The Perils of Belonging : Autochthony, Citizenship, and Exclusion in Africa and Europe

"Despite being told that we now live in a cosmopolitan world, more and more people have begun to assert their identities in ways that are deeply rooted in the local. These claims of autochthony - meaning 'born from the soil' - seek to establish an irrefutable, primordial right to belong and are often employed in politically charged attempts to exclude outsiders. In The Perils of Belonging, Peter Geschiere traces the concept of autochthony back to the classical period and incisively explores the idea in two very different contexts: Cameroon and the Netherlands. In both countries, the momentous economic and political changes following the end of the cold war fostered anxiety over migration. For Cameroonians, the question of who belongs where rises to the fore in political struggles between different tribes, while the Dutch invoke autochthony in fierce debates over the integration of immigrants. This fascinating comparative perspective allows Geschiere to examine the emotional appeal of autochthony - as well as its dubious historical basis - and to shed light on a range of important issues, such as multiculturalism, national citizenship, and migration."--Publisher's description In This Work, Peter Geschiere Traces The Concept Of Autochthony Back To The Classical Period And Incisively Explores The Idea In Two Very Different Contexts: Cameroon And The Netherlands. Autochthony : The Flip Side Of Globalization? -- A Primordial Yet Global Form Of Belonging? -- Autochthony's Genealogy : Some Elements -- Autochthony Now : Globalization And The Neoliberal Turn -- Autochthony And The Tenacity Of The Nation-state -- Historical Construction, Political Manipulation And Emotional Power -- Historical Construction, Political Manipulation And Emotional Power -- Approach : From Identity To Subjectivation And Aesthetics -- Chapter Overiew -- Cameroon : Autochthony, Democratization ,and New Struggles Over Citizenship -- Belonging To A Nonexistent Province -- Elite Associations And Autochthony : Different Degrees Of Citizenship? -- The Sea People Protected By The New Constitution -- Debates In The Cameroonian Press -- Autochthony's Naturalness : The Funeral As A Final Test For Belonging -- A Tortuous History -- An Empty Discourse With Segmentary Implications -- Cameroon: Decentralization And Belonging -- The East And The New Importance Of The Forest -- The New Forest Law -- Participation In Practice -- The Elusive Community -- The Community As Stakeholder: Belonging And Exclusion -- Village Or Grande Famille? -- The Halfhearted Belonging Of The External Elites -- Discovering Allogènes At Ever Closer Range -- African Trajectories -- Ivory Coast : Identification And Exclusion -- Elsewhere In Africa -- Pygmy Predicaments : Can Only Citizens Qualify As Autochthons? -- Autochthony In Europe : The Dutch Turn -- The Dutch Switch : From Multiculturalism To Cultural Integration -- Overview : How The Netherlands Became An Immigration Country -- National Consensus And Its History The Dutch Way -- Alternative Solutions -- A More Forceful Integration -- Allochtonen : A New Term On The Dutch Scene -- Elusive Autochthony -- History And Culture -- Cpmparisons -- Cameroon : Nation-building And Autochthony As Processes Of Subjectivation -- Nation-building As An Everyday Reality -- Rituals Of Belonging : The Funeral At Home As A Celebration Of Autochthony -- Epilogue : Can The Land Lie? Autochthony's Uncertainties In Africa And Europe -- Varying Patterns Of Nation-building In Africa And Their Implications -- Autochthony And The Search For Ritual In Europe. Peter Geschiere. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [263]-278) And Index. "Despite being told that we now live in a cosmopolitan world, more and more people have begun to assert their identities in ways that are deeply rooted in the local. These claims of autochthony - meaning 'born from the soil' - seek to establish an irrefutable, primordial right to belong and are often employed in politically charged attempts to exclude outsiders. In The Perils of Belonging, Peter Geschiere traces the concept of autochthony back to the classical period and incisively explores the idea in two very different contexts: Cameroon and the Netherlands. In both countries, the momentous economic and political changes following the end of the cold war fostered anxiety over migration. For Cameroonians, the question of who belongs where rises to the fore in political struggles between different tribes, while the Dutch invoke autochthony in fierce debates over the integration of immigrants. This fascinating comparative perspective allows Geschiere to examine the emotional appeal of autochthony - as well as its dubious historical basis - and to shed light on a range of important issues, such as multiculturalism, national citizenship, and migration."--Résumé de l'éditeur Despite being told that we now live in a cosmopolitan world, more and more people have begun to assert their identities in ways that are deeply rooted in the local. These claims of autochthony—meaning “born from the soil”—seek to establish an irrefutable, primordial right to belong and are often employed in politically charged attempts to exclude outsiders. In __The Perils of Belonging__, Peter Geschiere traces the concept of autochthony back to the classical period and incisively explores the idea in two very different contexts: Cameroon and the Netherlands. In both countries, the momentous economic and political changes following the end of the cold war fostered anxiety over migration. For Cameroonians, the question of who belongs where rises to the fore in political struggles between different tribes, while the Dutch invoke autochthony in fierce debates over the integration of immigrants. This fascinating comparative perspective allows Geschiere to examine the emotional appeal of autochthony—as well as its dubious historical basis—and to shed light on a range of important issues, such as multiculturalism, national citizenship, and migration. Traces the concept of autochthony back to the classical period and incisively explores the idea in two very different contexts: Cameroon and the Netherlands. This book examines the emotional appeal of autochthony - as well as its dubious historical basis - and sheds light on a range of issues, such as multiculturalism, and national citizenship.