Multicultural Policies Research Articles

Визуализация перехода к метамодерну: семиотический анализ архитектурного проекта Эсма Султан (Стамбул)

The subject of this article is a visual manifestation of the transition to metamodern architecture in the reconstruction of Esma Sultan's palace in Istanbul. Its architectural and design solution was created in the framework of the new urban paradigm of the XXI century. The project solves a whole range of tasks from the preservation of historical heritage to the creation of an attractive commercial real estate facility. The objective of the article is to conduct a semiotic analysis of the Esma Sultan architectural complex which will demonstrate the transition from the paradigm of the urban culture of postmodernism to metamodernism. Esma Sultan's semantic analysis reveals the meanings that remain not articulated in the special literature about this project. The method of historical retrospection is applied to the analysis of the object. This made it possible to assess the general trends in the production of urban space at the early the twenty-first century. A comparison of Esma Sultan's palace to the projects that are close in style and overall design showed the prospect of creating a modern mental image of the city. The authors concluded that the semiotic system of this architectural object is focused on the presentation of a multi-level semantic space. The loft-style palace not only organizes space, but creates a lifestyle with its egocentric hedonistic notes. The article proves that the reconstruction of Esma Sultan declares a new style of life and a type of urban culture in which spatiality becomes an expression of a multi-layered meaning. Rebuilding is not the same as reconstruction because its goal is not to return the past in the image of the building but to “hang” between experiencing the past and its awareness in the present. Thus, the Esma Sultan project became an example of a generalization of paradigm shifts in human perceptions of the 1990s - 2000s and a demonstration of the transition to the sociocultural situation of metamodern. We see how metamodern eliminates the very principle of dichotomy of choice, evaluation and functionality. The technological leap of the beginning of the 21st century, the changing nature of sociocultural practices, the abandonment of the policy of multiculturalism (the practice of social collage) influenced the formation of a new understanding of the problem of meanings manifested through spatiality, contingency and contextuality of any phenomenon.

About the Paradox of Migrants Integration: Reasons without Sophism

Aladin El-Mafaalani, the author of the recently published monograph The Paradox of Integration. Why Successful Adaptation of Migrants Leads to New is known as sociologist and professor at the University of Osnabrück (Germany). This work is of great interest – as seen at the of thinking about immigration issues after European leaders acknowledged the failure of the policy of multiculturalism.

От философии над культурами к межкультурной философии? (Размышления над книгой М.Т. Степанянц «Межкультурная философия: истоки, методология, проблематика, перспективы»)

The article presents a review of the book by M.T. Stepanyants “Intercultural Philosophy: origins, methodology, problems, prospects” [1]. It discusses the problems of intercultural philosophy, i.e. its status, principles and rules, as well as the possibilities of intercultural cognition, including the criteria of environmental friendliness and fairness. Intercultural­ity is considered as an alternative to the policy of multiculturalism and cultural universal­ism with its Western-centrist logic. And the intercultural approach is analyzed as a new cartography of philosophy. At the same time, the author makes a number of assumptions about countering Western dominance in Russian philosophy and the need to strengthen its ideological sovereignty.

Latin American civil society facing the challenges of the time and the practice of social solidarity in the period of COVID-19

The article examines the phenomenon of civil society in Latin America, examines its civilizational and ideological foundations, specific characteristics, various directions of social activity during the late XX-first decades of the XXI century. The author analyzes the activities of large NGOs in the social sphere, the implementation of multiculturalism policy, considers examples of public-private partnership, the role of local civil activism in complementing and improving the state strategy on the ground. Special attention is paid to the practice of social mutual assistance and solidarity initiated by civil society structures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Study on Assessing the Effectiveness and Commitment of Leadership Practice in Multiculturalism Implementation

This paper explores the effectiveness and commitment of leadership in implementing multiculturalism practices in four major cities in South Korea. Korea has seen an increase in immigrants and foreigners wishing to live and work there. It has forced the government to rethink its approach to multiculturalism by implementing programs that promote cultural integration. Leadership is vital in promoting cultural integration, from the top with the president to municipal leaders and corporate executives. The municipal city leaders are responsible for supporting foreigners to ensure cultural integration. However, while the top government leadership is incorporating strategies through policy implementation and social activities like international sports that bring all people together, some foreigners feel like local and regional area leaders and city administrators do not strongly commit to multiculturalism. For effective leadership in multiculturalism to be affected, all stakeholders must come on board for the multicultural policies in South Korea to be implemented.

