Interculturalism: Postmulticultural discourse of social integration

Abstract

In the current postmulticultural debates, interculturalism is a model of integration in the contexts of diversity, a way to conceptualize global social-cultural reality, and an intercultural dialogue or an instrument of ‘positive interaction’. The Council of Europe, European Commission and UNESCO consider interculturalism a main model of social integration in the contexts of diversity. Interculturalism takes into account the multiplicity of identities, differences and modes of coexistence inherent in the era of ‘super-diversity’, and mobility diversification under globalization. In the postmulticultural perspective, interculturalism is a part of the debates on ‘the end of multiculturalism’ that has lost its symbolic capital. Interculturalism develops a new narrative of social integration based on rethinking of ideas and social situations, shifting contexts and symbolic inversions, thus, becoming relevant to the social and cultural reality of the 21st century. However, interculturalism does not replace multiculturalism as the third strategy of integration beyond multiculturalism and assimilation for it implies various integration models such as Quebec interculturalism and European interculturalism with the revived idea of the nation state. Interculturalism focuses on creating ‘a formula for coexistence’ under super-diversity, and is not limited to the immigration context; it emphasizes the multidimensionality of differences (professional, gender, ethnic) in the context of inequality including the nation state. Theoretical heterogeneity and thematic diversity of interculturalism and the ambivalence of its concepts can determine new challenges for the national and international structures that rely on it. Interculturalism considers management of cultural diversity and development of intercultural dialogue as functions of not only government structures, but also of other segments of society such as educational and civil society institutions, private sector and local communities.