Identity

Description: In defiance of an increasingly hostile rhetoric and political climate towards migration, there has been a surge of online audio/visual platforms where immigrants come together to highlight their ethnic identities. In the context of transit migration in Mexico, this project explores transnational identity formation among Latinx migrants, looking at how they translate their lived experiences to a digital space through audiovisual self-representation. Combining theories and methods of Translation, Migration and (Digital) Media Studies, this research aims to analyse how a sense of identity and belonging emerges on migratory routes and in digital spaces where information circulates and transnational communities are forged. Youtube channels, Facebook, Whatsapp groups, etc. about and by Latin-American migrants are treated in this project as new forms of translation whose discourse can be defined through their contexts, actors, and practices.
Website research project: https://research.ugent.be/web/result/project/f7873505-674d-11ee-b1ad-3dd08fb7752a/details/bof-sta-202309-006-belonging-in-translation--the-audiovisual-transfer-of-latinidad/en
Promoter(s): Alexandra Sanchez , July De Wilde
Researcher(s): Elisa Robbe
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy , Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Period of time: 2023 - 2027

Description: In Europe, blood for transfusion is collected from voluntary, non-remunerated donors. In public discourse, blood donation is framed as an exemplary act of citizenship and solidarity. Despite sufficient blood supply, however, only a small percentage of the population donates, and in particular, ethnic minorities are underrepresented. Existing research has mainly focused on identifying cultural and structural barriers experienced by minorities. This project argues that such a donor-centered approach prevents us from questioning in a more fundamental way how the non-participation of ethnic minorities challenges the basic architecture of the blood procurement system as a Western beacon of citizenship and solidarity. We therefore conduct a country-comparison between Belgium and the UK, representing two different blood collection systems, to explore how ethnic minorities challenge the organization of blood collection.
Promoter(s): Lesley Hustinx , Pierre Monforte
Researcher(s): Toyah Van der Poten
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
Period of time: 2022 - 2026

Description: The main aim of this research project is an intersectional analysis of in- and excluding mechanisms in higher education for ethnic minority students and those from socio-economically vulnerable groups. During this project, the researcher(s) will investigate barriers & support-systems within higher education in a comprehensive way. To do so, two perspectives are employed: the agency perspective (i.e., the perspective of the student) and the system perspective (i.e., the perspective of the lecturer and system of higher education).
Website research project: https://research.flw.ugent.be/en/projects/diversity-and-inclusion-higher-education
Promoter(s): Wendelien Vantieghem
Researcher(s): Jente De Coninck
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2022 - 2026

Description: In this project, I aim to analyse the importance of women’s hair, bringing new focus to everyday intimate lifeworlds, processes of social transformation, and new religious identities in Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon and the UAE. I will thus have a significant impact on the global headscarf debate. While an abundance of literature and research exists on the headscarf, hair itself remains a neglected theme, despite being central to issues of identity, beauty and sexuality. The ways that women wear their hair, think about it, and feel about it are the subject of much contestation. Hair is both a mundane and a disputed issue for many women. As such, it is a conflictual field that spans the negotiation of power relations, gender hierarchies, sexual politics, religious norms and consumer trends. Hair is an emotional, intimate matter and a political, religious and social symbol. The study of hair thus allows for key insights into the multitude of “inner” and “outer” experiences that women face.
Website research project: https://research.ugent.be/web/result/project/68fb0c91-82ec-11ee-a12f-13e781176a7f/details/en
Promoter(s): Lisa Franke
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2024 - 2028

Description: The Hub Developing in Diversity wants to apply social innovation to increase opportunities for all children, youth and adults in Ghent. We mainly address social inequality in a learning context, by fully utilizing diversity. The Hub designs solutions which support them in their development and help them to build a future. The Hub is a space where innovative ideas are tested in short-term experiments, which can influence opinion, vision and policy regarding diversity. The experiments build on cocreation and exchange of knowledge and expertise, between Higher Education institutes of Ghent, the City of Ghent, citizens, institutions and organisations. The Hub will be fully operating by the end of 2021. In the meantime we set up a couple of pilots and prepare the working of the hub.
Website research project: https://www.ontwikkelenindiversiteit.be/
Promoter(s): Wendelien Vantieghem , Piet Van Avermaet
Researcher(s): Iris Vandevelde , Sofie Beunen , Eva Dierickx
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2019 - 2035

Description: This project examines conviviality as an everyday practice of bridging religious and cultural difference from the perspective of Muslim minorities in Belgium. It aims to reveal the modalities in which Islamic frames of reference and ethics are mobilized by individuals while striving for harmonious convivial living together across religious difference. The project investigates conviviality in relation to notions of tolerance in Islamic theological and philosophical writings bearing on Western urban contexts. These insights are complemented by in-depth anthropological fieldwork. This project empirically investigates how Belgian Muslims engage in everyday ethical thought and practice while seeking conviviality and negotiating identity. Analysis will identify obstacles and categories of experiences of success and failure while seeking convivial living. Doing so, this project offers solid and evidence-based research on highly neglected facets of Muslim life in Europe.
Promoter(s): Chia Longman
Researcher(s): An Van Raemdonck
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Period of time: 2022 - 2025

Description: People are forced to flee their country for numerous reasons, one of them could be the persecution they fear on the ground of their sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). My research listens to the experiences of SOGI applicants for international protection in Belgium: in the reception centres, with LGBTIQ+ organisations and during their asylum interview. Their experiences, narratives and self-identification are all shaped by the people and systems they encounter, and those they eventually need to convince of the credibility of their SOGI - which might be different from what fits within the dominant Western LGBTIQ+ discourse of the listener-assessor.
Promoter(s): Ellen Desmet , Marlies Casier
Researcher(s): Liselot Casteleyn
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Law and Criminology
Period of time: 2020 - 2024

Description: After entering the European mainland, an increasing amount of refugees continues their journey to the United Kingdom by crossing the English Channel. In the media, these men and boys are often displayed as being dangerous, undesirable and a threat to society. As a result of such gender stereotypes, they are perceived as less vulnerable when compared to women and children. Yet, each individual affected by forced displacement is inevitably exposed to adversities at different levels. Therefore, our research project (2021-2025) aims to gain deeper understanding about the impact of adversities, including violence, during transit on the health, wellbeing and gender identity of this mobile population in Belgium and France. Ultimately, the findings of the study will generate policy recommendations and response strategies for practice.
Promoter(s): Ines Keygnaert , Ilse Derluyn , Massil Benbouriche , Caroline Desombre
Researcher(s): Leni Linthout
Faculty / Faculties: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Period of time: 2021 - 2025