Discursive crises in the political domain : Research into the applicability of theories of discourse analysis on the Dutch political debate on immigration

Abstract

For the past decades, immigration and integration have been topics of heated debates with in the Dutch political arena. Being an open society, the Netherlands is subject of an on-going influx of people. Many immigrants arrive with expectations of building a life within Dutch society – this demands from the political domain that it continuously assesses the framework of immigration and integration . In the last decade, a line of thought that is more restrictive of immigration has become prevalent in the political and public debate. There are political actors that warn for the dangers of allowing certain immigrants into the Netherlands – they speak of the phenomena of immigration and integration as crises. Especially Muslim immigrants are considered to be a threat and some political actors have fuelled distrust towards them. Statements of this sort have become common place in the political and public debate. Concomitantly, avoice that opposes these statements has arisen; politicians that use it emphasize the negative effects of a distrusting attitude . These different types of discourses compete with in the political domain to effectuate policy changes that are in line with either line of thought.