Theoretical Perspectives on Belonging, Music, and Migration in 21st-Century Europe

The term and concept of belonging have gained considerable traction in ethnomusicological scholarship over the past decade, particularly within research on migration. This introductory editorial examines the relevance and analytical potential of belonging as a conceptual framework for ethnomusicological research. Drawing on theoretical contributions from gender studies, anthropology, sociology, and geography, I discuss belonging as inherently non-essentialist and as a continuous – though not arbitrary – process of transformation and negotiation. I argue that adopting belonging as an explicit theoretical perspective encourages music researchers to foreground relational dynamics rather than fixed characteristics, thereby enabling a more nuanced understanding of the dynamic and processual nature of the complex frameworks and practices of music-making in migratory contexts. The present special collection of articles is dedicated to exploring the broader theoretical debates on belonging, music, and migration. Throughout this editorial, the respective contributions are situated within this framework, with each article foregrounding specific dimensions through its respective ethnographic inquiry. Both this introductory editorial and the articles in this collection engage with current strands of thought in critical migration studies and with theories of postmigration, with the latter strongly emphasising processual and dynamic understandings of belonging.