Thursday, March 29, 2018
Avenue West Ballroom (InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile)
This paper is concerned with the normative and political power of the concept of ‘home’ and its workings in every-day life. The fundamental argument is that political, public and personal discourses of ‘home’ can impede both the integration, participation and feelings of belonging of marginalized groups, as well as negatively influence feelings of belonging of the institutionally dominant majority group. As I will argue, pursuing a discourse of home can actually lead to a loss of home and a collective feeling of being out of place.
The paper starts by analyzing discourses of home in the national, public and private sphere. In its ability to ‘work’ simultaneously on the macro-, meso- and micro level, to address personal issues, public and societal problems at the same time, ‘home’ can be understood best when attempting to grasp it within these interrelated contexts. Subsequently, I will focus on as to how these discourses of home affect and shape political interventions, social relations in public space and personal feelings of individuals in every-day life. I will analyze three different cases in which these discourses of home play a crucial role, on the national, public and private level. I will scrutinize how discourses and practices ‘on the ground’ interact on and between these three levels. By thoroughly exploring and analyzing the notion of home and its workings, this paper attempts to contribute to academic debates on home and belonging, as well as gaining more insights in deeply rooted and institutionalized mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion.
The paper starts by analyzing discourses of home in the national, public and private sphere. In its ability to ‘work’ simultaneously on the macro-, meso- and micro level, to address personal issues, public and societal problems at the same time, ‘home’ can be understood best when attempting to grasp it within these interrelated contexts. Subsequently, I will focus on as to how these discourses of home affect and shape political interventions, social relations in public space and personal feelings of individuals in every-day life. I will analyze three different cases in which these discourses of home play a crucial role, on the national, public and private level. I will scrutinize how discourses and practices ‘on the ground’ interact on and between these three levels. By thoroughly exploring and analyzing the notion of home and its workings, this paper attempts to contribute to academic debates on home and belonging, as well as gaining more insights in deeply rooted and institutionalized mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion.
