A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s

This article explores the clashing of two citizenship projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein, a re-education facility for so-called asocial families. On the one hand, there was a citizenship project led by the Public Housing Association, which existed between 1924 and 1974. This organisation’s view was th...

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Main Author: Jasper Bongers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: openjournals.nl 2023-12-01
Series:Tijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tseg.nl/article/view/11257
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author Jasper Bongers
author_facet Jasper Bongers
author_sort Jasper Bongers
collection DOAJ
description This article explores the clashing of two citizenship projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein, a re-education facility for so-called asocial families. On the one hand, there was a citizenship project led by the Public Housing Association, which existed between 1924 and 1974. This organisation’s view was that inhabitants of the Houtplein could be developed into full members of the community if they learned to adhere to the norms of neatness and orderliness. On the other hand, there was the Action Committee Pijlsweerd, a left-leaning organisation consisting of students and other inhabitants of the Pijlsweerd neighbourhood, which challenged the Public Housing Association’s project in the 1970s. Although their goals were very different, also the Action Committee pursued a citizenship project. Their aim was to encourage the inhabitants of the Houtplein to claim citizenship in a direct manner, by standing up against the Housing Association’s alleged paternalism. Analysing the interactions, and ultimate clash, between these two projects provides insight into how citizenship was contested, at the Houtplein and beyond.
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spelling doaj.art-318fa1acb7cb4466b6cafa67951280912023-12-12T10:29:59Zengopenjournals.nlTijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis1572-17012468-90682023-12-0120310.52024/tseg.11257A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970sJasper Bongers0Open Universiteit This article explores the clashing of two citizenship projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein, a re-education facility for so-called asocial families. On the one hand, there was a citizenship project led by the Public Housing Association, which existed between 1924 and 1974. This organisation’s view was that inhabitants of the Houtplein could be developed into full members of the community if they learned to adhere to the norms of neatness and orderliness. On the other hand, there was the Action Committee Pijlsweerd, a left-leaning organisation consisting of students and other inhabitants of the Pijlsweerd neighbourhood, which challenged the Public Housing Association’s project in the 1970s. Although their goals were very different, also the Action Committee pursued a citizenship project. Their aim was to encourage the inhabitants of the Houtplein to claim citizenship in a direct manner, by standing up against the Housing Association’s alleged paternalism. Analysing the interactions, and ultimate clash, between these two projects provides insight into how citizenship was contested, at the Houtplein and beyond. https://tseg.nl/article/view/11257UtrechtSeventiesCitizenshipRe-educationHousing
spellingShingle Jasper Bongers
A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s
Tijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis
Utrecht
Seventies
Citizenship
Re-education
Housing
title A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s
title_full A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s
title_fullStr A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s
title_full_unstemmed A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s
title_short A Clash between Citizenship Projects at Utrecht’s Houtplein in the 1970s
title_sort clash between citizenship projects at utrecht s houtplein in the 1970s
topic Utrecht
Seventies
Citizenship
Re-education
Housing
url https://tseg.nl/article/view/11257
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