How (Trans)national Space and Migratory Trajectories Shape the Dynamics of (Non)Belonging: The Case of Guinean Fulani in Brussels
Author: Mariam Diouldé Diallo, mariam.diallo@uclouvain.be
Department: Sociology
University: Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Supervisor: Laura Merla
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: French
Keywords:
Belonging
, Ethnicity
, Brussels
, Fulani
Areas of Research:
Racism, Nationalism and Ethnic Relations
, Migration
, Youth
Abstract
The objective of this research is to understand how (trans)national spaces and migratory trajectories shape the dynamics of (non)belonging. It explores how ways of being and belonging are (re)constructed and negotiated through migratory and diasporic experiences. In an era where digital life plays an increasingly central role, the influence of virtual communication tools on these dynamics of (non)belonging will also be examined.
The study will investigate both the dissemination of content related to ethnic belonging and its reception by the target population. It will analyze how various transnational virtual spaces extend—or disrupt—the transmission of belonging within familial and national contexts, and how these different spheres reinforce, contradict, or complement one another in shaping a sense of ethnic and/or (trans)national belonging.
More specifically, the research focuses on a growing population in Brussels whose identities lie at the intersection of multiple immigrant communities: Guineans. Due to Belgium’s demographic composition, Muslim identity is often associated with Moroccan, Turkish, or Pakistani communities, but rarely with Afro-descendants. Conversely, Afro-descendants—frequently reduced to diasporas from former colonies—are typically perceived as exclusively Christian. Belgian-Guineans stand at the crossroads of these two categories. Being both Black and Muslim in Brussels entails unique experiences that distinctly affect the dynamics of (non)belonging.
This research will rely primarily on qualitative methods, including participant observation and interviews with young adults aged 20 to 29.
