Ethnic identity, social mobility and the role of soulmates
Autor
Slootman, Marieke
Institución
Resumen
My background in Physics and my career start as a Management Consultant often
raises eyebrows. The knowledge that one of my early (and strong!) drivers was to
prove myself as a woman often softens this surprise and explains the switch to
Gender Studies. It then comes as no surprise that I am driven by the question of
what it is like to belong to a minority group. (Or, as I would phrase it after writing
an academic book: I am intrigued by what it is like to be seen as a member of what
is considered to be a minority category.)
Remarkably enough, this interest was not inspired primarily by my ethnic
background. It was not until I learned about the formal Dutch categorization system
in one of my Social Science classes that I realized I was formally an ‘allochtoon’
(foreigner). Until then, the fact that my father and grandparents were from
Indonesia did not mean more to me than my grandma’s lovely spring rolls and the
water bottle typically found next to the toilet. It still doesn’t. I suppose that
something as ‘superficial’ as my Dutch name has been an important reason that I
never questioned whether I belonged in the Netherlands. This contrasts with many
others, whose ethnic backgrounds have a large impact on their sense of belonging.
I find this an intriguing observation.