Dienstag, 18. März 2014, 17:00 - 19:00 iCal

Afrika-Kolloquium

Ausländer!: Pentecostalism as Social Capital Network for Ghanaians in Vienna

Dr. Michael P.K. Okyerefo, University of Ghana

Seminarraum 3, Institut für Afrikawissenschaften
Spitalgasse 2, Hof 5, 1090 Wien

Vortrag

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Is not religion perhaps a coping mechanism in the land of the Ausländer (‘foreigner’; the typical appellation for immigrants in Austria)? In fortress Europe’s increasing rebuff of immigrants, particularly Africans seeking ‘refuge’ on the continent, those already resident in these countries experience much rejection and dejection in an environment that confers a new social identity on them, that of the parasitic ‘outsider’ (Ausländer) intruding into a land not his/her own. This social reality partly accounts for an increasing number of transnational Pentecostal churches emanating from African entrepreneurship being exported to Africa’s diaspora-self in Europe. This paper seeks to illustrate how Ghanaians in Vienna find in such transnational movements a public space for negotiating identity, self-worth and the indispensable networking for survival while foraging in foreign land. Pentecostal communities offer many Ghanaians in the diaspora context a home and support network unequalled by the mainline churches. Much as Pentecostalism offers an associational life congenial to Africans in the diaspora (Vienna), it, however, detracts from fully inserting adherents onto the diasporic map. In other words, Pentecostal enclaves as subcultures belie members’ complete benefit of integrating into their new country of residence.

Chair of the talk: Prof. Dr. Adams Bodomo

Zur Webseite der Veranstaltung

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Veranstalter

Institut für Afrikawissenschaften

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Kontakt

Ulrike Auer
Institut für Afrikawissenschaften
43201
ulrike.auer@univie.ac.at

Erstellt am Mittwoch, 05. März 2014, 18:15
Letzte Änderung am Donnerstag, 06. März 2014, 07:36