European multiculturalism and the specifics of modern interethnic communications (on the example of essays by Karl-Marcus Gauss «The European Alphabet»)

The study of the phenomena of multiculturalism and intercultural communication began in the middle of the twentieth century and continues to this day. The impetus for the emergence of a new scientific discipline was the development of humanism after World War II. European and American scholars have begun to study the phenomenon of multiculturalism and the need for intercultural communication, trying to find features of communication between nations, to reach an understanding between them, to find scenarios for resolving conflicts and more. Our article complements the study of the multicultural nature of the European continent, the achievement of understanding between different nationalities, the importance of intercultural communication as a science and age-old intercultural conflicts on the example of essays by Karl Marcus- Gauss «European Alphabet». Modern essay writing is designed to change the world, inspire new actions and rethink behavior. Themes of multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism and equality have become more and more common among contemporary European and Ukrainian essayists. A striking example of such works is the collection of Karl-Marcus Gauss «European Alphabet» (1997). This is the «adult alphabet» of national inequality, economic racism, migration, multiculturalism. In conclusion, we can say that the study and further development of intercultural communication should contribute to improving the policy of multiculturalism, which is implemented by countries in Europe and the Americas. Changes in the policy of multiculturalism are not only recommended, but also mandatory, because the situation now does not create fair comfortable conditions for life and development of migrants in Europe and America.

Çokkültürlülüğün Din ve Milliyetçilik Karşısındaki Çöküşü: Danimarka ve İsveç’in Göçmen Politikalarındaki Dönüşüm

Since the Treaty of Westphalia, sovereign states have combined national security with border security, as border is accepted as the line of sovereignty that separates “us” from “others”. The step of forming a European identity as a supra-identity apart from the national identities of the European countries within the borders of each state takes its roots from this perception of being “us”. Though highlighted in Copenhagen Criteria that the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities are ensured; when we look at today’s immigration policies we see a serious deviation from this founding approach emphasizing and ensuring multiculturalism. With labour migration in the 1960s, refugees fleeing Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and the 2015 refugee crisis, Europe's population structure began to change. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the security approach has taken the place of economic considerations in migration management. The 2015 refugee crisis has become not only a border security crisis but also a crisis of European identity and welfare state protection. This paper aims to investigate the effects of religion, nationalism, and economic concerns on the transformation of immigration policies after 2015 in Denmark, which employs extreme restrictive policies, and Sweden, which has a relatively welcoming culture. The majority of the literature discusses whether those countries are religious or secular; it is expected that the study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of religion and nationalism on migration policies, as well as a discussion of its future implications.Denmark had been extremely homogeneous with only one language and religion and no ethnic minorities, though, this homogeneous structure has begun to deteriorate with the increase in non-western immigration since the 1990s. While the Danish Law of 1983 was widely regarded as the most liberal in Europe, after 1990, equal rights were replaced by immigrant responsibility and integration. With the rise of the anti-immigrant parties in the 2001 elections, social rights were curtailed, and Danish values took centre stage. In Denmark, rules like reducing social assistance after 2015 aim to protect the welfare state, whereas rules like the ban on the burqa and the handshake in the naturalization ceremony are motivated by other factors. The Danish Prime Minister announced the zero-refugee target, the anti-immigrant far-right Danish People's Party declared their intention to reduce the number of all immigrants. So, a new discourse has emerged in which no form of immigration is desired. On the other hand, Sweden follows Denmark slightly behind in terms of process, but by going through literally the same processes. While positive discourse about immigrants had been dominant in Sweden, which implemented multicultural policies, the discourse turned negative with the 2015 refugee crisis. Increasing unemployment among immigrants, income inequality, and Swedish identity discussions seems to lead to a rise in nationalism and nativism in the 2022 elections, as well as a reduction in the generosity of the welfare state. Denmark and Sweden cases show how similar welfare states with the same historical and immigration background respond differently to the refugee crisis. While the unemployment rate for foreign-born workers is high in both countries, it is more than three times higher in Sweden. Refugee crisis has made religious identity more visible and put pressure on Scandinavian welfare model as well as governments. Although integration and assimilation policies are brought to the forefront in terms of religious behaviour patterns of Muslims, the emphasis on religion is not made directly, instead, it is made through the symbols of Islam. The reason why Muslims considered as “others” mainly takes its foundation from this difference. Although they do not make religion an important part of their life, and atheism is higher than other parts of the world, in many European countries Christianity is still considered an important part of the European identity and the Church is an important part of it. According to the conclusion of this study, it is highly possible that Denmark might serve as a model to Europe, primarily to Nordic countries, and this strengthens the possibility that anti-immigrant opposition will sharpen and divide societies. The effects of radical Islam, which is gradually increasing its influence around the world, is undoubtedly huge in these politics throughout Europe; however, abandoning or deviating from policies targeting multiculturalism might cause isolation and alienation of immigrants, who are already fleeing from terrorism, and push them towards radicalization which constitutes another danger.

