Symbolic Boundaries Research Articles

Socio-spatial segregation in school-society relational spaces from the perspectives of Turkish immigrant mothers: “Where are the Germans?”

ABSTRACT By applying a relational spatial approach, we examine how Turkish-origin mothers in Germany perceive and experience socio-spatial segregation and how they relate this issue to the quality of education received by their (pre-)school-age children. Socio-spatial segregation is examined using the concept of ‘space’, to interpret not just physical but also symbolic boundaries perceived at the intersections of school and society. To explore the mothers’ subjective perceptions, qualitative interviews with 22 mothers were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings indicate that mothers who live in immigrant-dense neighbourhoods criticise the quality of education in their children's schools. Some of these mothers also state their worries regarding the exclusion or ‘Germanisation’ of their children in ethnic German majority schools. Strategies for selecting appropriate places of residence and school for the family, considering social and ethnic composition, are mentioned among respondents – rendering diversity both beneficial and problematic.

GİYİMİN BİR İŞARETLEYİCİ OLARAK ETNİK KİMLİK ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ

One of the codes used by individuals to define their identity and convey it to others is clothing. Clothing, which is an instrument that can draw symbolic boundaries between people, must have a strong link between individuals’ real social identities and externally perceived hints in order to be read in common by observers. The major problem to be investigated in this research is to analyze the relationships between identity and clothing, which have been going on since ancient times and will continue in the future. In order to understand these relationships, a theoretical framework needs to be established, and a broad, holistic perspective on the social dimensions of clothing should be developed. The main purpose of this article was to draw on the relationship between clothing and major components of identity. Based on the fact that alternative clothing codes transform those who wear certain clothes into effective symbolic subjects in terms of directing them to a certain behavior politically, culturally, and socially, it was analyzed that this subject constitutes the basis of class struggle.

Freeride Skiing—Risk-Taking, Recognition, and Moral Boundaries

Freeride skiing is an activity that is, or at least can be, quite dangerous. Risk-taking in high-risk sports has usually been understood within a psychological framework. Building on Pierre Bourdieu's sociology, this article highlights the social dimension of risk-taking in freeride skiing by scrutinizing values within a freeride culture. A central question in this article is: what kind of actions are given recognition and credibility in freeride skiing? The findings show that there is a clear link between risk-taking and credibility and that risk-taking might be seen as a form of capital. However, risk-taking's link to recognition is not straightforward—it is limited by the skiers' skill level. To further develop our understanding of the social dimension of risk-taking we use Michelle Lamont's theory of symbolic boundaries. By expanding the Bourdieusian understanding of social practice with Lamont's work, we gain insight into how risk-taking is socially regulated by social conventions within a subculture. This means that we in this article describe three social dimensions of risk-taking: (1) The link between risk-taking and recognition, (2) The limits of the risk-recognition nexus, and (3) The moral boundaries of risk-taking.

In the Ear of the Listener: The Role of Foreign Accent in Interethnic Friendships and Partnerships

This article examines the association between accented speech and the formation of friendships and partnerships among immigrants and native-born majority residents in Germany. Drawing on the sixth wave of the German extension of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries, we analyze a neglected aspect of language — pronunciation — and find that speaking with a foreign accent is a more important correlate of the incidence of interethnic partnerships than of interethnic friendships. We argue that beyond its primary function of understandability, accented speech possesses socially communicative power. Accent transmits signals of an individual’s foreignness and cultural differences and, thus, becomes an additional marker of social distance. Such signals serve as a greater obstacle to more consequential intimate interethnic relations such as partnerships. Our findings extend the scholarly debate on the role of symbolic boundaries in social interactions between ethnic groups by yet another important boundary maker — accent.

Crowdfunding artists: beyond match-making on platforms

AbstractThis article analyzes the role that crowdfunding plays for artists who create small-scale projects. We find that artists struggle to reach new audiences and, thus, mainly use this funding tool to transform monetary gifts into reputation for their careers. Crowdfunding platforms are believed to lower transaction costs while allowing for more direct engagement between founders and funders. Instead, our study demonstrates that artists use the platform to build distance from their thick relationships and intimate networks where most of their funding originates. They hope that a successful project will help them cross the symbolic boundaries between amateur and professional realms. Despite a high success rate, most of them report not wanting to create crowdfunding campaigns again since they rarely reach other social networks. We develop these arguments to contribute to a socio-economic perspective of online funding platforms as important intermediaries in the career path of users operating at the boundary of amateur and professional production. This article contributes to developing a critical understanding of platforms, especially when users are not typical entrepreneurs or business-oriented agents but artists and do-it-yourself creators searching for funding opportunities.

