Book launch 'The Culturalization of Citizenship'
National culture versus human rights
18 October 2016 (20.00 - 21.30)
Book presentation, in cooperation with SPUI25 and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam
This process takes place all over the globe, including Europe and Africa. But what does this culturalization of citizenship imply for human rights? How can human rights, such as the right to freely express one’s sexual and gender identity, be reconciled with respect for culture? Should ‘culture’ be respected at all? When one understands culture as unified, closed and static, the answer would probably be yes. But when culture is understood as essentially contested, loaded with (open or suppressed) disagreement on its core values and practices, to respect culture means to take sides with dominant groups at the expense of marginalized groups.
How then can human rights be promoted in the face of culturalization of citizenship? Are feminist and gay rights organisations effectively supported if ‘the West’ tries to teach its human rights lessons to ‘the rest’? And how about such struggles in Europe itself? How can human rights for lesbians, gays and feminists be effectively supported here, in the context of rising populism and Islamophobia?
These are the topics of the panel debate that takes place on the occasion of the publication of the book Culturalization of Citizenship. Belonging & polarization in a globalizing world, edited by Jan Willem Duyvendak, Peter Geschiere and Evelien Tonkens.
Citizenship today is increasingly defined in terms of culture. Citizenship comes to depend more on adherence to national culture - norms, values, practices and traditions - and less on rights and socio-economic participation. But what does this culturalization of citizenship imply for human rights? A panel discussion to celebrate the booklaunch of 'Culturalization of Citizenship', edited by Jan Willem Duyvendak, Peter Geschiere and Evelien Tonkens.