An anthropology of Muslims in Europe - A modest attempt by Martijn
A weekly round up of writings on the Internet, some relevant for my research, some political, some funny but all of them interesting (Dutch/English). (As usual to a large extent based upon suggestions from Dutch, other European, American and Middle Eastern readers. Thank you all.)
Great, American Ethnologist has a special issue on the Arab Spring! And even better: Free Access!. What they have in common is that the contributions go beyond the easy and very visible dimensions of Egyptian society such as the secular and the religious (that rule much of the media discourse on the Arab spring) and the highly mediatized protests at Tahrir (by for example looking at how people in a particular village or women at home in Cairo experienced the uprising and the collapse of the regime). I’m listing the titles and abstracts here.
On France24 Annette Young meets John R. Bowen, anthropologist and author of “Can Islam be French?” Islam is the second most widely practised religion in France, but how do Muslims live their religion in a country which is known for its fierce secularism?
Why do researchers pick up a particular theme? How does their own life history influence their choices. We often assume and assert that our interest in particular topic is only motivated by the desire to do science. Often of course this is not entirely true. Jessica Stern, a leading expert on terrorism and radicalization, wrote a book. Her book Denial: A Memoir of Terror. About her own coming to terms with being raped as a teenager. She tries to extend her own personal experience to her research on terrorism by focusing on shame and humiliation. A brave account.
Visual anthropologist and photojournalist Ruben Salvadori made a fascinating account of how journalists in East Jerusalem seek, inform and creates drama and sensationalism. Seeing is believing, right?
The best of 2011 on Closer and elsewhere. Many thanks to my readers, commenters and guest authors. See you all in 2012.
Right now Im making a trip in the UK, visiting London, Birmingham, Leicester and Manchester. The aim of this trip is twofold. Firstly, tying up some loose ends for my Salafism research. Secondly, to explore the field and getting to know new people for my possibly future research. In both researches everyday life perspectives and experiences of Muslims are central. During this trip I talk mostly to people who migrated to the UK from the Netherlands, regardless of their ethnic background.
Last year we held the seminar Anthroplogy and/in Publicity. In the coming weeks, between doing research and teaching, I will reflect upon the issue of public anthropology and blogging? In particular I will engage with the question: ‘What is anthropology, if not public’?
Since 9/11 the issue of radicalization of Muslims is top priority on many policy and research agenda’s. A large industry of research, policy making and advising, counter-radicalization programs and so on has emerged. In this post I will focus on research and the very basic question of what we know by now about radicalization.
Filmmaker Arda Nederveen and anthropologist Marina de Regt have made a short documentary about Ethiopian and Somalian women who work as domestic workers in Yemen. Many families in economically developed countries make use of migrant women as domestic workers and cleaners. But even in a relatively poor country such as Yemen, migrants and refugee women do paid domestic work. The majority of these come from the Horn of Africa. Why do these young women come to Yemen and what are their living and working conditions? Instead of portraying the women as victims, the film gives them a face and lets them show their resilience.
