In dit project doen studenten van de bachelor Sociologie aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam onderzoek in opdracht van dienst Werk, Participatie en Inkomen (WPI) van de gemeente Amsterdam. WPI vraagt ons om onderzoek te doen naar de betekenis die vrijwilligerswerk heeft voor Amsterdammers in de bijstand. Helpt vrijwilligerswerk je aan meer sociale contacten, en een iets betere fysieke en mentale gezondheid? Hoeveel vrijwilligers hebben na een tijdje een betaalde baan, en dus geen bijstandsuitkering meer?
In het voorjaar van 2021 hebben sociologiestudenten van de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam voor het vak 'Professionele Vaardigheden 2' onderzoek verricht naar factoren die van invloed zijn op de beleving van de energietransitie in Amsterdam Zuidoost. De resultaten van deze studenten zijn onderverdeeld in een onderzoeksrapport, praktijkproduct en videofragmenten. In deze collectie treft u de resultaten van de studenten.
The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) is a scientific study to determine predictors and consequences of aging. Since 1991, LASA has studied the physical, emotional, cognitive and social functioning of the elderly in the Netherlands. Within LASA the interdependence of these domains of functioning and of the changes that occur over time is being investigated. In this respect LASA stands out from most other studies of aging.
This open access book maps the youth transitions of descendants of migrants from Turkey living in Amsterdam and Strasbourg, through a comparative mixed-methods research design. As such, it is of interest to discussions in youth sociology, social mobility and second-generation research. The book follows transition trajectories of the second-generation, from school to activity or inactivity in the labour market, to marriage or further study and, deepens our understanding of transitions by unravelling the macro and micro mechanisms behind individual pathways.
On the one hand, the author reveals the ongoing significance of distinct macro institutional settings as well as social structures such as social class, ethnicity and gender in shaping the youth transition experience. On the other, she shows that youth transitions are not predestined to social reproduction when institutional and social structures create conditions for the development of resources necessary for social mobility. Therefore, through an examination of how immigrants’ descendants develop forms of capital in their social trajectories, in relation to institutional and social structures, the book advances the theoretical discussion on Bourdieu’s capital theory. Moreover, in times when native-born descendants of immigrants are at the forefront of public debate being subjected to normative integration demands, the book significantly shifts the lens and draws our attention to the daily challenges and realities faced by ethnic minority youth.
Youth transitions among descendants of Turkish immigrants in Amsterdam and Strasbourg: A Generation in Transition. Keskiner, E., 2019, Springer Open. 147 p. (IMISCOE Research Series (IMIS))
Retrieved from here.
This article compares and contrasts the nature of student employment experience in Amsterdam and Strasbourg among descendants of Turkish migrants. The analysis relies on in-depth qualitative interviews revealing the experience of student employment and the impact of working while studying on the educational careers and future labour market transitions.
The comparative design of the study uncovered the role of distinct institutional structures in education systems and labour markets, which proved more strenuous for combining work and study in Strasbourg compared to Amsterdam. Parental support and high educational aspirations of the students turned out crucial to counterbalance the potential negative impact of working on students’ school careers, while working in their area of study facilitated beneficial consequences for students’ future labour market careers. The article highlights the interaction between institutional structures and social class background as well as gender dynamics.
Elif Keskiner (2017) Student employment among descendants of Turkish
migrants in Amsterdam and Strasbourg, Journal of Education and Work, 30:3, 203-216,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2016.1167844
The current relationship between the state and civil society in Europe is a curious and historically unique one. This is no longer a situation in which participation and association prepare citizens for the offices of the state; rather, it is the state urging a sometimes-reluctant citizenry to engage actively in civil society. This phenomenon stems from a combination of changes in prevailing governance paradigms and of the more general process of social liquefaction. In the article, we analyse these two intertwining trends and discuss the new type of relationship between the state and civil society that may be emerging.
Brandsen, T., Trommel, W. A. & Verschueren, B.,The state and the reconstruction of civil society, 2017, In : International Review of the Administrative Sciences. 83, 4, p. 676-693 18 p.
In this article, we aim to show that the treatment of wicked problems in the literature on public administration approaches is inadequate. Wicked problems, we argue, are wicked because the factual and normative aspects of the issues are intertwined at actor-level. As a result, the phenomena that Rittel and Webber observed at problem level emerge. This has strong implications for public administration.
Duco Bannink & Willem Trommel (2019) Intelligent modes of imperfect governance, Policy and Society, 38:2, 198-217.
How can teachers capitalize on different perspectives, experiences, communication styles and learning styles in the classroom? We present the three-phased Mixed Classroom model, including examples of practical learning activities.
Ramdas, S., Slootman, M., & van Oudenhoven-van der Zee, K. (2020). The VU Mixed Classroom Educational Model. Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Link here.
