The Perils of Belonging. Autochtony, Citizenship, and Exclusion in Africa & Europe

Par : Peter Geschiere
    • Nombre de pages283
    • PrésentationBroché
    • FormatGrand Format
    • Poids0.465 kg
    • Dimensions15,3 cm × 23,0 cm × 1,8 cm
    • ISBN978-0-226-28965-6
    • EAN9780226289656
    • Date de parution01/01/2009
    • ÉditeurUniversity of Chicago Press

    Résumé

    Despite being told that we live in a rapidly globalizing world, more and more people have begun to assert their identities in ways that are deeply rooted in the local. These claims of autochthony-"born from the soil"-seek to establish an irrefutable, primordial right to belong and are often employed in political attempts to exclude outsiders. In The Perils of Belonging, Peter Geschiere traces the concept of autochthony back to classical Athens and incisively explores the ambiguities of this ostensibly self-evident notion in two contemporary contexts : Africa, particularly Cameroon, and Europe, notably the Netherlands.
    In all of the situations Geschiere examines, the momentous changes following the end of the cold war fostered anxiety over migration. In Cameroon, the question of who belongs where is raised to exclude "strangers," mostly fellow Cameroonians, from full citizenship, while the Dutch invoke autochthony in fierce debates over the failing integration of immigrants. This fascinating comparative perspective allows Geschiere to examine the dubious historical basis of autochthony claims, but also, more importantly, their strong emotional appeal in present-day contexts.
    The power of these claims stems from their supposed naturalness, Geschiere contends, but in practice they are always contested-ultimately leading to an obsession with denouncing traitors within the group and tensions that all too easily lead to violence. Shedding new light on the issues that agitate our times, The Perils of Belonging will be essential for anyone concerned with multiculturalism, national citizenship, and migration.
    Despite being told that we live in a rapidly globalizing world, more and more people have begun to assert their identities in ways that are deeply rooted in the local. These claims of autochthony-"born from the soil"-seek to establish an irrefutable, primordial right to belong and are often employed in political attempts to exclude outsiders. In The Perils of Belonging, Peter Geschiere traces the concept of autochthony back to classical Athens and incisively explores the ambiguities of this ostensibly self-evident notion in two contemporary contexts : Africa, particularly Cameroon, and Europe, notably the Netherlands.
    In all of the situations Geschiere examines, the momentous changes following the end of the cold war fostered anxiety over migration. In Cameroon, the question of who belongs where is raised to exclude "strangers," mostly fellow Cameroonians, from full citizenship, while the Dutch invoke autochthony in fierce debates over the failing integration of immigrants. This fascinating comparative perspective allows Geschiere to examine the dubious historical basis of autochthony claims, but also, more importantly, their strong emotional appeal in present-day contexts.
    The power of these claims stems from their supposed naturalness, Geschiere contends, but in practice they are always contested-ultimately leading to an obsession with denouncing traitors within the group and tensions that all too easily lead to violence. Shedding new light on the issues that agitate our times, The Perils of Belonging will be essential for anyone concerned with multiculturalism, national citizenship, and migration.