UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) "Where Randy?" Education, nationalism, and playful imaginations of belonging on Sint Maarten Halfman, J. Publication date 2019 Document Version Final published version License Other Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Halfman, J. (2019). "Where Randy?": Education, nationalism, and playful imaginations of belonging on Sint Maarten. General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. 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UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:23 Sep 2021 “Where Randy?” EDUCATION, NATIONALISM, AND PLAYFUL IMAGINATIONS OF BELONGING ON SINT MAARTEN Jordi Halfman 213 “Where Randy?” EDUCATION, NATIONALISM, AND PLAYFUL IMAGINATIONS OF BELONGING ON SINT MAARTEN Jordi Halfman i The research on which this dissertation is based took place within the research consortium ‘Imagining the Nation in the Classroom’ (IMANAT), funded by the The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). © Jordi Halfman Design: Waarlé Grafische Vormgeving, Amsterdam, [email protected] ii Print: Ipskamp Printing “Where Randy?” EDUCATION, NATIONALISM, AND PLAYFUL IMAGINATIONS OF BELONGING ON SINT MAARTEN ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. dr. ir. K.I.J. Maex ten overstaan van een door het College voor Promoties ingestelde commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel op vrijdag 20 September 2019, te 12.00 uur door Jordi Halfman geboren te Arnhem iii Promotiecommissie: Promotores: prof. dr. P.L. Geschiere Universiteit van Amsterdam prof. dr. M.P.J. van de Port Universiteit van Amsterdam Co-promotores: dr. F.E. Guadeloupe Universiteit van Amsterdam Overige leden: prof. dr. M.L.L. Volman Universiteit van Amsterdam dr. J.A. McBrien Universiteit van Amsterdam dr. V.A. de Rooij Universiteit van Amsterdam prof. dr. A.L. Allahar The University of Western Ontario prof. dr. W.A.H. Modest Vrije Universiteit Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen iv This work is dedicated to all those who resisted Irma’s destructive power. The hurricane went with many things but she could not take away your courage, creativity and hope. v vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................... viii Introduction Imagining the nation in the classroom? ........................................................... 1 Interlude 1 Methodological considerations ....................................................................... 21 Chapter 1 Imagining the nation, (re)producing a Sint Maartener .................................. 35 Chapter 2 Teaching another belonging, Christian (trans)nationalisms ......................... 69 Interlude 2 From self-action to transaction ..................................................................... 101 Chapter 3 Performances of conviviality amongst the sixth graders .............................. 115 Chapter 4 Playful imaginations and familiarity in the third grade ............................... 147 Concluding remarks: Where Randy? ............................................................. 183 References ...................................................................................................... 198 Summary ....................................................................................................... 205 Samenvatting .................................................................................................. 209 vii acknowledgements Knowingly and unknowingly, many people have given shape to this book. I here acknowledge the most important contributors to this work, which is, after all, a joint effort. First and foremost, I thank ‘my’ pupils who welcomed me into their lives on Sint Maarten. After testing the waters, our days together were filled with jokes, questions, songs, dance, food, disagreement, and the occasional fight. Your openness and willingness to teach me made this book possible. Your positive strength, often against all odds, gives me hope. Becoming part of the pupils’ lives became possible because of the trust that board members, school managers, teachers, parents and support staff gave me when they allowed me into their schools and classrooms. In particu- lar, principal Milton and teachers Jones and Philips took a chance on me, and I hope you recognize the lessons you taught me in this work. A similar thank you goes out to the politicians, policymakers and activists: I have faith that you can agree with the ways in which I have represented you and the ideals you stand for. This also goes for my colleagues and the students at the Univer- sity of St. Martin. To the amazing friends on the island, those who took me into their houses, showed me around, made me feel at home and shared their critical views (you know who you are!), please let me return the favor some- time in the near future. Making sense of and structuring the lessons I learned was not an easy task. I therefore express my gratitude to my supervisor Peter Geschiere and thank him for his patience with me and my work. Your guidance has taught me much about the beautiful craft of anthropology. Where Peter brought structure and clarity, my daily supervisor Francio Guadeloupe often did the opposite. Ever since you started teaching me, years back, you challenged my presuppositions and what I considered common sense. You introduced me to alternative thinkers and unique approaches, and I am grateful for the gentle way in which you provided thorough and mind altering critique. If it wasn’t for you, I would not have proceeded with my bachelor’s degree, let alone have enjoyed the past four years as a PhD candidate. To my third supervisor Mattijs van de Port, thank you for your faith in creativity and the confidence you showed in me and my project. My project was part of the Imagining the Nation research consortium, and I want to thank Monique Volman, Nicole Sanches, and Guiselle Martha- viii Starink for what was often a bumpy, but also instructive and shared ride. A special note of gratitude goes to Yvon van der Pijl, the fourth member. You read my work and gave feedback, but more importantly, we spent long after- noons and evenings laughing and relativizing life. Your friendship is valuable. I was also part of the Globalizing Culture research group at the Univer- sity of Amsterdam. I would like to thank the chair of the group, Julie McBrien, and all other members for encouraging me, in particular Rachel Spronk, Milena Veenis and Vincent de Rooij. I also want to express my pleasure of working together with the interns from the Iselinge University of Applied Sciences and their always enthusiastic supervisor Ester Alake-Tuenter. In a similar way I want to share my appreciation for the cooperation with the core of Het Waterfeest team: Marieke Brand and Sherilyn Deen. Muriel, Janus, and Danny, thank you for all the practical support and human interaction. To the PhD colleagues at the AISSR with whom I shared lunch and suffering, and with whom I became friends in the process: Arsenii, Mark, Kevin, Iris, Dina, Annerienke, Peter, and Lieve, I want to say: Yes we can! When fellow students become critical and creative researchers and great friends, they become invaluable to your life in general and to your PhD jour- ney in particular. Tanja Hendriks, you have been an amazing support from beginning to end and I look forward to the times when we will again chal- lenge each other’s thoughts and enrich each other’s lives. I also shared impor- tant parts of this journey with colleague and friend Sanne Rotmeijer, whose knowledge of the island fueled my own. Soon both of you will be defending as well. While support from within academic circles has proven important, the ability to prosper outside of that bubble is (at least) equally valuable. The people who listened to my complaints and then took me dancing, drinking, hiking, singing, or out to play, were too numerous to mention, but still... Dees, Lis, Luna, Myrt, Gis, Tris, Veer, Bien, Beth, Jellebel and Sies, you too are to thank for the completion of this work. I also want to give a shout out to all the youngsters and colleagues with whom I have worked at Stichting Heppie, in particular Daan, Gap, and Ann. I have learned things from you without which this research would have been so much harder. Moreover, we play together as well as we work! Ivar, my big brother, I know you have doubts about academic work, and the reasons for doing it. However, your doubts never kept you from being there for me. I want to thank you, together with our parents Henk and Lieke, and Mieke, for having patience with, faith in, and love for the critical, quizzi- cal and often stubborn