I Am All about the Future World: Cambodian Children’s Views on Their Status as Orphans

Abstract

The dominant representation of children living in majority world orphanages highlights their vulnerability and fragility. However, little is known about their lived experiences of orphanage care and their perspectives on being regarded as ‘orphans’. This article draws on data from a pilot project undertaken in one orphanage in Cambodia to highlight such perspectives. It presents the three discourses the children themselves used to make sense of their status; the orphan as becoming, as powerless and finally as ‘lucky’. These findings draw attention to the complex nature of the orphan identity and the juxtaposed discourses of orphan care that the children employ.

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