Abstract
For the first time in the Netherlands, immigrants were granted the right to vote and to be elected at the 1980 District Council elections in Rotterdam. The results of a research study of urban anthropology clearly show that, contrary to the “universalist” expectations usually found in the Netherlands, Turks and, Moroccans voted more in accordance with the behaviour prevailing in the network of the political leaders (“entrepreneurs”) of local ethnic communities. On the one hand these leaders act as intermediaries between their clients and the Dutch society’s socio-cultural institutions; on the other hand, their personalistic patronage policy brings in oligarchization inside their ethnical community.
Resume
Lors de l’élection de nouveaux conseils municipaux à Rotterdam en 1980, les immigrés ont reçu, pour la première fois aux Pays-Bas, le droit de voter et celui d’être élu. Les résultats d’une recherche d’anthropologie urbaine font apparaître que, contrairement aux attentes “universalistes” habituelles aux Pays-Bas, les Turcs et les Marocains votent davantage en accord avec les lignes de conduite qui prévalent dans les réseaux des “chefs” politiques des communautés ethniques locales. D’une part, ces “chefs” agissent comme intermédiaires entre leurs “clients” et les institutions socio-culturelles de la société néerlandaise; d’autre part, leur politique de patronages personnels introduit des structures oligarchiques à l’intérieur de leur communauté ethnique.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ANDEWEG, R.B., K.L.L.M. DITTRICH, M.P.H. VAN HAEFTEN (1975), “Aan de deur geen politiek ?” (No politics at the door ?), inActa Politica, Vol. X/3, pp. 237–254.
BAILEY, F.G. (1969),Strategems and Spoils. A Social Anthropology of Politics, Oxford, Basil Blackwell.
BANCK, G.A. (1977), “Persistence en verandering” (Persistence and change), inJagen met een kat..., schaarse middelen en sociale relaties in de Braziliaanse Staat Espirito Santo (Hunting with a cat..., scarce resources and social relations in the Brazilian State Espirito Santo), Amsterdam, CEDLA, pp. 7–21.
BOISSEVAIN, J. (1969), “Patrons as Brokers”, inSociologische Gids, Vol. 16/6, pp. 379–386.
BOISSEVAIN, J. (1974),Friends of Friends. Networks, Manipulators and Coalitions, Oxford, Basil Blackwell.
BOROWIEC, W.A. (1975), “Persistence and Change in the Gate-keeper Role of Ethnic Leaders: The Case of the Polish-American”, inPolitical Anthropology, Vol. 1/1, pp. 21–41.
BROWN, K. (1977), “Changing Forms of Patronage in a Moroccan City”, in E. Gellner and J. Waterbury (eds),Patrons and Clients in Mediterranean Societies, London, Duckworth, pp. 309–328.
BRUINESSEN, M.M. van (1978),Agha, Shaikh and State. On the Social and Political Organization of Kurdistan, Ph. D. Thesis, State University of Utrecht.
DEAKIN, N. (1972), “Political Rights of Minority Groups”, in H. van Houte and W. Melgert (eds),Foreigners in Our Community, Amsterdam, Keesing, pp. 166–169.
ESTER, P., O. MELLEGERS (1974),De migrantenraad, een tussentijdse evaluatie (The Migrant-council, an interim evaluation), 2nd revised edition, Paper Sociological Institute of the State University of Utrecht.
EVALUATIEONDERZOEK TOLKENCENTRA (1979), (Evaluation-study translation bureaus), The Hague, Staatsuitgeverij.
HAMMAR, T. (1977), “The First Immigrant Election. Summary of a Preliminary Report on the Participation of Immigrants in the 1976 Swedish Local and Regional Elections”, inInternational Migration, Vol. XV/2–3, pp. 153–155.
KARPAT, K.H. (1976),The Gecekondu. Rural Migration and Urbanisation, Cambrigde, Cambridge University Press.
KELLEY, J., H.S. KLEIN (1977), “Revolution and the Rebirth of Inequality: A Theory of Stratification in Post Revolutionary Society”, inAmerican Journal of Sociology, Vol. 83/1, pp. 79–99.
