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Acting in a National Play: Governmental Roles During the Zwarte Piet Contestation

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Cultural Contestation

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict ((PSCHC))

Abstract

Recently, the contestation surrounding ‘Black Pete’, the Dutch ‘Santa Claus’ black faced companion, has risen to new heights. The clash between opponents of the figure—deeming him a remnant from a sinister colonial past—and his supporters—to whom he is a vital part of their identity—has been so fierce that government found itself compelled to intervene. Political science and governance studies distinguish several strategies governments can use to mitigate cultural contestation. How has Dutch government gone about the Zwarte Piet controversy, and why?

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and Public Administration, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands

    Pieter Wagenaar & Jeroen Rodenberg

Authors
  1. Pieter Wagenaar
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  2. Jeroen Rodenberg
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Correspondence to Pieter Wagenaar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and Public Administration, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands

    Jeroen Rodenberg

  2. Department of Political Science and Public Administration, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands

    Pieter Wagenaar

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Wagenaar, P., Rodenberg, J. (2018). Acting in a National Play: Governmental Roles During the Zwarte Piet Contestation. In: Rodenberg, J., Wagenaar, P. (eds) Cultural Contestation. Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91914-0_14

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