Hospitality, the State and Naturalization: The Swiss Example

The relation between the ideas of hospitality & naturalization is examined, focusing on the Swiss experience. The place of hospitality across a wide range of cultures is considered; hospitality may be understood as something that ritualistically regulates one's relationship with strangers in one's own space, wards of tension & conflict, & maintains the strangers' status as strangers. Implications of this view for understanding local responses to tourists, immigrant workers, & refugees in Switzerland are discussed. It is argued that naturalization in Switzerland is both a proof & a rite of passage of a person from guest status to permanent integration in the community of citizens. The steps in the Swiss naturalization process are outlined, & the difficulty of obtaining Swiss citizenship is addressed. It is argued that the Swiss concept of nationality is contractual, & may lead to more rigid views of nationality. 11 References. D. Weibel