Concept Of Superdiversity Research Articles

Sport and migration in the age of superdiversity

Taking Steven Vertovec's concept of Superdiversity as a starting point, this special issue examines the dynamic interaction of diversity variables in the field of sport and migration issues. The articles published this Speical Issue span from studies on sports labor migration ( sports as migration) to consideration of the role sport plays in the everyday lives of disparate groups of migrants ( sport in migration). Considering the contemporary diversification of migration, we argue that it is more relevant than ever to expand the empirical focus of research in sports and migration issues, but also the breadth of theoretical and methodological approaches utilized. To this end, we illustrate the value of postcolonial theory and intersectionality as theoretical frameworks that can focus on multiple axes of differentiation along with structuring conditions that impact sports and migration issues. Further, we call for researchers in the field to consider the value of methodologies that are novel to their work such as participatory action research and approaches that avoid methodological nationalism.

Asian students in American higher education: negotiating multilingual identities in the era of superdiversity and nationalism

ABSTRACT This study focused on the experiences of three Asian undergraduate students at a private urban institution in the United States. The findings indicate that the participants' racial, cultural and linguistic identities are dynamic and complex, echoing features indicated by the concept of superdiversity. Yet, under the influences of the rising nationalism and the strong grip of monolingualism, participants have been constantly under the pressure from English-only ideologies and the so-called forever-foreigner stereotype against Asian Americans. This study sheds light on rethinking higher education teaching and learning from the perspectives of marginalized students in the era simultaneously featuring superdiversity and nationalism.

Superdiversity: reconfiguration of cultural complexity of the contemporary contexts

Conceptualization of the social-cultural contexts of the 21st century in terms of superdiversity implies diversification of the current diversity due to the changing patterns of global migration and transnationalization. The concept of superdiversity introduced by S. Vertovec means a new way for describing and analyzing contemporary social and cultural processes. The author considers three interrelated aspects of superdiversity: descriptive, methodological and practical (political). As a rule, superdiversity implies new immigrants who move from a larger number of countries than before, including those that did not have colonial relations with the places attracting immigrants. The emerging contexts of superdiversity are not limited to the growth of diversity in terms of ethnicity - a multidimensional approach to superdiversity allows it to reflect patterns of social inequality, creolization and the experience of social contacts determined by diversification of migration channels and social statuses of immigrants, of their ethnic, gender and age characteristics. Under the permanent mobility, multiple identities and diverse transnational practices, not everything can be represented in terms of we-they, majority-minority, inside-outside. Therefore, superdiversity is not related to the Other or minorities but presents a new framework for all residents of the country, regardless of their origin. Moreover, in local contexts, cultural diversity is increasingly perceived as a norm. Thus, the concept of superdiversity contributes to the development of a new cultural narrative that would replace the outdated concepts of assimilation and multiculturalism.

Te Whāriki: An Early Childhood Curriculum in a Superdiverse New Zealand

Due to its large and diverse population of migrants, New Zealand is now considered to be a ‘superdiverse’ country (Royal Society of New Zealand in Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2013), and its early childhood education settings are also increasingly ethnically and linguistically diverse (Ministry of Education in Early childhood education me ngā kōhanga reo data summary report, 2015). Yet it has been pointed out that policies and practices of superdiverse countries may be slow in responding to their superdiverse demographics (Vertovec in Ethnic and Racial Studies 30(6):1024–1054, https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870701599465, 2007). In light of this concern, the concept of superdiversity (Vertovec 2007) and a process of document analysis were utilised to interrogate how the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, responds to complex and multifarious diversities. This paper describes the results of this interrogation. It also discusses possibilities for applying the superdiversity concept to interpreting and enacting the curriculum document in ways that address migration-driven inequality issues.