DE KOMM ISS IE EX ART. 61 (1979),Invloed van buitenlanders op gemeentelijk beleid (Influence of foreigners on municipal policy), Utrecht, NCB/Cluster opbouwwerk.
LEDER, A. (1976),Catalysts of Change: Marxist Versus Muslim in a Turkish Community, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Austin, University of Texas.
MINISTERRAAD 1989 (Cabinet Council 1989) (1979),Het derde kabinet Den Uyl vergadert. Schrijvers voor Den Uyl (The third Den Uyl Cabinet is sitting. Writers for Den Uyl), Amsterdam, Van Gennep.
“NOTA KIESRECHT MIGRANTEN” (Note migrant franchise) (1979), Gemeente Rotterdam (Municipality of Rotterdam). (This note has been incorporated inKiesrecht Migranten, Gemeente Rotterdam, Verzameling 1979, Volgnr. 340 litt, a, pp. 1869–1887).
“PARTICIPATION OF MIGRANTS in the Political Life of the Receiving Country” (1977), Conclusions and recommendations. Third seminar on adaption and integration of permanent immigrants 09–12 May 1977. ICEM (Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration), inInternational Migration, Vol. XV/2–3, pp. 78–80.
RATH, J.C. (1981), “Turkse en Marokkaanse eilanden in het Hollandse politieke vaarwater: Migrantenkiesrecht in de praktijk” (Turkish and Moroccan isles in the Dutch political fairway: migrant franchise in practice), inSociologische Gids, Vol. 28/3, pp. 202–227.
SAYARI, S. (1977), “Political Patronage in Turkey”, in E. Gellner and J. Waterbury (eds),Patrons and Clients in Mediterranean Societies, London, Duckworth, pp. 103–115.
SCHOONEVELD, S. van (1978), “Mischien denken ze bij de gemeente dat we schapen zijn ?”, Een verslag naar danleiding van de Kommissie ex artikel 61 ter behartiging van de belangen van buitenlandse werknemers te Gouda (“The municipality might think we are sheep ?”), Gouda, SBBW “Rijn en Lek”.
SICA, M. (1977), “Involvement of the Migrant Worker in Local Political Life in the Host Country”, inInternational Migration, Vol. XV/2–3, pp. 147–152.
THODEN VAN VELZEN, H.U.E. (1973),Antropologen of zoek naar de Sterke man (Anthropologists in search of the Big Man), Inaugural address, Assen, Van Grocum.
THOMASSEN, J.J.A. (1976),Kiezers en gekozenen in een representatieve democratie (voters and councillors in a representative democracy), Alphen aan den Rijn, Samson.
VERSLAG VAN DE VOORLICHTING aan buitenlandse stadsgenoten over de deelgemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 28 mei 1980 (1980), (Account of th~e information on district council elections of May 28, 1980 to foreign city-dwellers), Gemeente Rotterdam, Werkgroep Voorlichting Verkiezing Buitenlanders.
VOS, C. (1978), “De Nederlandse verkiezingscampagne” (The Dutch electioneering campaign), in “Intermediair”, Vol. 14/4, pp. 23–29.
WERTHEIM, W.F. (1964), “Betting on the Strong ?”, inEast-West Parallels. Sociological Approaches to Modern Asia, The Hague, W. van Hoeve Ltd, pp. 259–277.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The research, on which this article is based, took place from January 1980 till June 1980 in Rotterdam. It was carried out by the author (in his capacity of cultural anthropology student of the State University of Utrecht) under the supervision of Dr Martin van Bruinessen and Drs Kees Bruin, for whose guidance the author is most grateful. The author’s gratitude is also due to Dr Frank Bovenkerk, Mr Metin Citirikkadioglu, Miss Elly Hazenberg, and Mr Abdul Zerouali.
This paper is a shortened and revised version of the one published in theSociologische Gids (see Rath, 1981).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rath, J. The big men are rising! The case of migrants participation in district council elections in The Netherlands. European Demographic Information Bulletin 12, 137–147 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02917592
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02917592