Tolerated citizenship and FGM-safeguarding: experiences of unbelonging for those of Somali-heritage living in Bristol, UK
Tolerated citizenship and FGM-safeguarding: experiences of unbelonging for those of Somali-heritage living in Bristol, UK
The UN has stated its aim to eliminate ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ by 2030. In adherence to this, many countries have introduced or enhanced legislative and policy measures aimed at prevention through surveillance and punishment. In the European context, while protecting young girls from harm is the notional purpose of such measures, political and media debates have often been framed within nation-building rhetoric: across Europe ‘FGM’ has become the de rigour signifier of the vilified migrant/Muslim Other. This paper explores the impact of FGM-safeguarding measures in relation to citizenship and belonging for people of Somali heritage living in Bristol, England. It contributes to the incipient critical scholarship concerned with the powerful but blinkered hegemonic narrative pedalled by the UN and the policy turn within Europe towards prevention-through-criminalisation. Further, it advances debates on the conundrum of inclusive citizenship considering how a policy intervention which was initiated with widespread support among affected groups and undertaken on an anti-racist platform, resulted in stigmatisation and racism. Using Anderson’s (Us and Them? The Dangerous Politics of Immigration Control. Oxford: OUP) framework of citizenship as a ‘community of value’, the paper also contributes to the growing body of work on how citizenship is experienced and the symbiotic and interdependent relationship between status, rights and identity.
Inclusive citizenship, female genital mutilation, safeguarding, criminalisation
4547-4566
Carver, Natasha
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Karlsen, Saffron
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Mogilnicka, Magda
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Pantazis, Christina
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Carver, Natasha
6fe50d7b-ed6d-4865-8810-29fda60c1983
Karlsen, Saffron
ee475232-62ee-4405-a603-dbb74e80c5ad
Mogilnicka, Magda
99b42ae0-17cf-4b08-9962-4ab607e58b13
Pantazis, Christina
c642655a-80b3-4e42-93a4-ea4ac204bf3b
Carver, Natasha, Karlsen, Saffron, Mogilnicka, Magda and Pantazis, Christina
(2022)
Tolerated citizenship and FGM-safeguarding: experiences of unbelonging for those of Somali-heritage living in Bristol, UK.
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48 (19), .
(doi:10.1080/1369183X.2022.2095257).
Abstract
The UN has stated its aim to eliminate ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ by 2030. In adherence to this, many countries have introduced or enhanced legislative and policy measures aimed at prevention through surveillance and punishment. In the European context, while protecting young girls from harm is the notional purpose of such measures, political and media debates have often been framed within nation-building rhetoric: across Europe ‘FGM’ has become the de rigour signifier of the vilified migrant/Muslim Other. This paper explores the impact of FGM-safeguarding measures in relation to citizenship and belonging for people of Somali heritage living in Bristol, England. It contributes to the incipient critical scholarship concerned with the powerful but blinkered hegemonic narrative pedalled by the UN and the policy turn within Europe towards prevention-through-criminalisation. Further, it advances debates on the conundrum of inclusive citizenship considering how a policy intervention which was initiated with widespread support among affected groups and undertaken on an anti-racist platform, resulted in stigmatisation and racism. Using Anderson’s (Us and Them? The Dangerous Politics of Immigration Control. Oxford: OUP) framework of citizenship as a ‘community of value’, the paper also contributes to the growing body of work on how citizenship is experienced and the symbiotic and interdependent relationship between status, rights and identity.
Text
Tolerated citizenship and FGM-safeguarding experiences of unbelonging for those of Somali-heritage living in Bristol UK
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 23 June 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 30 July 2022
Additional Information:
The authors would like to thank Hannelore Van Bavel and the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
Keywords:
Inclusive citizenship, female genital mutilation, safeguarding, criminalisation
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 496875
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/496875
ISSN: 1369-183X
PURE UUID: aec29981-7f48-446d-968f-08b09cb05d2a
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Date deposited: 08 Jan 2025 11:27
Last modified: 10 Jan 2025 03:21
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Author:
Natasha Carver
Author:
Saffron Karlsen
Author:
Magda Mogilnicka
Author:
Christina Pantazis
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