“If I’m around Dutch people or around anything that is even slightly Dutch I feel very very Dutch and the other times I am mostly Canadian”: A Narrative Account of Offline and Online Identities of Dutch-Canadian Emerging Adults

Abstract

With this thesis I provide an empirical account of the way Dutch-Canadian emerging adults (EA) between the age of 19 and 26 perceive their Dutchness in relation to their identities in Canadian contexts. This is done by looking at their use of offline and online spaces as sources for identity formation. I build this thesis upon concepts of migration, identity, belonging, and social networking sites (SNS) and by exploring the interrelationship of these four concepts. Through the analysis of nine interviews three themes related to informants’ offline identification emerged: narratives of authenticity, narratives of self-exploration and narratives of negotiation. The additional use of virtual ethnography resulted in another theme that focuses on social ties and connectivity, and informants’ representation on SNS. Looking at how Dutch-Canadian EA narrate their experiences I aim to provide more insight into the complexities of identity as a narrative construction as well as looking at the role of online spaces in the process of identity construction. With these findings I contribute to the fields of cultural, migration and internet studies while also shedding some light on European migrants as this is a topic that not often reaches public debate. Even though the usage of the terms Dutch and Canadian implies homogeneity, this thesis shows that the Dutch, as well as Canadians are hybrid, dynamic and diverse. As such, I use the label Dutch-Canadian for conceptual purposes only as I am aware that this usage might not coincide with the self-identification of the informants involved in this research as some also call themselves Canadian, Dutch, Dutch-Canadian, or otherwise. In order to honour at least one of their favoured self-identifications while maintaining conceptual consistency, I have therefore decided to use the term Dutch-Canadian throughout this research.