Multiculturalism: its problems and teaching

Modern sociocultural, political, and economic processes are predominantly shaped by globalization. Globalization has created large-scale emigration flows around the world, processes of integration and assimilation of various groups and ethnicities, actualizing the phenomenon of multiculturalism. Modern multiculturalism has its positive and negative consequences. Western multiculturalism is based on the principles of radical liberalism, which favors individual rights over collective rights. Meanwhile, it is obvious that today we should talk about universal rights, inherent to both individuals and groups and collectives of individuals, nations, peoples. A selective approach to relations of inequality between different groups in society is necessary, since some of them are insurmountable and hardly require a change in such a situation. Multiculturalism is just entering its maturity, and much remains to be done for this policy to succeed.
 The state, which pursues a policy of multiculturalism, must propagate the ideas of tolerance in society and enshrine them in law. Effective multiculturalism presupposes unity and coherence of state policy, practice and ideology. It is necessary to recognize the necessity of forming conditions conducive to the development of positive forms of multiculturalism. Among them we would like to mention a well-considered policy of the state, which defines the norms of multiculturalism. These norms must find their place in the process of learning and teaching at different levels.
 In some post-Soviet countries (e.g. Azerbaijan) multiculturalism must spread among the various ethical groups, the peoples traditionally living in the country. With this approach, multiculturalism policy should aim to consolidate all ethnic groups into a single society with shared values and ideals, and recognize the rights of these groups to cultural and ethno-confessional autonomy.
 There is a need to include multiculturalism as a separate and mandatory subject in higher education courses.
 Multiperspectivity should be directly related to multiculturalism due to the commonality of the methodological and philosophical platform, many concepts and definitions. Multiculturalism and the multiperspectivity method should be used not only in teaching humanities disciplines, but also introduced in the methodological analysis of scientific research.

‘Witnessing the Violence of the Settler State in Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria and Lee Maracle’s Celia’s Song’

A Canadian literary scholar based in Australia, I read “Aboriginal/Indigenous” Australian and Canadian literatures in English as sites where the ways in which we perceive racial and cultural violence might be re-configured. Cognizant of the role that literary studies discourse has had and continues to have in these nations as a tool for the maintenance of official, state-recognised ‘reconciliation’ narratives, my work looks instead to the literary encounter itself as a potential site for registering, or witnessing, the violence that the settler state attempts to screen off behind the scenes of its official attitudes towards reconciliation. This article will explore the concept of literary witnessing in an archive of trans-Indigenous literature across settler colonial states, linking award-winning authors Alexis Wright (Waanyi, writing in Australia) and Lee Maracle (Sto:lo, writing in Canada). Analysing Wright’s Carpentaria and Maracle’s Celia’s Song, I trace how these novels enact and inspire, but also complicate, witnessing in Canada and Australia (both of which maintain official policies of inclusion and multiculturalism, but are actually held up by a regime of continuing racialized violence). I also examine how these works of literature model ignorance and choosing to turn away as a form of violence and a roadblock to justice. Finally, I ask how these novels might provide models for subjectivity and justice that subvert the judiciary systems of these settler states, dislodging ‘witnessing’ from its place in discourses of state-authorized “justice”, and placing it in the realm of Indigenous law and the potential of an ethical (literary) encounter.