Most educational research examines school outcomes at certain stages or at the final stage of the school career. This article looks at the entire school career and the transition to the labour market. It focuses on key transitions to identify the educational institutional arrangements that either help or hinder school and labour market success among the most disadvantaged groups in the Netherlands: young people of Moroccan and Turkish descent.
Crul, M., Dec 2018, In : European Journal of Education. 53, 4, p. 481-494 14 p.
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.12310
In de derde podcast van Pakhuis de Zwijger in het teken van WeMakeThe.City, het festival dat steden beter maakt, is hoogleraar Onderwijs en Diversiteit (VU), Maurice Crul te gast. Maurice Seleky spreekt met hem over de gevolgen van het feit dat etnische Nederlanders in grote steden tegenwoordig numeriek in de minderheid zijn. Daarnaast spreken ze over de voorlopige resultaten van het onderzoek en hoe de notie van ‘superdiversiteit’ leidt tot een ander perspectief op integratiebeleid.
Crul, M. (Author). (2019). Maurice Crul over Superdiversiteit in Amsterdam: Becoming a Minority. Performance, Amsterdam: Pakhuis De Zwijger. Luister hier: https://dezwijger.nl/magazine/podcast-aflevering-36-maurice-crul
Het huidige tijdperk van liquid modernity waarin de traditionele vangnetten niet meer toereikend zijn om een gevoel van veiligheid bij de burgers te realiseren bieden lichte gemeenschappen perspectief. In dit artikel analyseren we de betekenis van een van deze lichte gemeenschappen, Meevaart (Indische buurt, Amsterdam), voor de betrokken buurtbewoners met diverse achtergronden. We laten zien hoe de aanwezigheid en actieve deelname binnen zo’n community op verschillende niveaus kan bijdragen aan diversiteitsensitieve competenties en vaardigheden die essentieel zijn in de context van groeiende polarisatie. Echter, diverse spanningen (zoals continuïteit in verandering en stabiliteit in vernieuwing) vragen om de nodige aandacht, waarbij de rol van de overheid van onmiskenbare waarde is.
Halleh Ghorashi, Baukje Reitsma en Zsuzsa Kovacs,Experimenteren met innoverende verbindingen
Dit artikel is een bijdrage op de website socialevraagstukken.nl
Het volledige artikel is hier te downloaden.
This qualitative study discusses the experienced identity of gender non-binary young adults. Despite growing positive discourse in the Netherlands toward gender minorities, in practice this group still faces exclusion and stigmatization of their identity. This article draws from Butler’s (2004, 2011) conceptions of deconstructing the hegemonic gender binary and heteronormativity. It explores the layered experiences of gender non-binary young adults in Amsterdam. Through participatory observations and in-depth interviews, this investigation unravels the self-narratives of those who identify with non-binary gender identities and demonstrates how they cope with their minority identity and resist exclusion.
Source: (2020) Transcending the gender binary: Gender non-binary young adults in Amsterdam, Journal of LGBT Youth, 17:1, 89-106, DOI: 10.1080/19361653.2019.1660295
Today's plural and aging society demands attention for diversity in long-term care for the elderly. This literature study focuses on the theme of cultural diversity on the one hand, and specifically on elderly immigrants with a Turkish and Moroccan background, since these groups will increase the fastest in the coming years in the major cities. On the other hand, this literature review focuses on sexual diversity and LGBT elderly (or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) – a relatively invisible group in healthcare. Both elderly immigrants with a Turkish/Moroccan background and LGBT elderly people have experiences of social exclusion and discrimination. As target groups in care, their demand for care seems to be insufficiently in line with the existing care offer, as they seem to make less use of formal care and welfare facilities than would be expected on the basis of their health situation. In the context of decentralization and extramuralisation in healthcare, healthcare and welfare organizations need more information about matching supply and demand, what this requires of professionals and how and to what extent they should develop specific (personnel) policies for this. target audiences.
Commissioned by Healthcare Organization Cordaan, this exploratory literature study examined scientific and 'grey' sources on knowledge about the health, care use and care demand of migrant elderly people with Turkish/Moroccan background - in short 'migrant elderly' - (1) and of LGBT elderly people (2) . The current range of (in)formal care, housing and welfare for both groups has also been mapped out as accurately as possible and the perceived bottlenecks and success factors experienced by professionals and organizations with regard to both target groups have been inventoried (3 and 4). The aim of this information is to make recommendations on how to bridge the apparent gap between supply and demand by healthcare and welfare organisations.
Source: Leyerzapf, H., Klokgieters, S. S., Ghorashi, H., & Broese Van Groenou, M. I. (2017). Kleurrijke zorg: een verkennende literatuurstudie naar culturele en seksuele diversiteit in de langdurige ouderenzorg. Cordaan, Institute for Societal Resilience en Medical Humanities VUmc.
