200129 - Local civil society dynamics in territorially stigmatized neighbourhoods. The case of Molenbeek, Brussels

Seminar Cities are back in town "Local civil society dynamics in territorially stigmatized neighbourhoods. The case of Molenbeek, Brussels" (PDF, 109 Ko)

Wednesday 29 January 2020, 5 – 7 pm, LIEPP conference room, 254, boulevard Saint-Germain, 75007 Paris


This lecture is concerned with local civil society dynamics in territorially stigmatized urban neighbourhoods. Some scholars have argued that territorial stigmatization leads to social disorganization and a weakening of local civil society. Others have nuanced this and stress the importance of specific neighbourhood characteristics (e.g. in terms of provisions) or the possibility of collective resistance against territorial stigma as mediating factors. In this lecture, Stijn Oosterlynck explores local civil society dynamics in stigmatized neighbourhoods through an in-depth case study of the multicultural and disadvantaged neighbourhood Molenbeek in Brussels, Belgium. By mapping Molenbeek’s associational life, he empirically nuances and debunks some of the popular myths about the social disorganization and ghettoization of this municipality. Furthermore, his research indicates that the unusual social, political and cultural setup that characterizes Molenbeek as an urban district creates a rich and multi-layered, albeit segmented local civil society.

Speaker: Stijn Oosterlynck, Associate Professor in Urban Sociology, University of Antwerp

Stijn Oosterlynck’s research is concerned with local social innovation and welfare state restructuring, the political sociology of urban development, urban renewal and community building, new forms of solidarity in diversity and urban diversity policies. He is the chair of the Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change (CRESC, formerly OASeS) and the Antwerp Urban Studies Institute.

Collective Discussion

Contact: citiesarebackintown@sciencespo.fr

Compulsory registration - For the external people to Sciences Po: You will have to arrive 10 minutes before the beginning of the seminar and to provide you with your identity papers)

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