We are eager to announce that Jasmien Bougrine will be defending her doctoral thesis in Criminological Sciences titled: ‘(Un)like the other(s): How urban youth (in Brussels) experience superdiversity & in- and exclusion'.
Following the defence, a reception will be held to celebrate the achievement of Jasmien. Register here for the reception.
Location: Groene zaal, U-residence, VUB Humanities, Science & Engineering Campus
Abstract: In his self-portrait, Mert states "wait I know you, not like the rest, you are different, not like the others". Mert is one of the participants in this research on experiences of exclusion and growing up in superdiversity, and expresses a feeling that lives in many other young residents of Brussels. These young people often experience exclusion in questions such as "where are you really from", and they recognize themselves in the profiles of a George Floyd or the young Adil who lost his life after a police chase. Many young people from Brussels feel that they are judged on the basis of a few, primarily visible, characteristics of their identity, which manifests itself in experiences such as "we are that type".
Based on extensive empirical fieldwork using verbal, creative and visual techniques, we find out how processes of exclusion, inequality and othering are experienced by young people of Brussels and how this translates into specific experiences of belonging and membership. These young people feel as if they always have to 'become' someone, that they belong only in a reduced form and that acceptance is conditional for them. A micro-macro-analysis, in which broader (political) discourses are also taken into account, offers insights into the way in which these young people experience a demand for integration and assimilation and that at the same time they experience being unable to comply with this and thus experience an incomplete form of belonging. Moreover, using a sociological and criminological imagination, combined with concepts such as everyday racism, othering, labeling and master status, we learn to better understand how these experiences come about and express themselves in the way these young people position themselves towards encounters that take place in their environment. Thus, it becomes clear that certain behaviors perceived as negative by the police (e.g., running away) may be seen as a form of self-protection, and other behaviors that seem less problematic at first glance (e.g., subjugation) may represent a form of resistance.
At the same time, it should be clear that this issue is not just about exclusion. We can also disentangle a second meaning from Mert’s self-portrait. In their own environment, young people in Brussels experience a high degree of commonality. They experience, as Rayan states, "Look around you, everyone here is like me." Although a glimpse into a very diverse classroom might lead us to think otherwise, there appears to be a high degree of togetherness, familiarity and commonality among these young people. For them, growing up and living in superdiversity means that they experience being both "not like the rest" and "just like the rest”. The thesis therefore calls for a reinterpretation of traditional labels, a questioning of classical narratives as well as making it sharply clear how important it is to bring the experiences of young people in Brussels to the forefront. Or to conclude in the words of Noor: "Because of a history, only lived or badly told, my roots have become a taboo subject for 'politics'.