The Courage for Civil Repair

"Given this moment of heightened xenophobia and nationalism, this book could not be more timely. Not only does it shed light on the underlying cultural processes that make some migrants 'deserving' while others get treated as undesirable burdens, it also helps identify the conditions that lead to successful mobilization on migrants' behalf. By bringing together cases from across the world, and incorporating the voices of a range of relevant actors, The Courage for Civil Repair makes an important contribution to theory and practice."

• Peggy Levitt, Luella LaMer Slaner Professor in Latin American Studies and Professor of Sociology, Wellesley College, USA, and Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, USA

This original, scholarly collection of essays investigates the intersections of large-scale international migration and solidarity-building. Unpacking how civil courage occurs, underwhat forms, and what sustains it, Carlo Tognato, Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, and Jeffrey C. Alexander bring together authors to explore a new theory of the exemplary individual or collective in the recent age of "migration crises"-actors who stand against injuries or injustices toward migrants, even when it is costly or risky in a context of hostility or indifference. A resource for those interested in the triggers and safeguards of democracy and civil society, and for scholars and practitioners alike, this volume offers empirical case studies from the US, Europe, Australia, and Latin America of cross-group solidarity efforts.

Autorentext

Carlo Tognato is Visiting Scholar the Center for the Study of Social Change, Institutions and Policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, USA.

Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky is Associate Professor of Sociology at Masaryk University, Czech Republic.

Jeffrey C. Alexander is Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology at Yale University, USA, and the founder and co-director of Yale's Center for Cultural Sociology.

Zusammenfassung

This original, scholarly collection of essays investigates the intersections of large-scale international migration and solidarity-building. Unpacking how civil courage occurs, under what forms, and what sustains it, Carlo Tognato, Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, and Jeffrey C. Alexander bring together authors to explore a new theory of the exemplary individual or collective in the recent age of migration crisesactors who stand against injuries or injustices toward migrants, even when it is costly or risky in a context of hostility or indifference. A resource for those interested in the triggers and safeguards of democracy and civil society, and for scholars and practitioners alike, this volume offers empirical case studies from the US, Europe, Australia, and Latin America of cross-group solidarity efforts.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction: Understanding Civil Courage in International Migration

Part I: Righteous, Between Yesterday and Today

Chapter 2: The Righteous of the Transnation: Jews, Muslims, and a Politics of Friendship in Berlin

Chapter 3: We are Jewish and We Want to Help You: Righteous Cross-Group Solidarity towards Muslim Refugees in Vienna

Chapter 4: Righteous Doctors: Reacting to the Inhumane Treatment of Asylum Seekers in Australia

Part II: Righteous, Today

Chapter 5: When Saving Lives Becomes a Crime: Performances of Solidarity with Migrants along Europe's Southern Border

Chapter 6: The Courage of Piety: Civil Solidarity and the Dead in International Migration

Chapter 7: Solidary Cuisine: Las Patronas Facing the Central American Migratory Flow

Chapter 8: Reaching Across: Migrant Support Activism on a Divided Island

Chapter 9: We Always Have Been and Always Will Be a Sanctuary City: Cities as Righteous Actors in the U.S. Civil Sphere

Part III: Commentary and Conclusion

Chapter 10: Commentary: The Discursive Paradox of the Righteous Among the Nations in Civil Sphere Theorizing

Chapter 11: Conclusion: The Public Performance of Civil Righteousness