"You have to start normalizing": Identity construction among self-changers and treatment changers in the context of drug use normalization.

Identity transformation and stigma management have been widely acknowledged as significant factors in various drug-cessation pathways, such as self-change (SC) and treatment-change (TC). These processes involve the employment of symbolic boundaries within which people associate themselves with desired groups and/or distance themselves from less desirable ones. However, the relevance of the drug-cessation pathway to identity construction in an era of drug-use normalization has not yet been explored. The present study used thematic discourse analysis to compare the drug-cessation narrative and the reflected identity construction of 41 former drug users in Israel (25SCs and 16TCs). The findings revealed a shared trigger for drug cessation that was related to impaired functionality and a threat to their identity. However, the groups differed in other drug-cessation factors that served their identity-negotiation strategies. The SCs negotiated stigma by distancing themselves from other drugs users, minimizing drug risk, and denying the need for drug treatment. In contrast, the TCs negotiated stigma by distancing themselves from their former user identities, embracing the disease model of drug use, and confirming the necessity of treatment. This identity construction reflects continuous framing of ideals of subjectivity, such as self-regulation, which policy makers and treatment stakeholders should consider in developing services and conveying substance-use policy messages.

Unchurched Christian Nationalism and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election*

Prior research found that Christian nationalism was strongly associated with voting for Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. However, the effects of Christian nationalism may depend on voters’ religiosity. Using national data, we assess whether the association between Christian nationalism and Trump support differed for churchgoers and nonchurchgoers and find that Christian nationalism is not significantly associated with Trump support among churchgoing voters. Instead, Christian nationalism is only significantly associated with Trump support among unchurched voters. These results suggest that while religious sentiments remain key correlates of political attitudes and behavior in the United States, these ties may have less to do with embeddedness in traditional religious organizations and more to do with the ways people use religious narratives in everyday life to construct and defend symbolic boundaries. At a time when fewer Americans attend religious services, religious narratives about Christian nationhood may have their strongest political effects when, and perhaps because, they are detached from religious institutions.

Migrants’ Social Positioning Strategies in Transnational Social Spaces

This article examines the nexus of spatial and social mobility by focusing on how migrants in Germany use cultural, economic and moral boundaries to position themselves socially in transnational social spaces. It is based on a mixed-methods approach, drawing on qualitative interviews and panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey. By focusing on how people from different origins and classes use different sets of symbolic boundaries to give meaning to their social mobility trajectories, we link subjective positioning strategies with structural features of people’s mobility experience. We find that people use a class-specific boundary pattern, which has strong transnational features, because migrants tend to mix symbolic and material markers of status hierarchies relevant to both their origin and destination countries. We identify three different types of boundary patterns, which exemplify different ways in which objective structure and subjectively experienced inequalities influence migrants’ social positioning strategies in transnational spaces. These different types also exemplify how migrants’ habitus influences their social positioning strategies, depending on their mobility and social trajectory in transnational spaces.

Insights into the Use of Social Comparison in Migrants’ Transnational Social Positioning Strategies

This article discusses the role of social comparisons in the processes through which migrants make sense of their own social position from a transnational perspective. Migrants are often involved in transnational forms of life which influence their forms of belonging, their economic strategies, their moral values and their political actions. There is also evidence to suggest that migrants use transnational frames of reference to evaluate their social positioning within their origin and host countries. In this article, we offer a methodological approach to the study of social positions in transnational spaces which aims to account for the interplay between the markers of objectively verifiable social positions and their subjective assessment by migrants. Concretely, we focus on social comparison as a mechanism for symbolic boundary drawing processes, which help migrants to make sense of their (often differing) social positions within host and origin countries. Social comparisons help migrants to evaluate how they are seen and positioned by others and subsequently bring these assessments into line with their own social categories and evaluations of their social position in different places. These findings highlight the importance of social comparisons as a tool to investigate the interaction between social and spatial mobility.

