Tolerance, Identity, and Difference in Amsterdam

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Note: participating students will be required to register for CHID 298 in Winter quarter (two credits, CR/NC). 

Russell Shorto has called Amsterdam “the world’s most liberal city,” and indeed, the Netherlands is well known for its “tolerant” approaches to drug enforcement, legalized sex work, and gay rights. However, recent events have brought this self-congratulatory attitude into question. In debates over the supposed crises of immigration and multiculturalism, public commentators from across the political spectrum have argued for the limits of tolerance and the need to defend Dutch national identity against intolerant views, especially those allegedly associated with Islam. Large segments of the Dutch populace—and prominent politicians—have expressed fear, revulsion, and anger towards Dutch Muslims, whether recent immigrants or the children or grandchildren of so-called “guest workers” from Morocco and Turkey who helped power the Netherlands’s economic recovery after World War II.

Following pre-departure coursework during Winter quarter, this intensive, two-week Spring Break program contextualizes these debates by critically exploring the discourse of tolerance in the narratives of Dutch national history and in contemporary debates about the place of religion, race, gender, and sexuality in Dutch identity. Using Amsterdam as our site of analysis, we will interrogate Dutch ideas and practices of tolerance and learn how race and religion are mobilized in contemporary debates over national identity. We will meet with Dutch academics, politicians, and local activists, and students will be asked to reflect on how these discussions intersect with their own experiences, both abroad and at home.