Mobilization against Asylum Seekers in Contemporary Urban Spaces : Not in Our Backyard.

1. Introduction: The refugee crisis in an urban context2. Why do people protest against asylum seekers? A story-based approach3. Immigration and urban space ⁰́₃ the Dutch context4. Stories and the self: identity and fear of the ⁰́₈other⁰́₉5. Stories you can touch: urban materiality and protest6. Voiceless stories: contentious politics and distrust7. Media coverage of protest: dominant stories and counterstories8. An online echo chamber? Social media and mobilization9. Conclusion: why stories matter

This book investigates the issue of local mobilization against asylum seekers in urban areas, which are often disproportionally affected by complex issues related to immigration and integration, as well as socio-economic development and growing inequalities. Based on ethnographic research in the city of Rotterdam, it explores the conditions under which mobilization against the establishment of an asylum seeker centre emerged, offering a combined analysis of interviews, social media and mainstream media to demonstrate the key role played by story-telling in the development of opposition to the arrival of asylum seekers. Presenting a novel theoretical model of anti-immigration mobilization that connects the social importance of storytelling to broader socio-political developments and conditions, this volume will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology and politics with interests in migration, social movements and mobilization around contentious issues.