's also because of their
dedication to contribute to the family’s wellbeing by helping them financially.At the
same time,the bond they share with one another is remarkable.Each one of them
becomes a reminder of home.This is important because it contributes to the
endurance of their transnational attachments.In addition to that,the integration in the
society they recently became a part of is equally important although,the lack of
citizenship makes matters more complex especially when it comes to the political
sphere of the country.However,it's clear that even though this type of job is bound to
be difficult,they are able to achieve their goals this way and create bonds with their
host country while maintaining the existing ones with their country of origin.
A Vietnamese migrant worker at a Greek construction company
Two Vietnamese migrant workers collaborating during their shift
These photographs were taken in Ioannina, the city where I was born and raised,
this past weekend, in places that are familiar to me from everyday life. The first image,
“Everyday Bordering,” was captured on the outskirts of the city. This was where my
inspiration for the assignment began. An ordinary piece of barbed wire caught my
attention and made me more aware of how quietly space can become divided. The
second photograph, “A fleeting trace of someone’s journey,” was taken outside the
Ioannina airport, where a discarded ticket lay on the ground. I often pass this area, and
the ticket made me notice how movement leaves behind small, overlooked traces.
The third image, “A document that marks the threshold of a new path,” shows
my own passport, photographed at home. I chose it because it is the document that
enables my mobility, while for many migrants and refugees it can become an obstacle
to the movement they need. The final photograph, “Carrying her journey across
borders,” was taken at the Thessaloniki main bus station after returning from Ioannina.
I do not know the woman in the photo, but watching her walk made me reflect on
different experiences of travel. These scenes motivated me to pay closer attention to
ordinary moments connected to movement.
Picture 1: “Everyday bordering in an open
landscape
Picture 2: “A trace of someone’s journey”
Picture 3: " A document that marks the threshold
of a new path"
Picture 4: " Carrying her journey across
borders"
This photo essay presents four images that I took a few days ago in the center of
Thessaloniki. I chose those scenes because they caught my attention as everyday
examples of how transnational connections appear in the city’s streets. The first
two photos show an Afghan store, located on a busy corner next to a metro
station. The products displayed in the shop window create a familiar environment
for Afghan residents of the city. I photographed this store because it clearly reflects
how memories, tastes and cultural habits travel across borders and become part of
everyday life in a new place. The next present an Arabic store called ‘’ the flower of
Damascus’’ which is located exactly next to the previous one.It is not only a place
to eat but also a meeting point. The food and the social interactions happening
outside show how migrants recreate a sense of community and maintain ties to
their region of origin. And last but not least in the final photograph we see the way
these stores are connected and functioning together.
Rainy Thessaloniki alley by Baghdad Market
Baghdad Market- Storefront close up with Afghan and Middle Eastern products
The flower of Damascus- Arabic restaurant signboard
Evening transnational connections
This photo essay depicts some moments from a volunteering trip to Calais, France,
undertaken during my Erasmus Exchange Semester in Rotterdam with a group of
international students. For a few days we left our university routine and entered a
di0erent border reality: the informal camps and the NGO warehouses thar surround the
UK-EU frontier. I had no connection with Calais, yet this brief experience transformed
how I perceive migration and refugees: from distant figures I had only heard about in
news to people whose lives are directly entangled to my own life and mobility, both
determined from EU border regimes.
I choose this scene because it condenses several layers of borders in one short period
of time. In the photos, Erasmus volunteers from di0erent countries, refugees from
multiple regions and NGO infrastructures all come together in a small coastal town. Our
own easy movement from the Netherlands to France contrasted with the controlled,
often blocked, mobility of the people we met. At the same time, the children’s clock
painted with the phrase “NO ONE IS ILLEGAL” and the mountains of aid boxes show
how humanitarian care and border control intertwine. The combination created out of
the privilege of ours, the waiting and the anticipation of “help” of theirs continues to
trouble me, and makes me interrogate how fluid and unequal borders are.
Group of students in front of the Grand Theatre in Calais: Volunteers from di0erent
countries gathered all together, after crossing easily the borders, feeling ready to o0er
solidarity to people whose movement is tightly restricted.
Line of people walking through the field: A slow ordered line of mostly young men
waiting to receive services from volunteers experiencing their mobility being delayed by
the EU – UK border regimes
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL toy clock: A street clock turned into a political statement, linking
time, innocence and the claim that borders should not determine the state of
belonging.
