Evelien Tonkens

Prof. Evelien H. Tonkens is a sociologist; since 2005 she occupies an Endowed Chair in Active Citizenship at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. She is also a columnist for the daily Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant.

Her research concerns (mostly qualitative) sociological analysis of ideals and practices of citizenship. It is concentrated in three topics in particular:

1. Citizenship ideals, practices and projects as a response to tensions between ethnic groups in the context of globalization and immigration. How are various citizenship practices (citizens groups, citizens’ initiatives) expected to be a response to these tensions? What do citizens of various backgrounds themselves think of their rights and duties in relation to each other and in relation to institutions? She supervised research projects on various local projects concerned with promoting interethnic contacts such as the Dialogue Day (Dag van de dialoog), still available on actiefburgerschap.nl, and Elderly Migrants for a New Amsterdam (Omwana). With her ASSR-collegue Menno Hurenkamp she recently finished a research project on citizenship and belonging for the Minister in charge of integration (Vogelaar), that will be published in the fall of 2008.

Currently there is a move to a culturalization of citizenship, with more stress on cultural practices and emotional issues like belonging, loyalty and identity. This culturalization of citizenship is the object of a four year research project Citizenship, National Canons, and the Issue of Cultural Diversity. The Netherlands in International Perspective  primarily funded by the Dutch organization for scientific research NWO, together with her ASSR-colleagues prof. Jan Willem Duyvendak and prof. Peter Geschiere, 3 PhD-students, one post-doc and various research fellows in host countries like Morocco, the Antilleans and Turkey.

2. Citizenship practices and projects as a response to welfare state reform and new ideals of (informal) care and participation of vulnerable groups in the neighborhood; this concerns practices and ideals of citizen participation, both in terms of  practical participation (informal care, volunteering) and in terms of deliberative participation (clients’ organizations, clients’ panels).  What is expected of citizens in the context of welfare state reform? How are relations between private and public, and between formal and informal social care rephrased in these reforms?  Which new ideals of citizenship emerge in these developments? How do they function in practice?

With two colleagues she recently published a report on cooperation between formal and informal caregivers and patients of various ethnic backgrounds, In search of resonating joy. Cooperation between (in)formal care givers and patients in the multicultural city,for the Municipality of Amsterdam, one-line available at nicis.nl.

With her ASSR- colleagues Jan Willem Duyvendak and Loes Verplanke she is lead partner in the multi-year project on citizenship and care and welfare reform in which the University of Amsterdam, various municipalities and other local partners such as care and welfare organizations participate, coordinated and co-financed by the national research organization NICIS Institute.

She supervises a PhD on citizenship ideals and practices for psychiatric patients (with prof. D. Willems and dr. J. Pols from AMC-Uva) and a research project on participation of ethnic minorities in health care projects (with Prof. K. Stronks, dr. T. Plochg and dr. V. Mulder from AMC-Uva).

Also, a PhD project in this research line, co-financed by Cordaan, Aedes, three housing corporations (Rentree, Mitros and Stadgenoot) and by St. Gamma Dienstverlening and Nicis, will start at the fall of 2008.

Much of this research is also embedded in the Informal care research network (www.onderzoeksnetwerkwmo.nl), a cooperation project of the University of Amsterdam with the University of Applied Science Amsterdam (HvA).

3. Citizenship practices and projects as a response to changes in governance more generally in the context of responsabilisation; particularly the implications for the relations between citizens and institutions. What is the role of citizen groups and citizen participation, particularly on the local level?  How is citizenship promoted in order to improve the quality of the relation between citizens, professionals and institutions?

With her ASSR-colleagues Menno Hurenkamp and Jan Willem Duyvendak she produced a research report on citizen groups in the Netherlands, for the Home Office in 2006, on line available at nicis.nl

With two colleagues, she currently works on a research in (deliberative) citizen participation in care and welfare organizations and housing corporations, to be published in the fall of 2008.

She also supervises three PhD projects in this line of research: one on ideals implicit in citizenship education, one on youth boards, and one on accountability in welfare organizations.

A new PhD project, financed by Aedes, VSBfund, and three housing corporations (Stadsgenoot, Rentree and Mitros), Gamma dienstverlening and Nicis) on citizen groups and citizens initiatives in the cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Deventer started in the fall of 2008.

Together with prof. Janet Newman from the Open University in Milton Keynes U.K. she works on a co-edited book on active citizenship.