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 nation-states) (B) study and compare both how people talk about differences between groups and how they behave in relation to inter-group 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.

Keywords:CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, ETHNICITY, CULTURAL SOCIOLOGY, COMPARATIVE RESEARCH

Disciplines:Ethnicity and migration studies, Cultural sociology, Urban sociology and community studies, Social theory

Project type:Collaboration project