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This book investigates the issue of local mobilization against asylum seekers in urban areas, which are often disproportionally affected by complex issues related to immigration and integration, as well as socio-economic development and growing inequalities. Based on ethnographic research in the city of Rotterdam, it explores the conditions under which mobilization against the establishment of an asylum seekers' centre emerged, offering a combined analysis of interviews, social media, and mainstream media to demonstrate the key role played by storytelling in the development of opposition to the arrival of asylum seekers. Presenting a theoretical model of anti-immigration mobilization that connects the social importance of storytelling to broader socio-political developments and conditions, this volume will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology, and politics with interests in migration, social movements, and mobilization around contentious issues.
List of contents
1. Introduction: The refugee crisis in an urban context
2. Why do people protest against asylum seekers? A story-based approach
3. Immigration and urban space: The Dutch context
4. Stories and the self: Identity and fear of the 'other'
5. Stories you can touch: Urban materiality and protest
6. Voiceless stories: Contentious politics and distrust
7. Media coverage of protest: Dominant stories and counterstories
8. An online echo chamber? Social media and mobilization
9. Conclusion: Why stories matter
About the author
Iris Beau Segers is a researcher at the Center for Research on Extremism at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Summary
This book investigates the issue of local mobilization against asylum seekers in urban areas, which are often disproportionally affected by complex issues related to immigration and integration, as well as socio-economic development and growing inequalities.