Sport, migration and integration in Denmark: local political responses and policies in Copenhagen

ABSTRACT Denmark in recent years has seen a significant increase in immigration. The topic has become a major political issue, due mainly to the rise of far-right political parties that advocate not only for a more restrictive immigration policy, but also for an assimilation strategy for those migrants currently resident in the country. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), the aim of this article is to analyse the role of sport policy in Copenhagen as an instrument for the social integration of migrants between 2010 and 2018. This paper focuses on female immigrants and women-only swimming, exploring the impact on policy of the interactions between national, municipal and sports club policy actors. The main findings of the research are: a) sport was identified in Copenhagen as an important vehicle for the inclusion of recent migrants into communal associationalist life and their introduction to Danish societal values and norms; b) the Municipality of Copenhagen was granted by central government considerable autonomy in interpreting their responsibilities and collaborated closely with sports clubs in the design and delivery of sports programmes related to immigrants; c) two competing advocacy coalitions were identified, one favouring inclusion through assimilation and the other integration through multiculturalism; d) the assimilationist coalition was composed of centre-right and far-right political parties. As these parties controlled the municipal sport department, it was the sports clubs that pursued a multicultural policy; and e) the issue of gender-segregated swimming was a focal issue for disputes over approaches to integration.

Paradoxical configuration of advocacy groups for multiculturalism discourse in South Korea

ABSTRACT This article demonstrates that the paradoxical configuration of groups supporting multiculturalism in South Korea stems from uniquely Korean experiences of colonialism, territorial division, and modernization. Unlike other societies, conservative political force advocates for multiculturalism and blames nationalism for its intolerance. On the other hand, its political counterparts have lingered on Korean nationalism, often presented as an antipode of multiculturalism. For exploring the antecedents of South Korean multiculturalism that contributed to shaping such configuration, I use the Foucauldian theoretical concept of governmentality and genealogy. Governmentality focuses on the conditions or circumstances under which policy problems are produced and genealogy allows us to trace back to its origin of the discourse, for de-familiarizing and dismantling the widespread perception of South Korean multiculturalism. This article explores how historical and geopolitical conditions have shaped engagement with multiculturalism discourse and how the emergence of post-nationalism laid the foundation for multiculturalism policy.

The impacts of national education policies on teachers’ interpretations and implementations of multicultural education in South Korea

ABSTRACT Korean society and schools have become more demographically diverse than ever. To support this increasing cultural diversity in schools, the Korean government has been developing multicultural education policies since 2006. This study aims to examine how multicultural education has been articulated by the government and how the national vision has affected teachers’ interpretations and implementations of multicultural education. By drawing on a review of policy documents and teachers’ interviews, this study analysed Korean teachers’ perceptions of the national multicultural education policies from the perspective of Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing. The results revealed both narrow and broad definitions of multicultural education, and these double definitions were also reflected in the teachers’ perceptions and practices. This paper concludes by presenting the implications of the findings and suggestions for improving multicultural education at the national and school level.

Everyday Intimacies and Inter-Ethnic Relationships: Tracing Entanglements of Gender and Race in Multicultural Singapore

Through the proposed frame of ‘everyday intimacies’, this article explores the entanglements of race and gender in inter-ethnic relationships. ‘Everyday intimacies’ brings together the minority experiences of everyday racism, the state practices and policies of multiculturalism, and their inflections in intimate relationships of marriage, friendship, and dating. This approach demonstrates not just how the state regulates people’s intimate life through policies of marriage and family, but also how other indirect processes of multicultural governance mediate intimate life. Drawing on biographical narratives of mainly Indian women from in-depth life story interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, the article brings the literature on intimacies in conversation with the scholarship on race and ethnic relations in Singapore. Through a focus on intimacy, the article illustrates how tacit knowledge and embodied effects of everyday racism relate to larger trends of intermarriages, rising singlehood among Indian women and possibilities of co-ethnic friendships and solidarities. In doing so, the article presents novel insight into race and gender relations in Singapore.

