"This is an in-depth examination of a slippery and contradictory subject. Knowledge alone is not enough for this type of project. It takes breaking out of narrow conceptual cages and unsettling what we think of as stable meanings. The author brings all of this to life in often unforgettable ways." - Saskia Sassen, Professor, Columbia University "National identities were once taken largely for granted in social science. Now they are part of an even more complex 'politics of belonging' that challenges both public affairs and the categories of social science. Nira Yuval-Davis offers a nuanced account that will be important for scholars and all those concerned with contemporary politics." - Craig Calhoun, Director, LSE This is a cutting-edge investigation of the challenging debates around belonging and the politics of belonging. Alongside the hegemonic forms of citizenship and nationalism which have tended to dominate our recent political and social history, Nira Yuval-Davis examines alternative contemporary political projects of belonging constructed around the notions of religion, cosmopolitanism and the feminist 'ethics of care'. The book also explores the effects of globalization, mass migration, the rise of both fundamentalist and human rights movements on such politics of belonging, as well as some of its racialized and gendered dimensions. A special space is given to the various feminist political movements that have been engaged as part of or in resistance to the political projects of belonging. Yuval-Davis deconstructs notions of national and ethnic and interrogates the effects that different political projects of belonging have on members of these collectivities who are differentially located socially, economically and politically.
"This is an in-depth examination of a slippery and contradictory subject. Knowledge alone is not enough for this type of project. It takes breaking out of narrow conceptual cages and unsettling what we think of as stable meanings. The author brings all of this to life in often unforgettable ways." - Saskia Sassen, Professor, Columbia University "National identities were once taken largely for granted in social science. Now they are part of an even more complex 'politics of belonging' that challenges both public affairs and the categories of social science. Nira Yuval-Davis offers a nuanced account that will be important for scholars and all those concerned with contemporary politics." - Craig Calhoun, Director, LSE This is a cutting-edge investigation of the challenging debates around belonging and the politics of belonging. Alongside the hegemonic forms of citizenship and nationalism which have tended to dominate our recent political and social history, Nira Yuval-Davis examines alternative contemporary political projects of belonging constructed around the notions of religion, cosmopolitanism and the feminist 'ethics of care'. The book also explores the effects of globalization, mass migration, the rise of both fundamentalist and human rights movements on such politics of belonging, as well as some of its racialized and gendered dimensions. A special space is given to the various feminist political movements that have been engaged as part of or in resistance to the political projects of belonging. Yuval-Davis deconstructs notions of national and ethnic and interrogates the effects that different political projects of belonging have on members of these collectivities who are differentially located socially, economically and politically.
This collection of essays examines the racialized and gendered effects of contemporary politics of belonging, issues which lie at the heart of contemporary political and social lives. It encompasses critical questions of identity and citizenship, inclusion and exclusion, emotional attachments, violent conflicts and local/global relationships. The range - geographically, thematically and theoretically - covered by the chapters reflects current concerns in the world today. A timely contribution to the ongoing debates in the field, it will be a valuable companion to scholars working in the areas of multiculturalism, globalisation and culture, race and ethnic studies, gender studies and studies of post-partition societies.
Articulations of Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Class
Settler societies are those in which European migrants have become politically dominant over indigenous peoples and a heterogeneous social structure has developed. They offer a unique prism for understanding the complex relations of gender, race, ethnicity and class in contemporary societies. Bringing together a distinguished cast of contributors, this book looks at the relation between indigenous and settler/immigrant populations. The text highlights the experiences of ten diverse societies (the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Algeria and Israel) and examines how the internal dynamics of settler societies reflect their positions within a global economy. The ways in which the complex forces of gender, race, ethnicity and class combine are explored in relation to key issues including state-building processes and ideologies, economic life and oppositional social movements. The contributors understand settler societies in terms of the interdependent histories of indigenous and migrant peoples. Taking into account the gendered character of these histories, they go on to analyse the shifting social and political position of women within such societies. In its critical examination of settler societies and its exploration of the conflicts that characterise them, unsettling Settler Societies will be an invaluable text for students of race and ethnic relations, women's and gender studies and social and political theory.
This text provides a critique of the literature on gender and nationhood and an analysis of the ways in which gender relations are affected by national projects and processes. It argues that "nationhood" usually involves specific notions of "manhood" and "womanhood", although their explicit inclusion in the analytical discourse around nations and nationalism is recent. The book also examines the contribution of gender relations to key dimensions of nationalist projects - national reproduction, national culture, citizenship, national conflicts and wars. The book differentiates national projects from "nation-states".
This text provides a critique of the literature on gender and nationhood and an analysis of the ways in which gender relations are affected by national projects and processes. It argues that "nationhood" usually involves specific notions of "manhood" and "womanhood", although their explicit inclusion in the analytical discourse around nations and nationalism is recent. The book also examines the contribution of gender relations to key dimensions of nationalist projects - national reproduction, national culture, citizenship, national conflicts and wars. The book differentiates national projects from "nation-states".
