MM202 Multiculturalism in Europe and North America

MM202 Multiculturalism in Europe and North America Institute of International Studies, FSV UK Summer term 2005/06 Laura Laubeova laubeova@fsv.cuni.cz

Unit 1 - structure • Syllabus, readings, assessment • Ethnicity & Race • Minority

Syllabus & readings http://minorities.fsv.cuni.cz/multiculti/welcome.htm ECTS Credits: 6 (six hours of work per week)

Student assessment Essay (40%), oral presentation (30%), final exam (30%). Essays due by May 14, 2005 Assessment deadline: May 25, 2005

Course overview • Race, ethnicity, minority, identity • Multiculturalism, racism, discrimination, equity • International law and minorities, policies and instruments • Immigration and asylum nexus • Country case studies: 1. UK and institutional racism 2. Canada and its multiculturalism policy 3. The Netherlands from multiculturalism to integration • Minority case study – the Roma • Conclusions and ideas for further research

Background • Amsterdam Treaty (Article 13) • two Directives (2000/43/EC, 2000/78/EC) • European Framework Convention for protection of national minorities (FCNM) CERD, CRC, CEDAW, ICCPR, ICESCR, etc. framework for public policies - promoting positive interethnic relations, elimination of discrimination and racism.

Ethnicity, race,culture, identity, racism, discrimination • Eriksen, T. H.: “Ethnicity, Race, Class and Nation “, text 4, in Hutchinson, John, Smith Anthony, eds. (1996) Ethnicity • Van den Berghe, Pierre: “Does race matter?”, text 9, in Hutchinson (above) • Cornell, S., Hartmann, D. (1998)Ethnicity and Race. Making Identities in a Changing World text on The definition of race • Richmond, A. (1994) Global Apartheid on power, conflict, identity (good description of race and ethnicity)

Definitions related to ethnicity From ethnic category to concepts of ethnic community. “Ethnie“ is a named human population with myths of common ancestry, shared historical memories, one or more elements of common culture, a link with a homeland, a sense of solidarity among at least some members. - covers both majority and minority population. vs multiple identities, situational (transcending) ethnicities, hybridity

2 basic + 3 complementary approaches: 1. Primordialists focus on primordial ties ( but static naturalist, ethnic id. overlapping with other types of id.) Sociobiologists - mechanisms of nepotism and inclusive fitness based on genetic reproductive capacity (reductionism) 2. Instrumentalists Symbols for political goals, rational choices. Socially constructed nature of ethnicity. But neglect wider cultural environment, affective and collective dimensions. Interests only in material terms.

Approaches to ethnicity – cont. 3. Transactionalists Frederick Barth – social boundaries, ascribed ethnicity 4. Social psychological Horowitz, Tajfel 5. Ethno-symbolists Myths& symbols. nostalgia… AD Smith, Armstrong (Hutchinson, Smith: Introduction) See alsoCornell,Hartmann, in Reader p. 15: Circumstantialists vs Primordialists

Race • Biology & natural sciences – no longerr since 70´s • Race remains a legitimate concept for sociological analysis because social actors treat is as real and organise their lives and practices by reference to it (van den Berghe) • Robert Miles: race is only an ideological construct that is used by social scientists for legitimising the status quo • D. Mason : “Clearly there are no such things as races. Yet it is equally clear that large numbers of people behave as if there are”

Race in biology see researches in genetics in the 80´s e.g. Rose, Steven, Lewontin, Richard, Kamin, Leon (1990) Not In Our Genes. Biology, ideology and human nature, London: Penguin Books Stephen Gould (1996)The Mismeasure of Man Ellis Cashmore (1996) Dictionary of Race and ethnic relations

Race – cont. Mason:„race is a social relationship in which structural positions and social actions are ordered, justified, and explained by reference to systems of symbols and beliefs which emphasise the social and cultural relevance of biologically rooted characteristics“. • In other words, the social relationship race presumes the existence of racism and institutional racism.

Preamble of the EU Race Directive “The European Union rejects theories which attempt to determine the existence of separate human races. The use of the term "racial origin" in this Directive does not imply an acceptance of such theories”. Race is a social construct, i.e. a category without any biological underpinning

Race vs ethnicity • Race is often treated as ideology • ethnicity as a real phenomenon. • Racial refers mainly to physical terms, • ethnic rather to cultural terms. • Race refers to them, • ethnicity to us. • Both concepts always imply social relationship.

Minority • ”group of people distinguished by physical or cultural characteristics • subject do different and unequal treatment by the society in which they live • and who regard themselves as victims of collective discrimination“ 1945 Louis Wirth

Minority - cont. • must be a 'nondominant' group; • its members must 'possess ethnic, religious or linguistic characteristics differing from those of the rest of the population‚ • must also 'show, if only implicitly, a sense of solidarity, directed towards preserving their culture, traditions, religion or language' (Capotorti as quoted from MRG).

Minority - cont. • Also nondominant groups that may be a numerical majority in a state, • those who are not necessarily nationals or citizens of the state where they reside. MRG

Activity:Diamond ranking exercise to help you think about INCLUSION • There are nine concepts listed on the next slide. Copy them onto slips of paper. Feel free to substitute your own ideas for any of them, but you need to work with nine concepts. In groups of three, do a diamond ranking exercise in which you decide between you which (in your view) is the most important idea for INCLUSION, which are the next two most important ideas, then three, then two again, ending up with the one you think is less important than the others. It is not a competition, there are no “right or wrong” answers; merely a game to get you to think about the respective ideas.

Tolerance and respect for others • Strong opinions about issues • Willingness to allow others their point of view • Everyone has an equal right to vote • Notions of being fair to a minority • The majority decides • A strong/charismatic leader to hold the factions together • Becoming helpfully involved in the life and concerns of your neighbourhood • AS A GROUP, YOU DECIDE ON THE NINTH STATEMENT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Identity and Inclusion • Citizens are not only individuals, but also members of particular religious, ethnic, cultural and regional communities….Britain is both a community of citizens and a community of communities…Every society must find a way both to nurture diversity and foster a common sense of belonging and a shared identity. (Parekh, 2000, pp. viii-ix)

ActivitySpend a moment now thinking about your own multiple identities • I have thought about my own and started off with…..white woman, wife, mother, grandchild of Russian immigrants; raised in South Africa, lived and worked in England for most of my life; teacher and writer; immediate connections through my upbringing and my family with Canada, South Africa, West Africa, New Zealand, Guatemala; loves music and gardening.

When you have done this, the next step is for you as a group to learn about each other and consider the overlaps between your own and others’ sense of who they are. Physically move around the room to form small groups who share at least one of your identities (e.g. thinks themselves as musical). Change the categories decide for yourselves a category.

Whilst you are emphasising your personal and individual identities through let us say, art, poetry, music or dance, the importantconcept here is how identities overlap.

MM202 Multiculturalism in Europe and North America