Humanitarian backstage: Behind the scenes in the volunteering warehouse,
volunteers stand in front of mountains of donations and experience a border where aid,
organization, logistics and exhaustion of acceleration meet
I took these photographs in the Roman Market area in the center of
Thessaloniki, a neighborhood that has become a safe and comfort place for me
with many cozy spots where I usually hang out. The first snap depicts a Middle
East Restaurant. I titled the first image “An authentic Middle East Restaurant
before gentrification” because nowadays it’ s not very common that these kinds
of places actually exist with such a unique and multicultural character. The
second one is titled “Stories, memories, and spices—written into a menu that
travels across borders” and depicts the menu of this restaurant which is
emphasizing on how food and homemade recipes from Middle East have
become a living connection between the country of origin and the city of
Thessaloniki for the migrants. The third is titled “A neighborhood mini market
owned by migrants, now part of the daily life of the area” and it may seems as
a common greek mini market but it’s owned by migrants. I really liked how this
store actually shows a clear and plain example of migrants entrepreneurship in
the area of Roman market. Last but not least, the fourth one is titled “The area
at night: a meeting point of dif erent cultures living side by side”. This picture
may not show something clearly related to migration but I wanted to show how
welcoming and diverse the atmosphere of this area is which makes me feel safe
even after dark. I chose this neighbourhood and these pictures because unlike
other parts of the centre of Thessaloniki, this region feels open, inclusive and
multicultural. What I observed is the sense of belonging that migrants feel about
this particular neighbourhood which makes it a new home for them where they
can actually build a new chapter of their life.
“An authentic Middle East Restaurant before gentrification”
“Stories, memories, and spices—written into a menu that travels across
borders.
“A neighborhood mini market owned by migrants, now part of the daily life of
the area.”
“The area at night: a meeting point of dif erent cultures living side by side.”
DAISI, a traditional Georgian restaurant in
Thessaloniki, is more than a dining space – it acts as an anthropological
“site” of belonging and home. For the Georgian diaspora, it
represents a sensory bridge to their cultural roots: the aroma of khachapuri
and khinkali, the warmth of hospitality and the rhythms of Georgian tradition
evokes memories of shared identity and communal life. In general speaking,
these elements create a place of
cultural continuity, where food traditional food functions as a symbol of
heritage. For locals and visitors, DAISI offers an invitation into an
(unfamiliar) cultural world, transforming the restaurant into a space of cross-cultural encounter. The food
carries stories and emotions and that’s why I am convinced that is something
more than a commercial space. As a child of migrants, I totally understand that
it’s the kind of place that wraps you in a sense of home you didn’t even know
you were missing. So, the main reason that I chose this Georgian restaurant is
because I realize that DAISI turns out to be an environment where tradition
becomes lived experience and where the universal human need for belonging finds
expression through flavor, hospitality, storytelling, warmth and community.
DAISI: A taste of Tbilisi in
the heart of Thessaloniki – Welcome to authentic Georgian flavors
Taste tradition at DAISI:
Thessaloniki’s getaway to true Georgian hospitality
Markela's Podcast
13. GEORGIOS CHRISTOMANOS (ies21135@uom.edu.gr)
For this particular ethnographic assignment, I chose to go out for a stroll around the
city centre of Thessaloniki and discover a small immigrant owned shop that would be
fitting and interesting enough for the exercise. So, last Friday afternoon, as I was
walking down Kleisoura street , I came across the mini-market “ΒΑΓΔΑΤΗ
ΜΑΡΚΕΤ” which immediately drew my attention. Out on display I saw multiple
colorful vases and nargiles, while out on a wall hung a poster displaying various
international products such as Basra date syrup, Ahmad Tea etc, quite rare by Greek
standards.
Moving inside, the first thing that caught my eye was the pair of prayer mats that
hung on the opposite end of the room, When I asked the owners, who came here from
Afghanistan, they told me they weren’t for sale but for personal use. While inspecting
the products themselves more closely, I came across items that came from multiple
places around the world from as far between as London and Afghanistan, all halal
according to Muslim practice. Nearing the end of my visit, I bought a bag of
English/Emirati Ahmad Tea, that even when still packed emanated a rich and
flavorful aroma.
Afghan owned store «ΒΑΓΔΑΤΗ ΜΑΡΚΕΤ», Κλεισούρας 1, Thessaloniki
Poster displaying various imported halal products from the Middle East
and South Asia on the shop’s exterior
Two Islamic prayer mats hanging on the back of the shop, used by the
couple of owners for their prayers throughout the day
A bag of Ahmad Tea I personally bought during my visit to the store,
produced in the Emirates and sold from London
Georgios' Podcast