Shifting categories, changing attitudes: A boundary work approach in the study of attitudes toward migrants

AbstractConsiderable research exists that examines attitudes toward migrants. Most studies are quantitative, relying on surveys or survey experiments, but a growing body of literature explores such attitudes from a qualitative perspective. At the same time, the study of symbolic boundaries and how people use cultural repertoires of meanings to draw distinctions between “us” and “them” is increasing. This review looks at research, both quantitative and qualitative, which has put these two streams of work into conversation with one another. We organize this work along three dimensions: (1) the micro‐level of individuals and their life‐worlds; (2) the meso‐level of negotiation among the moral communities of civil society; and (3) the macro‐level of institutions and policy. We also highlight those studies that cut across levels. By doing so, we help bridge the quantitative/qualitative divide. Studying attitudes toward migrants through the concept of symbolic boundaries allows us to apply a more sensitive and meaning‐centered approach toward attitude formation, contestation and change and to explore the linkages to available cultural repertoires.

Creating and upholding an elite community: ‘Consecrating exclusion’ in Djursholm, Sweden

This article addresses a largely neglected area of study in sociology, namely the consecration of people in elite communities. Through the notion of ‘consecrating exclusion’, I explore how Sweden’s foremost elite community Djursholm was founded in 1889, and how its aura and character as an exclusive neighbourhood are maintained today. Data come from historical material and a five-year ethnographic study consisting of field observations, interviews and archival material. I analyse how Djursholm was created as a sanctuary for the economic elite in Sweden and that its foremost purpose has been to socially elevate its residents, making them appear honourable and morally superior. I report how the community has defended its borders by various practices of exclusion, and how Djursholm aims to present itself as a role-model, a ‘shining city upon a hill’ which is critical to its social standing and status. The study contributes to the sociology of elites in three ways: (a) theoretically through the notion of ‘consecrating exclusion’, by synthesizing ideas on social and moral distinction with ideas on symbolic boundaries and moral hierarchies; (b) empirically by presenting in-depth qualitative data on the construction and maintenance of a peculiar elite community, noting that few studies have reported data from a neighbourhood designated as ‘elite’ from the start; and (c) methodologically by drawing on a mix of methods including historical documents, interviews and participant observation in order to examine both historical and contemporary aspects of ‘consecrating exclusion’.

MUSICAL TASTE AND SYMBOLIC BOUNDARY-WORK IN SERBIAN SOCIETY

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the relationship between social stratification and musical taste in present-day Serbia. Following a discussion about Bourdieu’s conceptualization of taste and contemporary theoretical approaches that rehabilitate Bourdieusian heritage, the presence of homology between social positions and musical tastes is tested in Serbian society. On the basis of collected qualitative material via interview, the author examines whether music serves as a symbolic mean that is used by the interviewees to place themselves in certain social groups by drawing symbolic boundaries between them and other social groups that are associated with other musical tastes. The analysis showed that there are differences in musical tastes among respondents based on their position on the stratification scale, manifested in choices and ways of listening to music, as well as that mechanisms of classification are hidden in speech about musical tastes.

Black workers in Silicon Valley: macro and micro boundaries

ABSTRACT Black workers are the least represented minority group in the Silicon Valley high-tech workforce, constituting only 2% of the workforce at many of the top firms. Using data from an interview-based study at one demographically representative firm, I examine the formation of inter-racial collegial relationships between Black workers and their non-Black counterparts, relationships that are pivotal for job ascension, advancement and professional trajectory. Drawing upon boundary theory, I separate out what I refer to as macro and micro boundaries. The former designates socially imposed large group divisions, such as the Black/non-Black symbolic boundary that excludes Black workers at the firm. The latter are individually asserted social identities, derived from hobbies, sports or other interests. Applied empirically, these frameworks reveal the relational labour that Black workers engaged in when forming alliances in the effort to confront the exclusionary Black/non-Black macro boundary in the high-tech workplace.

