Uncertain Citizenship: Life in the Waiting Room

Uncertainty is central to citizenship governance, but it is erased or denied. This book investigates uncertain citizenship from the perspective of 'citizenization,' which involves the making and unmaking of citizens and migrants and the indefinite holding of many applicants for citizenship in the 'waiting room of citizenship.' Fortier's theory of citizenization highlights that the full achievement of citizenship is always deferred and that citizenization and migratization are intimately linked. Drawing on multi-sited fieldwork, the book provides a rich empirical understanding of how citizenship takes place, takes time, and takes hold in ways that conform, exceed, and confound frames of reference. It offers a nuanced account of the social and institutional function of citizenization and migratization and provides theoretical and empirical tools to address racial inequalities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 07 April 2021
Publisher: Manchester University Press

Uncertainty is a fundamental aspect of citizenship governance, yet it is often erased or denied. This book delves into the realm of uncertain citizenship, focusing on the experiences of migrants and citizens who are caught in the process of "citizenization," a twenty-first-century integration and naturalization measure that creates and dismantles citizens and migrants, while keeping many applicants in a state of limbo known as the "waiting room of citizenship."

Fortier's unique theory of citizenization centers around the idea that the full realization of citizenship is always postponed, as migrants and citizens are continuously subjected to processes of citizenization and migratization. These processes are intricately linked within the structures of racial governmentality, which undermine the citizenship of racially marginalized individuals and perpetuate their status as perpetual migrants.

Through extensive fieldwork with migrants seeking citizenship or settlement and with state intermediaries responsible for implementing citizenization measures and policies, Fortier brings the waiting room of citizenship to life, providing empirical evidence to support her theoretical claims. By examining the experiences of those in the waiting room, Fortier sheds light on how citizenship unfolds, takes time, and takes hold in ways that both conform to and challenge prevailing frames of reference established in citizenization policies and common understandings of "the citizen" and "the migrant."

Uncertain Citizenships offers a nuanced analysis of the social and institutional roles of citizenization and migratization, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the racial inequalities that these processes produce and perpetuate. The book offers theoretical frameworks and empirical tools to address these inequalities, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive society.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 145 x 225 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526139085