This paper examines responses to the 2015 terror attack on Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, amongst students in a secondary school in Berlin-Neukolln, Germany. The Charlie Hebdo attack... Show moreThis paper examines responses to the 2015 terror attack on Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, amongst students in a secondary school in Berlin-Neukolln, Germany. The Charlie Hebdo attack occurred in the final weeks of a 19-month ethnographic study in the community. By analyzing the responses in the school to this critical event, we identify what is at stake for Muslim students. Students presented many explanations for why the attack happened, and opinions on whether the attackers' actions were justified. Staff were alarmed about students' viewpoints that they considered "extreme". These dynamics resulted in conflicts and misunderstandings amongst students, and between students and staff. Yet, we show that, rather than the violence itself, or questions about its legitimacy, it was everyday processes in students' lives - e.g., bullying, peer pressure and discrimination, and feelings of being misrepresented and misunderstood - that were central to students' reactions to the event. We suggest that to understand students' reactions, both the immediate and the broader socio-political contexts must be considered, particularly rising xenophobia and processes of polarization in Germany and Europe at large. We thus conclude that to understand young people's reactions to terrorist acts, we need to look beyond initial statements and explore ethnographically how wider contexts shape the actions, reactions, and future orientations of young Muslims in Europe. Show less
Hendriks, T.D.; Reis, R.; Sostakova, M.; Berckmoes, L.H. 2020
This study explores how children in conflict-affected Burundi deal with violence in their everyday lives. Focusing on schools as a context in which children are prepared for further roles in... Show moreThis study explores how children in conflict-affected Burundi deal with violence in their everyday lives. Focusing on schools as a context in which children are prepared for further roles in society, child-centred, qualitative and mixed-methods research was conducted at 36 primary schools throughout Burundi. Findings reveal that children use a variety of strategies to deal with violence they encounter. These strategies reflect a learned 'logic of violence', matching dynamics of violence and vulnerability in society at large. Children's strategies are ultimately aimed at reducing vulnerability to (future) violence and indicative of the omnipresence of violence and uncertainty in Burundi. (C) 2019 The Authors. Children & Society published by National Children's Bureau and John Wiley & Sons Ltd Show less
