Everyday autochthony. An ethnography of culturalization in the Netherlands

[T]he world of human kind constitutes a manifold, a totality of interconnected processes. (Eric Wolf)

Paul Mepschen is a social anthropologist interested in populism and the politics of belonging in post-Fordist Europe. He is currently writing his dissertation, based on ethnographic field work in Amsterdam New West, focusing on the culturalization of citizenship and the construction of 'autochthony' in the Netherlands. The study takes an ethnographic approach and looks at the intersections of cultural, class and urban politics, and struggles over power, entitlement, representation, and heritage. This project is part of a NWO-funded research on the 'Culturalization of Citizenship', in which sociologists and anthropologists cooperate.

Another focus of Mepschen's work has been the role of sexuality in the politics of culturalization. He has analyzed the entanglements of 'homonormative' representations of gay rights politics with Dutch neonationalist populism and anti-Islam discourses. In 2010, he published a co-authored article 'Sexual politics, Orientalism and multicultural citizenship in the Netherlands' in Sociology 44(5). In January 2011, he co-organized an international conference at the University of Amsterdam, on Sexual Nationalisms: Gender, Sexuality and the Politics of Belonging in the New Europe .

Interests include: ethnography, post-Fordism, nationalism and sexuality; the body and materiality; populism; heritage and the politics of place; modernism and modernity; time and temporality.

Academic articles:        

(forthcoming 2013) (With Justus Uitermark and Jan Willem Duyvendak) 'Populism, Islam, Sexual Politics. Progressive politics of exclusion.'. In: Christophe Bertossi/John Bowen/Jan-Willem Duyvendak/Mona Lena Krook (Eds.), Framing Muslims (under review).

(2012) (with Jan Willem Duyvendak) 'European sexual nationalisms. The culturalization of citizenship and the sexual politics of belonging and exclusion.' Perspectives on Europe. Spring. 

(2012) Gewone mensen. Populisme en het discours van verdringing in Amsterdam Nieuw West. Sociologie 8(1).     

(2010) (with Jan Willem Duyvendak and Evelien Tonkens) 'Sexual politics, Orientalism and multicultural citizenship in the Netherlands'. Sociology 44 (5).     

Links to articles:

• (2010) 'Sexual Politics, Orientalism and Multicultural Citizenship in the Netherlands'. Sociology 44 (5). October 2010.

• (2012) 'Populisme en het discours van verdringing in Amsterdam Nieuw West'. Sociologie (8) 1. May 2012 (Dutch only)

• (2012) ''Kosmopolitisch groepisme' en de opmars van de SP'. Waterland 62. September 2012

• (2012) 'European sexual nationalisms. The culturalization of citizenship and the sexual politics of belonging and exclusion.' Perspectives on Europe. Spring.

Essays and articles

Mepschen, Paul & Kevin Levie (2012) 'Kosmopolitisch groepisme en de opmars van de SP.' Waterland 62.

Mepschen, Paul (2012) 'Waarom Samson, nee heel Nederland, Wacquant moet lezen.' Atheneum.nl. 2 april 2012. 

Mepschen, Paul & Merijn Oudenampsen (2011) 'De angst van straatcoach Diederik Samson'. NRC Next , 23 september 2011. 

Mepschen, Paul & Laurens Buijs (2011) 'Pleidooi voor een seksueel antinationalisme'. Waterstof 56,  mei 2011

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Seksueel nationalisme in de polder.' Joop.nl . Januari 2011.

Mepschen, Paul (2010) '"Cultuur is altijd inbeweging". Interview metPeterGeschiere'. Grenzeloos 106 / Kifkif.be. April 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2009) 'Tariq Ramadan, of hoe Nederlands links niet om de islam-haat heen kan.' Kifkif.be. Augustus 2009.

Mepschen, Paul (2009). 'Against tolerance. Islam, homosexuality, and the politics of belonging in the Netherlands'. Monthly Review, July 2009.

Mepschen, Paul (2009). 'Tegen tolerantie. Homoseksualiteit, Islam en Nederlandse identiteit'. Grenzeloos 102. Juni 2009. (Republished online on diverse websites).

Mepschen, Paul (2009). 'De homo-emancipatie is nog lang niet voltooid'. Spanning (Uitgave van het wetenschappelijk bureau van de Socialistische Partij). Jaargang 11, nummer 7. Augustus 2009.    

Mepschen, Paul (2009) Erotics of persuasion. Media, aesthetics and the sexual politics of belonging. (ASSR). 

De Kleijn, Leo & Paul Mepschen (2008) 'Integratie en emancipatie kunnen niet zonder klassenstrijd'. 'Expertdiscussie Integratie', NRC Handelsblad online (www.nrc.nl).

