Engaged Scholarship Narratives of Change

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Rethink the role and responsibility of academia in contributing to the societal inclusion of refugees

The aim of this project is to gather transformative narratives that help us to identify normalized sources of exclusion, as well as to discover turning points, or conditions, which enable inclusion and support a shift from silence towards action.

Transformative narratives serve as catalysts for sustained and critical reflections among stakeholders regarding normalized images and exclusionary practices affecting refugees in organizations, in policy, and in society.

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blog 07.04.2021

Inclusivity Means Breaking the “Otherness” Fixation

Despite well-intended efforts, many progressives do not succeed in making their own living and working environments more diverse. Sociologist Halleh Ghorashi explores why inequalities continue to grow and exclusionary spaces persist, reflecting on her own experience and insights as a scholar and an asylum seeker in the Netherlands. When it comes to promoting diversity, good intentions are not enough. Tackling exclusion and hierarchies demands a deeper questioning of normative thinking that assumes people with a migration background are different and disadvantaged.

Corona Crisis, BLM and Engaged Scholarship

The corona crisis acts as both an accelerator of the effects of our (consumption) behaviour and a magnifying glass on the sources of inequality and imbalance in our societies. In short, this crisis shows that what we thought was normal has been quite detrimental to our survival on several fronts. Think for example of the consequences of unrestrained growth on nature and human relations or those of unlimited consumption/production based on what one wants, not what one needs – desire versus need -, or the negative consequences of unlimited mobility.

The naked fact: Why first impressions and sensations matter in research

I have always found it fascinating how decisions can unexpectedly lead us to new people, situations and places. No matter how minor some of these encounters might look, they can activate infinite possibilities and journeys. It is only a matter of expecting the unexpected and being open to it.