Transnationalisme en Burgerschap

In de internationale migratieliteratuur bestaat in toenemende mate aandacht voor de contacten die migranten onderhouden met hun herkomstland. Verschillende onderzoekers hebben aangetoond dat migranten economische, sociale, politieke en/of culturele banden onderhouden met het herkomstland (Basch e.a. 1994; Portes 2000; Levitt and Waters 2002; Engbersen e.a. 2003; Levitt 2007). Dergelijke grensoverschrijdende activiteiten zijn niet nieuw; migranten houden van oudsher op allerlei manieren binding met het land van herkomst (Thomas en Znaniecki 1918). Nieuw is wel de omvang en de diversiteit van deze ‘transnationale’ banden (Engbersen e.a. 2003; Rusinovic 2006)

Transnationalism and Dimensions of Citizenship

In the international migration literature over recent decades there has been increasing interest in transnational movements and contacts. Researchers have shown that immigrants maintain economic, social, political and/or cultural ties with their home country (Basch et al. 1994; Levitt 2007; Portes 2000). The concept of transnationalism is not new. International migration tends to go hand-in-hand with intensive economic, social and cultural bonds between migrants and their family members and relatives at home (Engbersen et al. 2003). What is new, however, is the extent and diversity of these transnational ties, which can be explained by the availability of high-tech means of communication and transportation, such as cheap flights, longdistance telephone, the Internet, e-mail, and satellite television (Portes et al. 1999; Zhou 2004)

On the Red Carpet. Expats in Rotterdam and The Hague

Introduction: In a range of Dutch cities, in recent years a policy has been developed which is specifically directed to knowledge workers or expatriates – often simply called expats. Special expat information centers were opened in, among other cities, The Hague, Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Leiden and Eindhoven. Rotterdam, the city which forms the central focus of this research, established an Expat Desk at the end of 2008. Although differences exist regarding the exact design of such expat desks, they share the objective of giving expats a ‘red carpet welcome’ to make their stay more comfortable and to make them feel at home in the city. The expat desks’ services vary from offering help with the application for a residence permit to providing practical information about housing, health care and education. The establishment of specific expat desks in the Netherlands reflects an international trend of countries and urban regions competing for international human capital (Ewers 2007: 120). National and local governments increasingly try to create favorable living and working conditions for expats. In contrast with other types of migrants, expats experience an enabling policy environment, rather than a restrictive one. The German sociologist Thomas Faist (2008) argues regarding highly skilled migrants that there has been a shift from a ‘red card’ to a ‘red carpet’ strategy. Despite the increased attention to expats in national and urban policy, up until now not much is known about the experiences of these ‘welcome guests’ themselves. Are they attached to the city they live in? And what do expats think should be done to make the city a more attractive living environment? To answer these and other questions, we conducted research among more than one hundred expats in Rotterdam and The Hague

Lokaal of transnationaal: actief burgerschap bij de allochtone middenklasse

Op 5 januari 2009 is Ahmed Aboutaleb als burgemeester van Rotterdam geïnstalleerd. Hij is daarmee de eerste burgemeester in Nederland van Marokkaanse afkomst. Zijn benoeming was niet onomstreden. Fractievoorzitter Ronald Sørensen van Leefbaar Rotterdam had grote moeite met zijn voordracht. Hij maakte vooral bezwaar tegen het feit dat Aboutaleb twee paspoorten heeft en ‘een representant is van een groep die in heel Nederland en Rotterdam problemen veroorzaakt’. Aboutaleb kreeg namens de fractie van Leefbaar Rotterdam een lege gefrankeerde envelop overhandigd, met daarop het adres van de koning van Marokko. Hij hoefde daar alleen nog maar zijn Marokkaanse paspoort in te doen, om te laten zien dat hij onvoorwaardelijk voor het Nederlandse staatsburgerschap heeft gekozen

Arbeidsmigranten uit Bulgarije, Polen, en Roemenie in Rotterdam: sociale leefsituatie, arbeidspositie en toekomstperspectief

Aims: To assess longer-term outcomes of a drop-in rolling-group model of behavioural support for smoking cessation and the factors that influence cessation outcomes. Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting: Fag Ends NHS Stop Smoking Service in Liverpool and Knowsley, UK. Participants: A total of 2585 clients, aged 16 or over, setting a quit date. Measurements: Routine monitoring data were collected from Fag Ends service users and were supplemented by survey data on socio-economic circumstances, smoking-related behaviour and self-report and carbon monoxide (CO)-validated smoking status at 52-week follow-up. Findings: The CO-validated prolonged abstinence rate at 52 weeks for smokers attending the groups was 5.6%, compared with 30.7% at 4 weeks (a relapse rate of 78.2%). The sample was particularly disadvantaged: 68% resided in the most deprived decile of the English Index of Multiple Deprivation. Higher socio-economic status within the sample was a predictor of quitting. Other predictors of long-term cessation in multivariate analysis included older age, being female, lower levels of nicotine dependence, having a live-in partner, stronger determination to quit and use of varenicline versus other medication. Conclusions: A wholly state-reimbursed clinical stop-smoking service providing behavioural support and medication in a region of high economic and social disadvantage has reached a significant proportion of the smoking population. Long-term success rates are lower than are found typically in clinical trials, but higher than would be expected if the smokers were to try and quit unaided. Research is needed into how to improve on the success rates achieved