Intercultural communication in solving a current global problem: the COVID pandemic

Intercultural communication is a type of social interaction in a multicultural society, which can help to solve problems related to the coexistence of cultures, as well as global problems that affect all people on Earth, regardless of cultural affiliation. Currently, such a problem is the COVID pandemic. In an effort to find solutions that respect the rights and interests of members of all cultures, this paper first introduces the policy of multiculturalism, but it focuses mainly on the importance of intercultural communication in the multicultural society which, among other things, helps the members to realize that fighting against this pandemic and dealing with its consequences is a common good for all of them. They should work together for this good to respect the interests of all people and cultures in the world. At the same time, the COVID pandemic becomes a challenge for ethics to strengthen the cohesion and cooperation of cultures and, from its point of view, to predict a solution for the benefit of everyone./ Keywords: COVID pandemic, cultures, multiculturalism, intercultural communication, common good, ethics

Underground COVID-19 Home Hospitals for Haredim: Non-Compliance or a Culturally Adapted Alternative to Public Hospitalization?

This thematic study analyzed the experiences of Jewish Haredi (Lithuanian) patients in underground home hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19 in Israel. This minority comprises 12.6% of the Israeli population. Participants were 30 members of this hidden population, ages 59–78. Haredi complied with community directives rather than with the national directive of hospitalizing COVID-19 patient only at public hospitals. Compliance with community directives was driven by a distrust in health authorities and clinicians at public hospitals; by the preference of patient-centered care, a desired approach of care that public hospitals fail to implement; by the need to sustain beliefs, values, and traditions; by community leadership; and by the need to conserve political power. While health authorities view underground home hospitals as demonstrating non-compliance with the national directive, Haredi leaders view underground home hospitals as demonstrating a self-sufficient, patient-centered care alternative to public hospitalizations. Considering the benefits of patient-centered care and the growth of the multi-cultural global landscape, we call upon health authorities to explore the accommodation of patient-centered care for COVID-19 patients and the designing of an adaptive multi-cultural policy that address multi-cultural aspects of religious minorities as key to health promotion. We propose ways to implement multi-cultural policies.

The Impact of Ethnic Nationalism and Nouveau-Riche Nationalism on Foreign Wives’ Citizenship in South Korea

Foreign wives have been at the center of Korean multicultural policies since South Korea (hereafter “Korea”) adopted its “Grand Plan.” This plan consists of policies and programs aimed to quickly integrate foreign wives into Korean society. As a result, their legal treatment has been relatively favorable; however, some have claimed to be mistreated socially and culturally. While a variety of reasons behind such mistreatment might be highlighted, this study focuses on Korean identity and related nationalism. The study finds that Korean identity has been mainly ethnic, and as such, it is responsible for excluding foreign wives from the sense of belonging to the same nationhood. Furthermore, ethnic nationalism has affected the social context in Korea and the emergence of nouveau-riche nationalism from the 1990s onwards. Nouveau-riche nationalism has its roots in ethnic nationalism, and it asserts a belief in Korean cultural superiority over other nations, especially less developed ones. Therefore, nouveau-riche nationalism is responsible for evaluating others based on skin color and country of origin, signifying that fairer skin is associated with the Western and more developed world, while darker skin color is associated with poorer, less developed nations. As the majority of foreign wives in Korea come from less-developed Asian countries, and particularly South East Asia, they are often discriminated against because of their darker skin color and country of origin. The study found that this prevents their full integration into society and undermines the assimilation goals set by the Korean government. The study thus stresses the importance of education and raising awareness of human rights and equality to create a fairer, more inclusive multicultural society.

