H. Ghorashi

from absolute invisibility to extreme visibility: emancipation trajectory of migrant women in the Netherlands

After years of invisibility, the position of migrant women from Islamic countries now forms the core of the Dutch discourse on integration and emancipation. This article presents the downside of this visibility by showing that it is situated within a growing culturalist discourse. In addition to being culturalist, this discourse focuses on the shortcomings of migrants and is flavoured with a touch of new realism in its argument that it is a right to break the taboos of migrants. More visibility for migrant women will not help their empowerment if the basic assumptions of the dominant discourse are not challenged. Through presenting a case study, this article shows how this visibility can even strengthen the border between the Dutch as ‘emancipated self’ and Islamic migrants as the ‘unemancipated other’. In so doing it reinforces boundaries instead of alliances, isolation instead of empowerment, and suppression instead of emancipation.

How dual is transnational identity? A debate on dual positioning of diaspora organizations

Within the social sciences, most studies of transnationalism take the approach that migrants experience a duality between place of origin and place of residence. In that kind of approach, transnationalism refers to a sense of in‐betweenness caused by this duality. The aim of this paper is to show how the activities of an Iranian diaspora organization in Southern California (NIPOC) may seem essentialist at first but can be considered transnational because they transcend the duality of the past/place of origin and the present/place of residence. Through an example of an Iranian festival that is the creation of diaspora, I intend to show how national identity is detached from its assumed link to the nation state or ‘the country of origin’ and placed within a newly created imaginary space of a nation within a nation.Within the social sciences, most studies of transnationalism take the approach that migrants experience a duality between place of origin and place of residence. In that kind of approach, transnationalism refers to a sense of in‐betweenness caused by this duality. The aim of this paper is to show how the activities of an Iranian diaspora organization in Southern California (NIPOC) may seem essentialist at first but can be considered transnational because they transcend the duality of the past/place of origin and the present/place of residence. Through an example of an Iranian festival that is the creation of diaspora, I intend to show how national identity is detached from its assumed link to the nation state or ‘the country of origin’ and placed within a newly created imaginary space of a nation within a nation.

Racism and the 'Ungrateful Other' in the Netherlands

In the June 2009 elections for the European parliament, the extreme rightist movement in the Netherlands, Partij voor Vrijheid (Party for Freedom, PVV), was the big winner, and in 2010, in a unique political construction, the party became an informal participant in the government. Despite this, it is the rare voice in the Netherlands that would openly suggest that we are witnessing a growth in racist sentiments (Riemen).1 Interviews in the media with the supporters of the PVV show that the reasons for their support are quite diverse, yet the anti-Islam rhetoric of the party seems to dominate. Here is a statement from one of the supporters referring to migrants: “Yes, I have had it. I understand that people take the chances we give them but we accept too much from them” (van Been 2). A large number among the Dutch population are supportive of the harsh language used by politicians and others against Islamic migrants in the Netherlands. There seems to be resistance to use of the term racism to describe the clear expression of discriminatory sentiments. Instead, there are various types of reactions to recent developments. The first reaction is discomfort with the developments and leads to a kind of self-imposed ignorance (position of the innocent). The second reaction can be described as one of panic in which political and public discussions are mainly focused on the supporters of Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV. In the case of political parties, this panic has an extra edge to it: the loss of votes. This has led various parties to the partial adoption of Wilder’s approach to migration and integration. The third reaction is criticism of the harsh tone used by Wilders, while showing sympathy for his supporters by focusing on the growing discomfort and insecurity among the “native” Dutch. In this chapter, I would like to show that all these reactions only touch Racism and “the Ungrateful Other” in the Netherlands

Reviving agency: taking time and making space for rethinking diversity and inclusion

The path of social inclusion has proven difficult for minority groups in the European context. In this article, we focus on the inclusion of refugees, particularly in the labor market, and show how the difficulties they faced were related to dominant discourses on migration. Uncovering the hegemonic assumptions within these discourses is crucial in order to enable a rethinking of diversity issues and inclusion. We addressed this through an intervention research, which was part of an empowerment project for refugees. The research included and connected refugees engaged in searching for work to Dutch professionals engaged with diversity issues. Through social intervention, this research aimed to create empowerment through critical reflection on the ways that the power of dominant discourses works in the practice of everyday life. By contrasting the discursive positioning of participants with different backgrounds, the research created alternative spaces for reflection. This, in turn, led to the production of alternative narratives and allowed participants to claim agency in the face of the dominant discourses.