Senior Co-Housing in the Netherlands: Benefits and Drawbacks for Its Residents

Senior co-housing communities offer an in-between solution for older people who do not want to live in an institutional setting but prefer the company of their age peers. Residents of co-housing communities live in their own apartments but undertake activities together and support one another. This paper adds to the literature by scrutinizing the benefits and drawbacks of senior co-housing, with special focus on the forms and limits of social support and the implications for the experience of loneliness. Qualitative fieldwork was conducted in eight co-housing communities in the Netherlands, consisting of document analysis, interviews, focus groups, and observations. The research shows that co-housing communities offer social contacts, social control, and instrumental and emotional support. Residents set boundaries regarding the frequency and intensity of support. The provided support partly relieves residents' adult children from caregiving duties but does not substitute formal and informal care. Due to their access to contacts and support, few residents experience social loneliness. Co-housing communities can potentially also alleviate emotional loneliness, but currently, this happens to a limited degree. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for enhancing the benefits and reducing the drawbacks of senior co-housing

Towards responsible rebellion: How founders deal with challenges in establishing and governing innovative living arrangements for older people

In the Netherlands, there is an increasing need for collective forms of housing for older people. Such housing bridges the gap between the extremes of living in an institutionalised setting and remaining in their own house. The demand is related to the closure of many residential care homes and the need for social engagement with other residents. This study focuses on housing initiatives that offer innovative and alternative forms of independent living, which deviate from mainstream housing arrangements. It draws on recent literature on healthcare ‘rebels’ and further develops the concept of ‘rebellion’ in the context of housing. The main research question is how founders dealt with challenges of establishing and governing ‘rebellious’ innovative living arrangements for older people in the highly regulated context of housing and care in the Netherlands. Qualitative in-depth interviews with 17 founders (social entrepreneurs, directors and supervisory board members) were conducted. Founders encountered various obstacles that are often related to governmental and sectoral rules and regulations. Their stories demonstrate the opportunities and constraints of innovative entrepreneurship at the intersection of housing and care. The study concludes with the notion of ‘responsible rebellion’ and practical lessons about dealing with rules and regulations and creating supportive contexts

De verdeelde samenleving

Tijdens het voorlopige hoogtepunt van de corona-uitbraak, in april, bleek dat een groot deel van de Nederlandse bevolking angstig en onzeker was. Bij de heropening van de samenleving begin juli was de angst en onzekerheid afgenomen, maar dat heeft zich niet doorgezet. Dit blijkt uit de bevindingen van het vervolgonderzoek De verdeelde samenleving. Er is weer sprake van een toename van angst- en stressgevoelens en een verdere afname in het vertrouwen in de overheid, het RIVM en de GGD. Jongeren en mensen met kwetsbare maatschappelijke posities, zoals een laag inkomen, een lage opleiding, geringe werkzekerheid, en een beperkt ondersteunend netwerk, hebben relatief meer onvrede over het overheidsbeleid dan groepen met een sterkere maatschappelijke positie en een sterker ondersteunend netwerk

Schilderswijk & Escamp University: De weekendschool als motor voor sociale mobiliteit?

De Schilderswijk en Escamp University zijn zaterdagscholen in de Schilderswijk en Escamp. In tegenstelling tot veel weekendscholen zijn deze Universities niet gericht op het bestrijden van achterstanden, maar bieden zij juist de beter presterende leerlingen meer uitdagingen. De Haagse Hogeschool onderzocht, in samenspraak met de gemeente Den Haag, Stichting Brede Buurtschool en met de directeuren/coördinatoren van de beide Universities, in hoeverre deelname aan Schilderswijk of Escamp University bijdraagt aan de sociale mobiliteit van deze leerlingen. Hierbij is gekeken naar de veranderingen in middelbare schoolkeuze, het sociale netwerk en de toekomstambities van de leerlingen. De resultaten van het onderzoek laten zien dat deelname aan het programma van de University leidt tot veranderingen en daarmee bijdraagt aan de sociale mobiliteit onder de deelnemende jongeren en meer kansengelijkheid in het Haagse onderwijs. Het programma maakt leerlingen bewust van middelbare scholen buiten de buurt. Ook sluiten ze sneller nieuwe vriendschappen, waardoor ze een belangrijk netwerk buiten hun eigen kring krijgen. Daarnaast zien we dat leerlingen bewuster zijn van hun talenten en mogelijkheden en dat hun toekomstverwachtingen hierdoor medebepaald worden