When does ethnicity become important? Toward a comparative analytic of processes of symbolic boundary work and ‘ethnicization’ in two Flemish cities.

This project proposes a comparative, ethnographic study of ethnic
boundary work in two Flemish superdiverse city-contexts: Antwerp
and Ghent. By ethnic boundary work we mean that actors use ethnic
categories to distinguish between in- and out-groups ('us' and 'them').
The study aims to shed light on the dynamics of group-formation and
ethnic division in superdiverse contexts and is informed by somewhat
contradictory findings in the literature. On the one hand, people in
superdiverse cities are said to seldom use ethnic categories and
hardly problematize ethno-cultural differences. On the other hand,
studies suggest that a significant number of citizens consider
diversity as problematic. To understand how and why ethnicity
matters in certain contexts but not in others, we seek to (A) focus our
comparison on two Flemish cities, specific neighborhoods and lived
spaces (as opposed to the more common focus on comparing nationstates)
(B) study and compare both how people talk about
differences between groups and how they behave in relation to intergroup
contacts; (C) make explicit the relationship between symbolic
categorization and structural inequalities people face in these
contexts; (D) take into account the intersectional, dynamic
relationship between ethnicity and other characteristics (e.g.. gender,
age, social status) used to divide people into hierarchical categories.
All steps contribute to the final goal (E) developing a comparative
analytic of symbolic boundary work.