El Movimiento Animalista en Costa Rica y la lucha por la ley para penalizar el maltrato animal: oportunidades y representaciones simbólicas

Entre 2015 y 2017 Costa Rica vivió un ciclo de movilizaciones en favor de causas animalistas, la mayoría tenía por intención presionar para aprobar una ley que penalizara el maltrato hacia los animales con énfasis en las mascotas. En este texto se busca generar un análisis del Movimiento Animalista en Costa Rica centrado en la coyuntura de la lucha por la ley para penalizar el maltrato animal, dado que no existen investigaciones previas al respecto. El artículo se divide en siete acápites: la introducción, una recopilación histórica, tres secciones dedicadas a las teorías abordadas -teoría de nuevos movimientos sociales, estudios de fronteras simbólicas y teorías de performatividad-, luego se presenta el análisis y se finaliza con las conclusiones. Se parte de un estudio de caso con base en la revisión documental de libros y artículos académicos, que se ha complementado con entrevistas semiabiertas a activistas que han ocupado posiciones de liderazgo. Fueron identificadas las principales oportunidades que le permitieron a los liderazgos bienestaristas llevar la lucha por la ley contra el maltrato animal hasta su aprobación efectiva. Se identificaron sus motivaciones y las representaciones simbólicas que hicieron de estas, al tiempo que se hizo un esbozo inicial de los mismos elementos por parte de los sectores abolicionistas. La constitución del Movimiento Animalista giró en torno a la lucha por la obtención de la ley para penalizar el maltrato hacia los animales, lo cual refleja una predilección por la vía institucional. Los grupos abolicionistas son los que pueden reactivar el Movimiento luego de la aprobación de la ley, y las organizaciones bienestaristas han de ofrecerles su guía sin actitudes paternalistas, a la vez que deberán presionar al Estado para hacer cumplir la Ley N°9458 en medio de un ambiente político marcado por la austeridad fiscal.

Data Scientists’ Identity Work: Omnivorous Symbolic Boundaries in Skills Acquisition

Drawing on theories from the sociology of work and the sociology of culture, this article argues that members of nascent technical occupations construct their professional identity and claim status through an omnivorous approach to skills acquisition. Based on a discursive analysis of 56 semi-structured in-depth interviews with data scientists, data science professors and managers in Israel, it was found that data scientists mobilise the following five resources to construct their identity: (1) ability to bridge the gap between scientist’s and engineer’s identities; (2) multiplicity of theories; (3) intensive self-learning; (4) bridging technical and social skills; and (5) acquiring domain knowledge easily. These resources diverge from former generalist-specialist identity tensions described in the literature as they attribute a higher status to the generalist-omnivore and a lower one to the specialist-snob.

«Loyalty of Faithful Peoples». Manifestation of National Patriotism During the Visits of Emperor Franz Joseph to Lviv

The article focuses on concrete examples - the visits of Emperor Franz Joseph, and how the city of Lviv presented itself. And how this representation has changed over time - from the neo-absolutism of the 50s of the XIX century to the broad autonomy of the early XXth century. What social groups dominated, how national communities fought for the right to be heard. How they built a symbolic relationship between the emperor and his subjects. The methodological basis of the study comprises the principles of historicism, objectivity and systematics. General scientific and special research methods were used in solving the set tasks: historiographical analysis, generalization, quantitative, chronological, retrospective. The scientific novelty of the work lies in a comprehensive analysis of the state of study of the issue in modern historiography and comparison of existing data with the available evidence of the time. Conclusions. For almost 70 years, from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth century, Galicia as part of the Habsburg Empire went from brutal rule from Vienna to broad autonomy. At the same time, the nature of relations between the main national groups (Poles, Jews and Ukrainians) changed. These groups, using the opportunities provided by the constitution, developed and represented themselves to the authorities, delineated symbolic boundaries, interacted with each other. They also mobilized their members for certain mass events, such as the emperor's visits or other national demonstrations. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the ritual of emperor’s visits to the province had already been practiced, as had the symbolic roles of the emperor. He was a philanthropist, military leader, judge, “father” etc. Galicia and Lviv (as the capital city of the province) in the beginning were simply recipients of these rituals and symbols. However, over time, local elites began to form their own programs, emphasize their own symbols, that is, actively involved in this process. And this activity is important for understanding the history of the region at that time. Especially when you consider that imperial rituals have become a model on which local elites built some national traditions of mass politics. The traditions of demonstrations, festive illumination, construction of triumphal arches, military orchestras and much more were borrowed from the imperial ritual and adapted by local elites to their needs. If we understand how it worked at the level "faithful subjects greet a just monarch", we can look differently at the mass politics of the early twentieth century, when the streets of Lviv became a stage for the political drama of modern times.

