The Struggle For Inclusion

The politics of inclusion is about more than hate, exclusion, and discrimination. It is a window into the moral character of contemporary liberal democracies. The Struggle for Inclusion introduces a new method to the study of public opinion: to probe, step by step, how far non-Muslim majorities are willing to be inclusive, where they draw the line, and why they draw it there and not elsewhere. Those committed to liberal democratic values and their concerns are the focus, not those advocating exclusion and intolerance. Notwithstanding the turbulence and violence of the last decade over issues of immigration and of Muslims in the West, the results of this study demonstrate that the largest number of citizens in contemporary liberal democracies are more open to inclusion of Muslims than has been recognized. Not less important, the book reveals limits on inclusion that follow from the friction between liberal democratic values. This pioneering work thus brings to light both pathways to progress and polarization traps.

"Europe has struggled with Muslim immigration. While opposition to such immigration has become increasingly vocal, in many places efforts have been made to help these immigrants integrate into society. In The Struggle for Inclusion: Muslim Immigrants and the Democratic Ethos, Elisabeth Ivarsflaten and Paul M. Sniderman shift the focus of scholarly work from those who are intolerant of immigrants to those who are tolerant and accept Muslim immigrants. The challenge is how do the tolerant reconcile their often liberal values with the conservative values held by many among the more conservative Muslim immigrants? How do liberal Europeans reconcile their values about, for example, the rights of women, with the conservative values on these issues held by many in the Muslim community? They find that a minority of Europeans are prejudiced against all Muslims, but many hold different feelings about conservative Muslims and their leadership because of conflicts with specific liberal values"--

This book seeks to explore how disability is understood and the position and experiences of disabled people both within and across different societies. The authors explore the question of politics in relation to specific struggles, providing a wealth of insights and ideas, and examine the nature and value of a social model of disability. They criticize exclusionary barriers while advancing a more democratic and participatory society based on principles of equality, offer cross-cultural insights and present stimuli for debate and further research. The text is accessible, topical, and provides new and innovatory thinking. This book will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, lecturers and researchers with interests in education, social policy, sociology and disability studies.

Pluralism and rights are under threat from communal violence, authoritarianism, and religious identity politics. How is the Middle East attempting to create more inclusive rights and citizenship? How do religious and nonreligious minorities envision their future in the region? On what basis can communities enjoy citizenship or seek rights in an era when law increasingly draws on religion and majoritarianism for its legitimacy? In this volume, researchers and activists draw on extensive fieldwork to open a new line of discussion in the Middle East as well as among Western policymakers. The question of belonging is more urgent than ever, as governments promote a simplistic discourse that opposes secularism and promotes a MuslimsversusChristians or SunniversusShia read of contemporary conflicts. Contributors include Rohan Advani, Mustafa Akyol, Zaid alAli, Lina Attalah, Melani Cammett, Joseph Daher, Cale Salih, Maria Fantappie, Mark Farha, Mona Fawaz, Fanar Haddad, Yassin AlHaj Saleh, Karl Sharro, and Elizabeth Thompson.

Inclusive education is the term now being used to incorporate special needs into mainstream education. This selection of papers - divided into three sections - provides different perspectives & dialogue on inclusive education from around the world. The book defines the philosophical, political, educational & social implications of 'inclusion', & maps out the dilemmas facing it. Examples of good practice for the future are provided, with detailed referencing.

This book discusses in an accessible way how emerging globalizing processes are setting the stage for new forms of social and political struggle in Latin America, with increased involvement of multilateral and foreign actors, and impacts of global political populism and populist social media. These are opening up new strategies and opportunities for activists, and offer new arenas of contestation for international organizations. The book analyzes the struggles of select marginalized groups, specifically the urban poor, indigenous groups, women's and LGBTQ groups, and the vulnerable middle classes. Each case is examined in the context of a distinct struggle for citizenship, identity, inclusion, and or the rule of law. The study offers a broad historical analysis of the region through the context of these struggles. It tackles some of the most pressing issues surrounding the current politics of Latin America, including identity politics, cultural appropriation, social mobilization and protest, neoliberal reform, reproductive rights and sexual autonomy, corruption, the influence of religion and patriarchy, crime and social justice, inequality and poverty, the informal economy, and urban exclusion. In doing so, it details not only how these are not new struggles, but also how they have evolved over time. In the contemporary period, the book explores how the actors as well as character of their struggle are changing through a globalized interchange of ideas and processes. The book covers a wide geographical area in Latin America, with a particular focus on countries with Spanish or Portuguese colonial backgrounds, and is for researchers, students and laypersons interested in new globalizing forces affecting Latin American society and polity.

This book provides an innovative and thought-provoking analysis of the policy of integrazione scolastica from an inclusive perspective. Drawing on historical and empirical research methods the book arises out of an ethnographic study, which investigates the extent to which the policy of integrazione scolastica can be considered an inclusive policy. The author poses two fundamental questions: why are there episodes of micro-exclusion and discrimination against disabled pupils still taking place in regular schools after more than 30 years have passed since the enactment of such a progressive policy? Can the policy of integration lead to the development of inclusion in Italy? The research findings presented in the book indicate that exclusion and discrimination towards disabled pupils in education do not result from a lack of implementation of the policy at a school level, rather from the perpetuation of dominant discourses, which construct disability as an individual deficit. The book does not deny the progress made in the country following the application of this anti-discriminatory policy; rather it challenges the hegemonic abilist culture and the traditional perspectives of disability and schooling that undermine the development of inclusive education. After having investigated the theoretical premises of the policy of integration, the author argues that this progressive policy is still rooted in a special needs education paradigm and that what was once a liberating policy has been transformed into a hegemonic tool which still manages, controls and normalizes disability leaving school settings and teaching and learning routines unchanged. She finally argues for a human rights approach for the development of an inclusive school for the 21st century. The book is an essential reading for academics, policy makers, researchers and students involved in education as it links ideological pressures to practical analyses.