‘I didn’t think I would be emotional until I started saying the oath’ – emotionalising and ritualising citizenship
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
‘I didn’t think I would be emotional until I started saying the oath’ – emotionalising and ritualising citizenship. / Damsholt, Tine.
In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 44:16, 2018, p. 2701-2716.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - ‘I didn’t think I would be emotional until I started saying the oath’ – emotionalising and ritualising citizenship
AU - Damsholt, Tine
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - The quote in the title from a newly naturalised citizen emphasises that taking an oath and affirming one’s loyalty to a new country can be experienced as a surprisingly emotional matter. But how does the ritual transformation of migrant identities turn into an emotional experience? This paper explores primarily the emotional dimension of naturalisation rituals and the distributed agency involved in two concrete cases from Australia and Denmark. Although practical reasons may be considered to be the most important motivating factor when it comes to applying for citizenship, these are often mixed with a more identity-based perception of citizenship as a symbol of affiliation with the new society. And citizenship ceremonies become one of the occasions in which the symbolic and emotional dimensions of citizenship are enacted. Thus, the introduction of ceremonies in an increasing number of countries may be considered a step towards the emotionalisation of citizenship, in order to ensure cohesion, unity, and a sense of belonging, since the emotional significance of citizenship is considered to be a guarantee for loyalty and the desired civil awareness.
AB - The quote in the title from a newly naturalised citizen emphasises that taking an oath and affirming one’s loyalty to a new country can be experienced as a surprisingly emotional matter. But how does the ritual transformation of migrant identities turn into an emotional experience? This paper explores primarily the emotional dimension of naturalisation rituals and the distributed agency involved in two concrete cases from Australia and Denmark. Although practical reasons may be considered to be the most important motivating factor when it comes to applying for citizenship, these are often mixed with a more identity-based perception of citizenship as a symbol of affiliation with the new society. And citizenship ceremonies become one of the occasions in which the symbolic and emotional dimensions of citizenship are enacted. Thus, the introduction of ceremonies in an increasing number of countries may be considered a step towards the emotionalisation of citizenship, in order to ensure cohesion, unity, and a sense of belonging, since the emotional significance of citizenship is considered to be a guarantee for loyalty and the desired civil awareness.
KW - Citizenship
KW - distributed agency
KW - emotionalisation
KW - naturalisation
KW - ritualisation
UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2017.1389038
U2 - 10.1080/1369183X.2017.1389038
DO - 10.1080/1369183X.2017.1389038
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85033680738
VL - 44:16
SP - 2701
EP - 2716
JO - Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
JF - Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
SN - 1369-183X
ER -
ID: 197800042