Granice nowego dramatu serbskiego — płynne i stale wytyczane na nowo. Perspektywa lokalna i recepcja w Polsce

Since the turn of the millennium, Serbian drama has been increasingly valued and recognized in the post-Yugoslav region and in Europe. In recent years, the process of globalization has become progressively stronger, with an improved infrastructure for promotion that has made possible the crossing of material and symbolic boundaries. This in turn has led to transformations in artistic expression, as well as increasing opportunities for mobility, co-productions, and translations. The status of the drama has been somewhat problematic because of its situation between literature and theatre. Its heterogeneous nature has required the development of an appropriate method of presentation. The performative/stage reading has emerged as a compelling answer.

How do new nations arise? The case of the Kashubians

The main aim of the article is to describe and interpret the national aspirations of the part of Kashubian leaders. The discussions concerning the ethnic character of the community have been taking place for the last three decades. Different voices could be heard, among which there is one claiming that the Kashubs are a separate nation. In my paper, I focus on three issues. First of all, I analyze how a nation is conceptualized by them, generally. Secondly, I show how they are talking about their group of belonging, what vision of their own nation they share, how they define criteria for membership and how they construct symbolic boundaries. Thirdly, I concentrate on the process which can be named as the mechanics of construction of a nation. This concept well described in sociological and anthropological literature (i.a. A.D. Smith, R. Brubaker, C. Calhoun, T.H.Eriksen. E. Gellner, B. Anderson), still evokes some questions, especially if it is applied to rather new phenomena, as the Kashubian case. At the end, I will deliberate whether the concept of nationalism or the concept of identity politics better explains current ethnic/national processes, especially in the discussed group. The analysis of this case enable not only to show the example of national process taking place in this part of Europe, but also to formulate some general conclusions concerning ethnicity nowadays. An empirical material which will be the base of this paper comes from my field work which I have been conducting since 2008.

Cultivating membership abroad: Analyzing German pre-integration courses for Turkish marriage migrants

ABSTRACT Addressing research on migration governance, this article examines German pre-integration courses offered to Turkish marriage migrants in Istanbul. The courses were implemented in response to growing concern about the perceived poor integration of Muslim migrants and a high number of forced marriages. I argue that these courses are a micro form of biopolitical governance. Specifically, they are an attempt to generate internalized ways of being and knowing that are desired by the state, which I call ‘membership cultivation.’ As such, the courses are not precisely aimed at restricting migration as in other pre-integration measures, nor are they mainly reinforcing symbolic boundaries and teaching liberalism as in post-migration German civic integration courses. Rather, the courses attempt to re-make migrants with regards to morality, culture and gender. Using participant observation and in-depth interviews, this research examines the disciplinary mechanisms targeting migrants’ transformation to enhance our understanding of the biopolitics of pre-integration governance.

A two-dimensional boundary: Sunnis’ perceptions of Alevis

ABSTRACT Alevi-Sunni relations in Turkey are the result of a relational process constructed from contributions of each side rather than each groups’ perceptions of the other. Boundaries between Alevis and Sunnis in Turkey have been constructed relationally with the contributions of many complicated socio-political factors. This article aims to answer the question of what the symbolic boundaries between the two groups are, seeking to understand how Sunnis perceive Alevis. This aim will cast light on the nature of the two groups’ relations, help us recognize forms of Alevism and Sunnism specific to Turkey, and advance existing literature on the issue. This paper’s findings are based on ninety semi-structured and two focus group interviews with Sunnis living in Istanbul. Results show that the concept of ‘two-dimensional symbolic boundary,’ which runs along dimensions of not-knowing and not-accepting, is the answer to the question of how Sunnis perceive Alevis. The main components of these dimensions are perceptions, which seem to relate to the interpretations of group norms and values. This study, as a group-based analysis, reveals that perceived group norms – whether religious, cultural, social, or political – determine the perceptions of Sunnis towards Alevis and create dimensions of the boundary between the two groups.