The Commodification of Belonging

Janina L. Selzer is Visiting Assistant Professor in Sociology at Hamilton College.

"Janina Selzer provides new insights into the refugee experience through a fascinating in-depth comparative study of displaced Iraqis in an American and German city and their quest to develop a sense of belonging in their new homes. A valuable contribution with great relevance for our understanding of refugee resettlement."-- "Nancy Foner, author of Immigration: How the Past Shapes the Present" "Selzer moves between Bielefeld and Detroit with real elegance, weaving a comparison that illuminates what no single case ever could. A compelling and deeply humane account of the bitter irony at the heart of refugee resettlement: that the very systems designed to welcome the displaced end up denying them the belonging they seek."-- "Julia Morris, author of Asylum and Extraction in the Republic of Nauru" "Selzer's intensive ethnography of two Iraqi women living in different destinations--the German city of Bielefeld and U.S. city of Detroit-- draws out the emotional side of how refugees reground their lives in new places. This critical anthropology shows how local contexts and macro forces shape the making of community and home."-- "David Scott FitzGerald, co-author of The Refugee System: A Sociological Approach" "This ambitious comparative study of Iraqi refugees in Germany and the U.S. significantly advances the multidisciplinary field of refugee studies and forced migration on a global scale. With aching sensitivity and deep empathy, Selzer painstakingly captures her respondents' transnational journeys from displaced victims to emplaced residents in Bielefeld and Detroit. Her insightful analysis of the politics of belonging offers a rare window into these newcomers' emotional lives and their longing for safety and security in resettlement, while highlighting the promise and pitfalls of local urban policies that commodify refugee belonging. This timely and policy-relevant book will interest readers across political science, sociology, and urban studies."-- "Van C. Tran" "Through a comparative, relational framework, The Commodification of Belonging examines Iraqi immigration in Detroit and Bielefeld, reminding us that belonging is never simple or neutral--it is complex, layered, and place-dependent. Foregrounding emotional dimensions and power dynamics, the book shows how destination cities' revitalization goals and welcoming commitments to forcibly displaced immigrants can ultimately forge a sense of belonging. It is a timely and original contribution that deserves wide readership."-- "Cecilia Menjivar, co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Migration Crises"