Big dreams, did they come true? Opportunities and obstacles in the school trajectories of unaccompanied refugee minors While many unaccompanied minors deal with their precarious situation by focusing on school success, there is a lack of knowledge about the diversity of factors that hinder and stimulate their life trajectories, including their school career. This article focuses on the long term school trajectories
of unaccompanied minors who were highly motivated to have a successful school career when they arrived in the Netherlands. We show that in spite of their eagerness and qualities, institutional factors in education and discursive exclusion are obstacles in their school career. Nonetheless, these ambitious young people are largely able to overcome these obstacles by mobilizing different kinds of social support. However, some of them are confronted with a legal obstacle when they turn eighteen and did not obtain a residence
permit. This makes them unable to continue their school career for several years. Therefore, the school careers of these highly motivated young people vary greatly: some people were still able to make their dreams partly come true, others got marginalized.
The so-called refugee crisis in 2015/2016 created opportunities for faith-based organizations, community initiatives, volunteers and refugees to get actively involved in refugee reception in Amsterdam. This study investigated the resilience potential of three refugee reception approaches that were taken during that transformative period: those of a semi-governmental organization (COA), a faith-based organization (The Salvation Army) and a community initiative (Hoost). Based on qualitative data, the article shows that the nexus of regulations and flexibility in crisis responses impacts the ability to employ multiple local resources and thus predetermines the capacity to adopt resilient solutions to refugee reception during crises. The authors plead for daring governmental efforts that acknowledge, connect and facilitate the innovative power of local communities, faith-based organizations, volunteers and refugees in the refugee reception process without further withdrawals of state responsibility for refugee reception. However, it is crucial that such innovative efforts integrate and learn from existing knowledge to prevent mistakes from being repeated.
In the era of late or “liquid modernity”, we can observe the re-emergence of solid categories in the form of nationalistic sentiments and cultural contrasts. The growing culturalist discourse in most European societies is an example of the reification of cultural difference. Within this discourse, it is posited that the
most “natural” link for migrants is to their countries of origin. This discourse suggests that generations of migrants living inside the nation are constructed as not belonging to it. This “sedentary bias” produces dichotomies of rootedness in the places of origin and uprootedness in countries where generations of migrants presently live. When normalized, this positioning limits differentiated, multilayered,
and multi-sited possibilities of belonging. By comparing two sets of empirical data on diverse women in the Netherlands, this article shows how the inclusion of interpretations and negotiations of everyday interactions can enable alternative forms of positioning and belonging.
With a point of departure in a Bourdieusian framework, the chapter studies dynamics between participatory policymaking and the citizenry’s political agency in a gentrifying neighborhood in Amsterdam East. The analysis shows that gentrifiers, through their community building efforts and resourcefulness, are capable of creating political opportunities for the citizenry to become co-producers in the field of local policy implementation; this enabled social mobility and a creation of a civic democratic culture. At the same time, this alternative field of participation is not immune to reproducing effects related to gentrification and voluntarism.
Kovács Z., Smets P., Ghorashi H. (2019) The Game of Participation in Amsterdam East: An Alternative to the Neoliberal or a Neoliberal Alternative?. In: Fisker J., Chiappini L., Pugalis L., Bruzzese A. (eds) Enabling Urban Alternatives. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Citizens’ summits are often seen as a democratic tool that supplements the electoral democracy. This study looks at the interactions between participants, revealing much about the functioning of deliberative space in citizens’ summits. We also focus on the issue of participant diversity and how senses of belonging include or exclude sections of society.
Vlind, M. and Smets, P. (2018), "Senses of Belonging and Nonbelonging within Citizens’ Summits in Amsterdam", Davis, K., Ghorashi, H. and Smets, P. (Ed.) Contested Belonging: Spaces, Practices, Biographies, Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 89-111.
DOI (behind paywall):. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78743-206-220181005
Since 2007, liquid communities have mushroomed in the Indische neighborhood in Amsterdam East. These grassroots organizations ask for a more efficient use of public real estate, especially buildings that are empty or underused. The communities and related legal entities have managed buildings that were used as community centers and playground complexes, or in other words, as commons. The challenge is to use a governance approach – involving the local government, housing corporation and citizens – in such a way that the strength of the life world of communities can be maintained and the system of the government and professionals does not intervene in collaborative activities in the buildings. This paper, which is based on qualitative research, shows how community development workers and communities interact and find ways to deal with the shared management of real estate. In addition, theoretical notions about the collaborative management of real estate are explored.
Smets, P., & Azarhoosh, F. (2019). Real estate as a commons: Collaboration between communities, housing corporations, and the local government in Amsterdam East . In B. Tejerina, C. M. de Almeida, & I. Perugorría (Eds.), Sharing Society: The impact of collaborative collective actions in the transformation of contemporary societies. (pp. 281-296). Bilbao: Universidad del Pais Vasco. Servicio Editorial..
Link to publication (behind paywall): https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=733367