Muslim Dilemmas in the Republic of Ireland: Anti-Extremism and Self-Regulation in the Context of Super-Diversity

ABSTRACTSince the 1990s, a very small Muslim community in the Republic of Ireland has expanded rapidly and become increasingly diverse. For all that research has identified growing expressions of anti-Muslim racism, mainstream Irish political discourse and political responses to Ireland’s Muslim communities have not reflected the antipathy towards Islam that is identifiable in a number of other European countries. The response of the Irish state towards Muslims has been one of apparent neglect, benign and otherwise, whilst Muslims, for their part, appear to have lived unobtrusively. We examine the position of Muslims in Ireland through the lens of three issues that have been debated within Muslim communities in recent years: the alleged threat of terrorist activity within Muslim communities; calls for regulation of Muslim/Islamic activities; and a 2018 controversy relating to comments made by a leading Islamic figure in Ireland on the topic of female genital mutilation. Our analysis, framed by Steven Vertovec’s concept of super-diversity, emphasizes the need for policymakers to avoid presumptions of homogeneity.

Language learning as psycho-social support: translanguaging space as safe space in superdiverse refugee settings

AbstractThis paper explores language learning for displaced people in the countries bordering Syria and attempts to establish a link between the concept of translanguaging and the concept of safe spaces used by NGOs. The paper uses the term ‘displaced people’ as it is this feature of beingdis-placed that the paper seeks to explore through the lens of superdiversity and its connections to spaces for translanguaging. The concept of superdiversity helps us understand the stratification and multiplication of the processes and effects of migration which lead to heightened complexity, while the concept of translanguaging has been incorporated into this heuristic to help understand how people communicate in these superdiverse settings. The main finding is that monolingual ideologies of language learning pervade the safe spaces which one NGO provides, though the aim is not to single out this one NGO for criticism when the majority of NGOs visited orient to similar monolingual outlooks which disregard home languages at a time when vulnerable adults, adolescents and children need to draw on all of the language resources in their repertoires to make sense of their new surroundings.

Religion, Ethnicity and National Origins: Exploring the Independence of Variables in a Superdiverse Neighbourhood

Many studies of diverse urban neighbourhoods have identified that the people who live in these neighbourhoods tend to live separate lives based on shared characteristics such as ethnicity, national origin or religion. In his study of Rogers Park in Chicago, Lowell Livezey refers to these as „ethnoracial enclaves‟. Steven Vertovec‟s concept of superdiversity, however, appears to question this assuming a certain level of independence between different kinds of diversity (ethnicity, language, national origin, religion, legal status, etc.). In my study of Handsworth in Birmingham, UK, I argued that this independence of the variables of diversity allowed people to choose the identity that most suited their needs at the time and that, in the conversations I listened to, they chose identities that brought people together rather than those that set them apart. This paper explores the idea of the independence of the various variables of diversity as assumed in the use of the term „superdiversity‟ and uses census data from the 2011 census of England and Wales to test this assumption in relation to the city of Birmingham and the specific neighbourhood of Handsworth.

Digital superdiversity in Luxembourg: The role of Luxembourgish in a multilingual Facebook group

The concept of superdiversity (Vertovec, 2007) is useful for describing the linguistic and demographic situation of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has a historically trilingual language situation incorporating Luxembourgish, French and German. In addition to this, the growth of the financial sector has increased the presence of English as a lingua franca. In addition to changing migration patterns, new online phenomena also influence language and communication practices in Luxembourg. This paper analyses digital communication practices related to superdiversity in a Facebook group associated with Luxembourg. Although the main purpose of this group is to facilitate the gifting of consumer goods, it has the side-effect of promoting intercultural and multilingual contact among diverse residents of Luxembourg. The paper focuses on how communication is organised between the diverse members of the group, based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of language practices over the first eighteen months of the group׳s existence. The analysis illustrates how language became an issue with the growth of the group, shows how members׳ language practices changed over time, and highlights the role of the group administrators, who intervened to regulate incidents within the group and facilitate group communication. The paper also considers how technical features of this particular digital environment impact on communication practices within the group. The results of the analysis show that language practices of group members tend inexorably towards homogenisation rather than diversification, putting into question the relationship between a superdiverse context and superdiverse communicative practices.