Article of Journal of Learning and Education Policy

This article provides a critical analysis of policies from two education systems that support the education of students from migrant backgrounds. This analysis examines the highly political policy context of multiculturalism to reveal how education systems acquiesce to or resist social and political forces. In making this case, the article presents an historical analysis of the Australian federal government’s multicultural policy and the events that shaped it. The article then presents an analysis of the national policy statement Multicultural Australia: United, Strong, Successful to understand the current federal position on multiculturalism. These analyses provide an understanding of the political rationality of the broader context. This article argues that education policy constructions are likely to reflect this political rationality. Against this backdrop it then examines primary policies from two education systems that relate to education for students from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The key argument is that, whilst the federal government attends to concerns about security, social integration and economic contributions, education departments can ‘resist’ and attend to broader issues related to educational equity and social justice.

Ethnic discrimination in secondary education: Does the solution lie in multicultural education and the ethnic school composition?

Ethnic discrimination is a serious problem in education. Previous quantitative research is predominately focused on the consequences of ethnic discrimination. Very little is known, however, about the characteristics of the school context that influence the initial experience of ethnic discrimination. This knowledge is essential to support schools in how to organize in a way that diminishes the likelihood of adolescents being discriminated against. This study examines the relationship between multicultural education and perceived ethnic discrimination, and the moderating role of the ethnic composition of the student population. Multicultural education is a broad concept. The focus lies on the three main actors: multicultural policy from the perspective of the principal, multicultural teaching from the perception of the teacher and students’ perception of multicultural teaching. The results of a multilevel analysis on a large-scale dataset (N = 2715 students, 38 schools) collected in secondary education in Belgium show that students of ethnic Belgian descent are more likely to report ethnic discrimination by peers if the school applies a more multicultural policy or if the school has a high concentration of students with an other-than-Belgian background. Students with an other-than-Belgian background are more likely to report ethnic discrimination by teachers if the school applies a more multicultural policy. If students perceive that their teachers pay attention to multicultural education, they are less likely to report ethnic discrimination by teachers, but more by peers. The ethnic composition is not directly related to perceived ethnic discrimination, nor does it play a moderating role.

Co-navigating Migrant Reception Services: Engaging Practices of Collaborative Anthropology in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Drawing on a support program for foreign women, this article discusses anthropological collaboration with local services for migrants in one of the Italian regions most advanced in terms of multicultural policies. Often treated as a pre-given good, collaborative work is here revealed as a site for exploring ways of practicing anthropology with professionals engaged in migrant reception services. On one hand, I examine the potential of collaborative anthropology to interrogate workers’ taken-for-granted assumptions as well as the moral implications and institutional constraints that shape their ambiguous encounters with female “Others,” perceived as both passive victims and manipulative users. On the other hand, I highlight the meaningful position the anthropologist gains to capture the multi-faceted worlds that social actors navigate in their efforts to negotiate blurred rights in a shifting, contested arena. Moving beyond a narrow conception of applied work, I conclude by casting collaborative anthropology as a call for renewed reflection on political engagement in social policies but also as a challenging opportunity for further investigations of local reception services.

Interrogating race, unsettling whiteness: concepts of transitions, enterprise and mobilities in Australian youth studies

ABSTRACT This paper interrogates how three key concepts in youth studies – ‘transitions’, ‘the enterprising self’ and ‘mobilities’ – have historically centred the experiences of white/Anglo young people in the Australian settler colonial context. A race critical analysis of these major concepts that foregrounds colonialism, racialised migration schemes, multicultural policies and everyday racism has yet to be applied in any substantial way. This approach has the potential to unsettle the colonial and racialised logics inherent within these concepts and examine how they normalise whiteness in Australia. In exploring how these concepts are predominantly applied, critiqued and engaged with, we ask, how does youth studies as a field reproduce Northern colonial systems of knowledge production? We demonstrate the necessity of naming race, racism and processes of racialisation explicitly within the Australian field, not merely to include ‘others’ but to investigate how dominant conceptual paradigms produce racialised and minoritised Others and mainstream whiteness.