Achieving Social Cohesion In A Multicultural Europe

Far from considering the integration problems faced by migrants to be the result of alleged «cultural incompatibility, the articles and conversations in this volume reflect on the combined effects of exclusion stemming from social policy and policy on immigration, employment and nationality. Furthermore, as «intercultural competencies developed in certain hospitals and schools have clearly shown, there are other, much more effective strategies for treating differences in a favourable light which make social rights more accessible to all. These alternative approaches can effectively help to foster social cohesion only if migrants themselves are committed to them, in particular as recognised political players in the European public arena.

Social cohesion has had different meanings for people depending on their background, their interests, where they live in the world, and at what time they lived. In the social sciences, social cohesion is a term used to explain the social and cultural consequences of structural changes related to industrialization and modernity. In the European Union, structural changes which relate to globalization, European integration, the restructuring of welfare states, ageing societies, and transitions from communism, have often led to more insecurity and material inequalities between people. Higher rates of immigration, and issues related to the integration of migrants and their descendants, have also led to anxieties about the preservation of national cultures and identities. This book argues that perceived crises in social cohesion in Europe have more to do with the consequences of structural change rather than the failure of multiculturalism and immigration. It looks at the relationship between social cohesion and social change in Europe, focusing on the European Union as a whole, and on urban areas such as Paris, France and Bradford, UK. This book was originally published as a special issue of Patterns of Prejudice.

"Diversity in Europe's cities and societies is increasing--and with it, the need to strengthen social cohesion. Today, this seems more necessary than ever, as societies are becoming more diverse and their cohesion finds itself challenged by radical economic, ecological, social, and political change. The contributions to this volume demonstrate how these challenges are being met at the local level of cities and urban districts. Contributors from municipal politics, science, administration, community social work, and urban planning engage with various approaches that aim to successfully achieve social cohesion in Europe."--Résumé de l'éditeur.

This book examines various attempts in the ‘West’ to manage cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity – focusing on Muslim minorities in predominantly non-Muslim societies. An international panel of contributors chart evolving national identities and social values, assessing the way that both contemporary ‘Western’ societies and contemporary Muslim minorities view themselves and respond to the challenges of diversity. Drawing on themes and priority subjects from Islamic Culture within Euro-Asian, Australian, and American international research, they address multiple critical issues and discuss their implications for existing and future policy and practice in this area. These include subjects such as gender, the media, citizenship, and multiculturalism. The insight provided by this wide-ranging book will be of great use to scholars of Religious Studies, Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies, as well as Politics, Culture, and Migration.

Annotation We are at a point in history where economic inequalities are more widespread each day. The situation of extreme poverty experienced by the majority of the populations in developing countries ("Third World" countries) often coincides with an absence of democracy and the violation of the most fundamental rights. But in so-called "First World" countries a non-negligible proportion of inhabitants also live in impoverished conditions (albeit mainly "relative" poverty) and are denied their rights. The European situation, which this publication aims to analyse, is painful: the entire continent is afflicted by increasing poverty and consequently by the erosion of living conditions and social conflicts.The economic and financial crisis has resulted in the loss of millions of jobs, and created job insecurity for many still working. Economic insecurity raises social tensions, aggravating xenophobia, for instance. Yet the economic and financial crisis could present a good opportunity to rethink the economic and social system as a whole. Indeed, poverty in modern societies has never been purely a question of lack of wealth. It is therefore urgent today to devise a new discourse on poverty. In pursuit of this goal, the Council of Europe is following up this publication in the framework of the project "Human rights of people experiencing poverty", co-financed by the European Commission.

The year 2008 was very busy and eventful for the Council of Europe with, among other things, Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in February and the conflict that erupted during the summer between Georgia and Russia, two of the Organisation's

This collection examines the current stage of multicultural challenges and their influence on democracy in 12 countries of Europe and East Asia. Contributors draw out the differences between European and East Asian approaches to universalizing locality and localizing global norms regarding human rights and democratic individuality.

This guide offers theoretical and practical tools for an innovative approach to a key political issue: how, along with our immigrant fellow-citizens, can we build a fair and plural society that ensures the well-being or all? By moving beyond rigid categories like "foreigner", "immigrant" and "illegal, and ambiguous concepts like "identity", "diversity, "immigration control and "integration", this guide suggests that policy makers, civil servants and citizens need to question their own vocabulary if they are to grasp the complexity and uniqueness or people's migration paths. Perceiving migrants simply from the host country's point or view - the security, well-being and life-style of its nationals - has limitations. We cannot see people of foreign origin only as a threat or a resource to be exploited. If we see them as stereotypes, we are seeing only a mirror of European fears and contradictory aspirations. This guide helps readers decode and address the structural problems of our society, looking at the accusations made against migrants And The utilitarian view or the advantages that immigrants bring to host societies. In publishing this guide, The Council or Europe is seeking to initiate an in-depth debate on the migration issue, which is so high on the European political agenda