‘Wearing a headscarf is my personal choice’ (Jasmina, 16 years)

Abstract

‘Wearing a headscarf is my personal choice.’ With this statement, Jasmina, a 16-year-old Moroccan daughter of immigrants, characterizes her position in Dutch society. The headscarf indicates her religion and, indirectly, her origins. In wearing it, she indicates to others that she is a Muslim and a member of the umma, the Muslim community. Her comment that this is her personal choice is indicative of the process of individualization that is taking place in western Dutch society, where people are increasingly faced with having to make their own decisions. The process of individualization implies detachment from collective relationships such as religious communities, but the choice to wear a headscarf appears to indicate a choice made in the opposite direction. In this article the author discusses this paradox from an anthropological perspective.

Notes

Social autonomy stands for honesty, openness, taking responsibility for oneself and others. Autonomy is not synonymous here with independence, breaking free, or going one's own way.

This research is conducted among girls and boys. In this article we focus on the girls. In a later study we shall focus on ways in which Moroccan boys identify themselves.

Students and myself conducted the research among the youngsters (most of them Moroccan, a few Dutch, Turkish and Iraqi) who attend this homework assistance programme at the Nour mosque in Gouda and their parents. (Anthropological publications about this research are: Bleichrodt, 1996; De Koning, 1997; Teunissen, 1997; Beukers-Baaijens, 1998; Dominicus-Groot, 2000; Berg-Rodenburg, 2000; Hermans, 2000; Van Omme, 2000; Baeten, 2001; Wiers, 2002; Van Zurk, 2002, 2003; Poleij, 2003; Soorsma, 2003; Woldhuis, 2004). Gouda has ±70,000 inhabitants, ±10% of them Moroccans.