Conference papers/lectures

Mepschen, Paul (2013) 'The politics of dis/order and the formation of autochthony. Conference Heritage, Performance and the Everyday.' Conference Heritage Dynamics Project and the SANPAD Project Performing the Rainbow Nation. University of the Western Cape/University of Cape Town. Cape Town, 23-25 January, 2013.

Mepschen, Paul (2012) 'Dis/order, respectability, and the politics of autochthony in Amsterdam.' Seminar on 'Governing', Dynamics of Citizens and Culture , University of Amsterdam. 29 October, 2012. 

Mepschen, Paul (2012) 'Modernist nostalgia in Amsterdam.'  IMISCOE . Amsterdam, 29 August, 2012.  

Mepschen, Paul (2012) 'Territorial stigmatization, culturalization and the politics of race in the Netherlands.' 19th International Conference of Europeanists. Council for European Studies. Boston, 22-24 March. 

Mepschen, Paul (2012)   'Sexual democracy, citizenship and securitization in the Netherlands.'  Citizenship after Orientalism. The 1st Symposium. Opening the boundaries of citizenship. OpenUniversity, Milton Keynes, 6-7 February.   

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Religie, seks en de 'nieuwe sociale kwestie'.'  Uitsluitend emancipatie. Amsterdam, October 2011.

Mepschen, Paul and Laurens Buijs (2011) 'Sexual whiteness. The case of Amsterdam gay capital.' Uitsluitend emancipatie. Amsterdam, October 2011.

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Amsterdam New West. Out of place in the post-Fordist city'. Special session 'Understanding Amsterdam'. International RC21 conference 2011 . Amsterdam, 9 July 2011.

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Place, voice, representation. 'Ordinary people'and the discourse of displacement in Amsterdam New West'. International RC21 conference 2011 . Amsterdam, 7-9 July.

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Sexual democracy and the politics of culturalization in the Netherlands.' Eighteenth International Conference of Europeanists . Council for European Studies . Barcelona. June 21.  

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Modernist nostalgia in Amsterdam.' Paper presented at the conference People Make Places - ways of feeling the world.SIEF 2011, Lisbon, April 2011.

Mepschen, Paul (2011). 'Sexual nationalismas a moral narrative. Religion, sexual politics and the new social question'. Paper presented at theconference Sexual Nationalisms . Amsterdam, January 2011.

Mepschen, Paul (2010). 'The monster of New West. The assemblage of culturalization in the post-political city.' Paper for mid-term conference The Culturalization of Citizenship - ComparativePerspectives . Rabat. November, 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2010). 'Sexual democracy in times of cultural reductionism.' Paper for mid-term conference The Culturalization of Citizenship -Comparative Perspectives . Rabat. November, 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2010). 'Everyday multiculturalism and the politics of aestheticsin Europe.' Paper presented at workshop Constructions of Usnessand Otherness , AISLF: Université Libre de Bruxelles. Brussels. April, 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2010). 'Sensate urban bodies. Some thoughts on multiculturalism in Amsterdam and Berlin.' Paper presented at Workshop Politics of Belonging. Engaging Citizenship, Community, and the Body. Workshop organized by research groups 'Culturalization of Citizenship' and 'HeritageDynamics'. MeertensInstitute, Amsterdam. April, 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2009). 'Erotics of persuasion: Media, aesthetics and the sexual politics of belonging.' Paper presented at the ASSR conference Citizenship, National Canons,and the Issue of Cultural Diversity , University of Amsterdam. Amsterdam. January, 2009.

Mepschen, Paul(2009). 'Aesthetics of inequalityand thepolitics ofalterity'. Paper presented at the International Doctoral Summer School, Culturesof Inequality, WISER, University of Witswatersrand,. Johannesburg. March 2009.

Mepschen, Paul (2009). 'Culturalisering van ongelijkheid en "national imaginary"'. Paper presented at the ninth 'Dag van de Sociologie'. University ofAmsterdam, Amsterdam. June, 2009.

Mepschen, Paul (2009). 'Homophobia and Islamophobia. The case of the Netherlands.'Paper presented at the LGBT-seminar of the International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE). Amsterdam. July 2009.

Lectures and talks (selection)

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Constructies van autochtoniteit. Culturalisering en populisme in Nederland.' Seminarserie over diversiteit. Lectoraat Burgerschap en Diversiteit. De Haagse Hogeschool. The Hague, 19 May, 2011

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Sexual democracy, Neonationalism and the Politics of culturalization in the Netherlands'. Paper presented for the Program Group Dynamics of Culture and Citizenship. University of Amsterdam. April 13,2011.

