Winkel, Maarten
(2020)
Cross-cultural Understandings of the relation between “Religion” and “Politics” in the Dutch Process of Determining Refugee Status.
Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.
Abstract
Following the social constructionism paradigm, this thesis investigates different understandings of the relation between “religion” and “politics” present in the refugee status determination process in the Netherlands. A discourse analysis has been employed in order to uncover subconscious cultural assumptions present in Dutch culture about the relation between “religion” and “politics”. Subsequently, two biographical narrative interviews with former asylum seekers have been conducted in order to gain insight in the experiences of people experiencing forced displacement. An ex-IND employee has been interviewed to learn how the policy papers of the IND are employed during the Dutch process of determining refugee status. The results show that secularism is the backdrop against which the concepts of “religion” and “politics” are interpreted. What this research shows is that these concepts are clearly defined, and that refugee status is determined according to these definitions. However, the biographical narrative interviews with former asylum seekers show that these definitions limit the expression of their experiences during the hearing with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. The relation between “religion” and “politics” is often an entanglement that is not explicitly acknowledged in the analysed policy papers.
Keywords: religion, politics, cultural concepts, understanding, secularism, forced migration
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Wilson, E.K. | | Faculteit GGW, Cultuurgeschiedenis van het Christendom | E.K.Wilson@rug.nl | | Martinez-Arino, J. | | Faculteit GGW, Religiewetenschap | J.Martinez.Arino@rug.nl |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation |
| Academic year: |
2019-2020 |
| Date of delivery: |
27 Nov 2020 11:25 |
| Last modified: |
27 Nov 2020 11:50 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/551 |
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