Home is Where the Habit of the Heart is

This article focuses on how immigrant women who are subject to the Dutch neighbourhood policy interventionism —to encourage what we may call “affective citizenship” of a community participation program making use of a neighbourhood centre. Despite the feelings of belonging experienced by many immigrant women, the case study reveals how this does not lead to an inclusive community, but often to a community that is fragile, temporary, and exclusive. The article thereby reveals the dynamism of belonging and why it is so difficult to plan and manage for the benefit of community building.