Mepschen, Paul (2011) 'Dutch neonationalism in queer perspective'. Uva Pride Lecture . Amsterdam. January 7, 2011.Mepschen, Paul (2010) 'Sexual democracy and culturalist politics in the Netherlands'. Lecture given in course Sexuality and Gender in the Context of Amsterdam (IES Abroad Amsterdam) . Amsterdam. November 8, 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2010) 'Queer politics of anti-Immigration'. Comments on Nicholasde Genova's lecture 'The queer politics of migration'. International Institute for Research and Education. June 15, 2010.

Mepschen, Paul (2010). 'Reframings and intersections in Amsterdam New West'. Lecture given at Amsterdam University College, June 9, 2010.       

Mepschen, Paul (2010) 'Tussen normalisering en mythologisering'.Talk given at UvA Pride Panel Discussion on Multiculturalism and Homosexuality. June 2, 2010.       

• (2008) 'Integratie en emancipatie kunnen niet zonder klassenstrijd. NRC Online.

• (2009) De homoemancipatie is nog lang niet voltooid. SPanning, augustus 2009.

• (2009) Against tolerance. MRZIne, 2009

• (2010) 'Cultuur is altijd in beweging.' Interview met Peter Geschiere

• (2011) Pleidooi voor een seksueel antinationalisme

• (2011) De angst van straatcoach Diederik Samson

• (2009) Erotics of persuasion

• (2012) Waarom Samson, nee heel Nederland, Wacquant moet lezen

• (2012) Kosmopolitisch groepisme en de opmars van de SP

Courses taught: 

(2009) Theory and history of anthropology (DM1). Bacholor course anthropology, University of Amsterdam.
(2011) Anthropological methodology (M&T2). Bachelor course anthropology, University of Amsterdam.
(2012) Anthropological anthropology (M&T3) Bachelor course anthropology, University of Amsterdam.

(2013) Sociologische Theorie 4: Perspectief op een nieuwe synthese (ST4) Bachelor course Sociology, University of Amsterdam.

(2013) Anthropologisch schrijfprakticum (Anthropological writing practicum). Bachelor course Anthropology, University of Amsterdam.

(2013) 2e Jaars essays (course in anthropological essay writing). Bachorlor course Anthropology, Univerty of Amsterdam.

(2009-current)  Introduction to the Study of Sexuality and Gender in the Context of Amsterdam. IES Abroad Amsterdam

(2012-current)  Summer Institute on Sexuality, Culture and Society. Graduate School of Social Sciences.

(2013) Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender. SIT Study Abroad.

Events (co)organized           

(2013) Eigen kracht ontkracht. Affectief burgerschap in de nieuwe verzorgingsstaat. Jaarbeurs Utrecht, 16 en 17 mei.

(2012) Thinking Feelings. Affective Attachments, Emotional Sociologies, Aesthetic Formations. Meertens Institute, Amsterdam. Symposium organized by research groups 'Culturalization of Citizenship' and 'Heritage Dynamics', Meertens Institute, Amsterdam  . 

(2012)  The Politics of Home. Belonging and Nostalgia in Western Europe and the United States  by Jan Willem Duyvendak (Book Panel). 19th International Conference of Europeanists. Council for European Studies. Boston, 22-24 March.    

(2012) (with Laurens Buijs and Thomas Kampen) PhD-seminar Neoliberalism, Precarity, Exclusion with Loïc Wacquant and Erik Olin Wright. Amsterdam. March-May 2012

(2011) (with Bowen Paulle) Short Intensive Course on 'Relational Ethnography' with Matthew Desmond. Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR). Amsterdam. September, 2011.

(2010-2011) Organizing Committee Conference Sexual Nationalisms: Gender, Sexuality and the Politics of Belonging in the New Europe . Amsterdam Research Centre for Gender and Sexuality / Institut de Recherche InterdisciplinaireSur Les Enjeux Sociaux, EHESS, Paris. 27 & 28 January 2011. University of Amsterdam.

(2010) (With Markus Balkenhol, Rogier van Reekum and Bregje Termeer). Workshop Politics of Belonging. Engaging Citizenship, Community, and the Body . Organized by research groups 'Culturalization of Citizenship' and 'Heritage Dynamics', Meertens Institute, Amsterdam. April1, 2010.

(2009/2010) (With Marieke van Eijk and Naomi van Stapele). Short Intensive Course 'Authenticity' . Amsterdam School for Social Science Research. Amsterdam. December 18, 2009/January 19 & 20, 2010.

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