The Association of Neighborhood Social Capital and Ethnic (Minority) Density with Pregnancy Outcomes in the Netherlands

Background Perinatal morbidity rates are relatively high in the Netherlands, and significant inequalities in perinatal morbidity and mortality can be found across neighborhoods. In socioeconomically deprived areas, ‘Western’ women are particularly at risk for adverse birth outcomes. Almost all studies to date have explained the disparities in terms of individual determinants of birth outcomes. This study examines the influence of neighborhood contextual characteristics on birth weight (adjusted for gestational age) and preterm birth. We focused on the influence of neighborhood social capital – measured as informal socializing and social connections between neighbors – as well as ethnic (minority) density. Methods Data on birth weight and prematurity were obtained from the Perinatal Registration Netherlands 2000–2008 dataset, containing 97% of all pregnancies. Neighborhood-level measurements were obtained from three different sources, comprising both survey and registration data. We included 3.422 neighborhoods and 1.527.565 pregnancies for the birth weight analysis and 1.549.285 pregnancies for the premature birth analysis. Linear and logistic multilevel regression was performed to assess the associations of individual and neighborhood level variables with birth weight and preterm birth. Results We found modest but significant neighborhood effects on birth weight and preterm births. The effect of ethnic (minority) density was stronger than that of neighborhood social capital. Moreover, ethnic (minority) density was associated with higher birth weight for infants of non-Western ethnic minority women compared to Western women (15 grams; 95% CI: 12,4/17,5) as well as reduced risk for prematurity (OR 0.97; CI 0,95/0,99). Conclusions Our results indicate that neighborhood contexts are associated with birth weight and preterm birth in the Netherlands. Moreover, ethnic (minority) density seems to be a protective factor for non-Western ethnic minority women, but not for Western women. This helps explain the increased risk of Western women in deprived neighborhoods for adverse birth outcomes found in previous studies.

When the Boundaries are Blurred: The Significance of Feminist Methods in Research

This article focuses on the ways that the author’s somewhat in-between position as both an outsider/researcher and an insider/ex-political Iranian activist now in exile has contributed to the process of research on Iranian women exiles in the Netherlands and the United States. Feminist attention on life stories as a method, and feminist anthropologists’ attention to particularity, involvement and reflexivity give the author the space, and inspire her, to explore the issue of positioning. This makes it possible for her to engage with the issues of home, identity and belonging, not only as a scholar but also as a woman in exile. In this way, the reflexivity resulting from this involvement enables her to reevaluate her own identity, sense of belonging, and life in exile, next to rethinking these essential themes within the social sciences on the theoretical level. The blurred boundary of the self and the other in her research has its moments of complication, but in the end, these complicated moments seem to be not only necessary but rewarding, in many ways.

Female narratives of ‘new’ citizens’ belonging(s) and identities in Europe: case studies from the Netherlands and Britain

Public discourses on citizenship, identity and nationality, which link geographical borders and the political boundaries of a community, are infused with tensions and contradictions. This paper illustrates how these tensions are interwoven with multilayered notions of home, belonging, migration, citizenship and individuals ‘longing just to be’, focusing on the Dutch and the British context. The narratives of a number of Dutch and British women, who either immigrated to the respective countries or were born to immigrants, illustrate how the growing rigid integration and assimilative discourses in Europe contradict an individual anchoring in national and local communities. The narratives of women participating in these studies show multilayered angles of belonging presenting an alternative to the increasing strong argument for a fixed notion of positioning and national belonging. The female ‘new’ citizens in our study tell stories of individual choices, social mobility and a sense of multiple belonging in and across different communities.

The Normality and Materiality of the Dominant Discourse: Voluntary Work Inside a Dutch Asylum Seeker Center

ABSTRACT This article explores the narratives of the volunteers working inside Dutch asylum seeker centers (AZCs). The objective was to explore the challenges and coping strategies of these volunteers, who face contradictory processes: being engaged to improve the condition of asylum seekers in the context of growing antimigrant/antirefugee sentiment in The Netherlands, dominant exclusionary discourse, and the difficult material conditions in AZCs. The analysis of these narratives shows that in spite of some conflicting emotions, a specific form of agency (through the combination of idealistic convictions and pragmatic strategies of change) enabled these volunteers to remain optimistic in their work.

Paradoxes of transnational space and local activism: Iranians organizing across borders

The Iranian revolution of 1979 promised to bring freedom and equality, but as soon as one group gained power, it turned out to be oppressive of both its political opposition and women. This resulted in the formation of a large Iranian diaspora bound together by its hatred for the Iranian regime. Years of suppression in the 1980s in Iran resulted in a deep gap between Iranians living inside and out- side Iran. During the 1990s, however, cross-border relationships started to change as a result of two major factors: transnational activities and the influence of cyber- space. This paper focuses on the paradoxes of transnational connections in local protest with a focus on the womens movement. We show both how transnational links have empowered women activists in Iran and how they have led to new dan- gers at the local level. We also reveal how support from the Iranian diaspora can be patronizing as well as supportive.

Routed Connections in Late Modern Times

In this chapter, I argue that a rooted notion of imagining identities gives the illusion of security while strengthening the foundations of polarization in society. As opposed to rooted positioning, I will discuss routed positioning which reconnects individuals to society. The routes towards the future involve continuous negotiations of sameness and difference. The two ideals of social justice proposed by Iris Young are crucial to consider: the rights of self-determination and self-development. The first ideal concerns the opportunities of citizens to gain equal access to societal resources. The second concerns the freedom of a person to pursue life in his/her own way. This chapter discusses diverse conditions, such as epoche and alterity, along with reasonableness and open-mindedness as necessary conditions for new routes to challenge the existing rooted notion of a citizen’s belonging.