Citizenship and the past: historical culture in Flemish and Dutch Social Orientation courses for newcomers.

In both Flanders and The Netherlands, there is a growing tendency towards the culturalization of citizenship. This is especially present in integration policies, which increasingly emphasize values, norms, cultural practices, and historical narratives. This research project investigates how citizenship is culturalized within civic integration courses, with a particular focus on the role of historical culture. It explores how history is used as a tool in policies aimed at community-building, and how this use interacts with the position of the metaphorical ‘other’. This research makes a comparison between Flanders and The Netherlands, and is conducted on three levels: the policy level, the content and teaching practices of the courses, and the perceptions and experiences of newcomers.