Cultural citizenship is a new term to highlight that participating in society is not just a legal or political issue but has a cultural dimension as well. For example, citizens need stories, performances and role models to express who they are. In this Research Master Thesis, political philosopher Frederik Boven brings together authors from philosophy, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and cultural policy. The authors include Paul Ricoeur, Will Kymlicka, Jeffrey Alexander, and Renato Rosaldo. Combining methods from transdisciplinary studies and cognitive linguistis, an agenda for is developed for a wide-ranging debate on cultural citizenship.
This Research Master Thesis focuses on the Netherlands, where the relationship between culture and citizenship has become particularly contested in the beginning of the 21th century. Immigrants, especially Muslims, have seen their citizenship called in question. Dutch artists have faced severe budget cuts. As everywhere, gays and women struggle for respect and visibility in the public domain. Three recommendation are made to deal with these issues: (1) make culture equally accessible to all citizens; (2) protect the richness and viability of culture; (3) balance unity and diversity.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
SECTION 1.1: The conversation frame and the debate frame
SECTION 1.2: ‘The Dutch windmill’: a problem situation in the Netherlands
CHAPTER 2: Key concepts
SECTION 2.1: Cultural citizenship
SECTION 2.2: A transdisciplinary debate
SECTION 2.3: An integrative agenda
CHAPTER 3: Formulating research questions
SECTION 3.1: Procedure
SECTION 3.2: The modernism-postmodernism debate
SECTION 3.3: The Council for Culture
SECTION 3.4: Renato Rosaldo
SECTION 3.5: Nick Stevenson
SECTION 3.6: Paul Scheffer
SECTION 3.7: Will Kymlicka
SECTION 3.8: Jeffrey Alexander
SECTION 3.9: Paul Ricoeur
CHAPTER 4: Integrating research questions
SECTION 4.1: Single normative question
SECTION 4.2: Principle I: make culture equally accessible to all citizens
SECTION 4.3: Principle II: protect the richness and viability of culture
SECTION 4.4: Principle III: balance unity and diversity
SECTION 4.5 Structured list of research questions
CHAPTER 5: Conclusion
SECTION 5.1: Evaluating the concept of cultural citizenship
SECTION 5.2: Evaluating the fictive integrative interaction approach
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis aims to develop an integrative research agenda to address the contested problem of 'cultural citizenship' in the Netherlands. By synthesizing divergent perspectives from multiple academic disciplines and societal stakeholders, the author seeks to move beyond specialized research to a more holistic understanding of how culture and citizenship interact. The central research question explores whether and how an integrative agenda can be constructed to facilitate a transdisciplinary debate on this issue.
- The role of 'cultural citizenship' in the Dutch public sphere.
- Methodological integration of diverse academic paradigms.
- The tension between national unity and cultural diversity.
- Normative principles for guiding societal and policy interventions.
- The efficacy of the 'fictive integrative interaction' approach in research.
Excerpt from the Book
SECTION 1.2: ‘The Dutch windmill’: a problem situation in the Netherlands
Can you first tell me where your project is coming from? What drives your research? My research has wider relevance, but it starts from a problem situation in Dutch society. The problem is this: from different perspectives, doubts have been raised as to whether cultural institutions, processes and sources in the Netherlands contribute in the right way or degree to the formation and functioning of citizens.
In the Netherlands, the relationship between culture and citizenship is now highly contested. The problem may not be new, but it has risen to new prominence since the turn of the century. More precisely, the relationship between culture and citizenship is contested in three ways, corresponding to three meanings of ‘culture’. These different meanings all touch on citizenship, like three windmill wings that share an axis. I will therefore refer to the problem situation as ‘the Dutch windmill’ (see figure 1).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of cultural citizenship and the author's methodological framework, specifically the 'conversation' and 'debate' frames used to structure the thesis.
CHAPTER 2: Key concepts: The author defines the three primary concepts guiding the research: cultural citizenship, transdisciplinary debate, and integrative agenda, establishing a theoretical foundation.
CHAPTER 3: Formulating research questions: This section presents seven key authors from diverse fields, discussing their work to compile a heterogeneous, unstructured list of 78 research questions.
CHAPTER 4: Integrating research questions: The author integrates the previously collected questions into a structured list of 12 questions based on three normative principles.
CHAPTER 5: Conclusion: The final chapter evaluates the effectiveness of the concept of cultural citizenship and the 'fictive integrative interaction' approach used throughout the research.
Keywords
Cultural citizenship, transdisciplinary debate, integrative agenda, Dutch windmill, multiculturalism, cultural policy, citizenship studies, normative principles, fictive interaction, social cohesion, cultural diversity, identity politics, cognitive linguistics, cultural sphere, nation-building.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The thesis explores the relationship between culture and citizenship within the context of Dutch society, aiming to synthesize various academic and policy-oriented perspectives.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work centers on how different disciplines define cultural citizenship, the challenges of social integration in the Netherlands, and the need for a holistic research agenda.
What is the core research question?
The author asks whether it is possible to develop an integrative agenda for a transdisciplinary debate on cultural citizenship, and if so, what the most effective way to do this is.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a 'fictive integrative interaction approach', which employs principles from cognitive linguistics and transdisciplinary research methods to synthesize perspectives from authors who are not actually in dialogue.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body introduces the author's key concepts, profiles seven influential thinkers from various fields, compiles a vast list of research questions, and integrates these into a structured agenda for future research.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as cultural citizenship, transdisciplinary debate, integrative agenda, and multiculturalism.
What is 'the Dutch windmill' metaphor?
It is a conceptual model used by the author to describe the three ways the relationship between culture and citizenship is currently contested in the Netherlands: immigrant integration, symbolic representation of minorities, and the role of the cultural sector.
Why does the author use a 'fictive' debate?
The author uses this approach to bring together diverse thinkers from different eras and fields to address a complex problem without needing them to be physically present, allowing for a structured theoretical synthesis.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Frederik Boven (Autor:in), 2014, Cultural Citizenship. An Integrative Agenda for a Transdisciplinary Debate, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/282396
