Being both German and Other: Narratives of contested national identity among white and Turkish German young adults

Abstract

Recent discursive research has built on Michael Billig's theory of banal nationalism, arguing that minoritized individuals who explicitly claim adherence to a national group may be further marginalized from a perceived majority who view such acts as socially undesirable. In Germany, a master narrative of muted national pride precludes hot nationalism, while a narrative of integration calls for overt national allegiance from anyone perceived as Other. Integration is demanded not only of recent immigrants, but also of the second generation and beyond, bolstering a related narrative of unquestioned Germanness as ethnically based. We conducted narrative analysis of interviews with white and Turkish German young adults to explore these master narratives, examining national identity through the lens of banal and hot nationalism. We found it is not only hot nationalism that marginalized Turkish German participants, but also the unrealizable narrative of integration. Situated within research into exclusionary notions of German identity, we argue that the integration demand reiterates the narrative of Germany as ethnically homogenous while fostering a feedback loop of contested belonging. With the recent increase in refugees and other immigrants, this critical examination of identity and belonging in Germany offers a timely and underexamined perspective to an important discussion.

Intersectionality and Youth Identity Development Research in Europe

“…For instance, we know that anti-Muslim discourse in Europe shapes not only everyday interactions but also policies (Yurdakul and Korteweg, 2013;Cowden and Singh, 2017) and norms of belonging (Moffitt et al, 2018). We also know it is deeply intertwined with anti-immigrant sentiment (Reijerse et al, 2013) and that both of these dominant discourses include different norms and expectations based on gender, heritage, and numerous other social categories.…”

“…Situated largely in the tradition of British critical social psychology, there is a growing investigation into everyday productions of citizenship (Barnes et al, 2004;Condor, 2011;Williams, 2013), particularly in relation to an "earned citizenship" discourse (Andreouli and Dashtipour, 2014). Using primarily discursive methods, researchers have examined how individuals engage with mainstream narratives of who is "deserving" of citizenship and national belonging and who is not, highlighting the dynamic interplay between societal expectations and individual identity negotiation (Andreouli, 2013;Andreouli and Dashtipour, 2014;Antonsich, 2015;Moffitt et al, 2018). This work continues in the critical psychology tradition of crossing disciplinary boundaries, drawing on cultural and ethnic studies to recognize the impact of politics and power in identity construction.…”

Changes in Turkish- and Resettler-origin Adolescents’ Acculturation Profiles of Identification: A Three-year Longitudinal Study from Germany

“…This is particularly the case for Turkish-origin youth in Germany whose national belonging in Germany? is often contested by mainstream members of society (Moffitt et al 2018 ). Individuals of Turkish-origin are the largest immigrant group in Germany, comprising around three million people.…”

Changes in Turkish- and resettler-origin adolescents’ acculturation profiles of identification: A three-year longitudinal study from Germany

“…In the case of non-settler societies like Germany with an essentialist conception of national identity based on ancestry (Pehrson, Vignoles, & Brown, 2009), it is difficult for phenotypically visible ethnic minority members to be accepted as co-nationals (i.e., group boundaries are rather impermeable). This is the case for Turkish-origin youth in Germany for whom national identity is often contested by other members of society (Moffitt, Juang, & Syed, 2018). By contrast, group boundaries are more permeable for ethnic German resettlers from the former Soviet Union (Schulz & Leszczensky, 2016) who received privileged citizenship rights based on their German ancestry.…”