Leiden University Student Repository

Kock, Gilles de (2024)

The contentiousness of raising flags: a study of the discourse of mayors and councilmen of Dutch Municipalities

Bachelor thesis | Security Studies (BSc)

This thesis examines flag-raising rituals of solidarity in Dutch municipalities following the 2023 October 7th attack on Israel and the following war between Israel and Hamas. It analyzes data from municipal debates, mayoral statements, news articles, and official documents that pertain to these rituals of solidarity in large urban municipalities such as Arnhem, The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis and Content Analysis to analyze the content and use of discourse within these documents. Results show significant differences in the use of discourse between mayors and council members. Mayors in Amsterdam, Arnhem, and Utrecht adopted a neutral stance in their language, emphasizing victims' innocence, both sides are suffering, advocating interfaith solidarity, or even refraining from using the word ‘terrorism’. In contrast, council members were more critical, less neutral, harsher in their tone and attempted to put the mayor or...Show moreThis thesis examines flag-raising rituals of solidarity in Dutch municipalities following the 2023 October 7th attack on Israel and the following war between Israel and Hamas. It analyzes data from municipal debates, mayoral statements, news articles, and official documents that pertain to these rituals of solidarity in large urban municipalities such as Arnhem, The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis and Content Analysis to analyze the content and use of discourse within these documents. Results show significant differences in the use of discourse between mayors and council members. Mayors in Amsterdam, Arnhem, and Utrecht adopted a neutral stance in their language, emphasizing victims' innocence, both sides are suffering, advocating interfaith solidarity, or even refraining from using the word ‘terrorism’. In contrast, council members were more critical, less neutral, harsher in their tone and attempted to put the mayor or municipality into a corner for mostly symbolic or political reasons. This analysis sheds light on flag-raising rituals' dynamics in local politics, supporting Collins' notion that such rituals can generate conflict processes and that expression of solidarity in the forms of flags is contentious in itself. Further and more in-depth research is needed to explore this fairly under researched topic further.Show less

Rituals of Solidarity, Critical Discourse Analysis, Flag Raising

Author

Kock, Gilles de

Faculty

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs

Supervisors

Dooremalen, T.J.A. van

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en