Культура и национальное самосознание Европы. Практикум на английском языке

of politics and business, as well as other opinion-formers. The conclusions of their research and seminars are reflected in their publications, which can be used for the preparation for question 5 of the seminar.

PRACTICAL # 3. Multiculturalism in public and political discourse in EU Member States

Objective: to develop the ability to apply knowledge gained from Humanities, Social Studies and Economics in carrying out expert and analytical work on cultural diversity issues.

Organizational structure of the class: group discussion

Topics for discussion

1.Multiculturalists’ approaches to the issues of race and ethnicity.

2.Political correctness and the policy of affirmative action in European countries.

3.Public perceptions of political correctness and the policy of affirmative action.

4.Gender dimensions of multiculturalism and political correctness in public discourse.

5.Failure of multiculturalism?

Learning strategies

The theme of the class is a logical extension to the previous one. Having discussed the origins and essential principles of multiculturalism, it is necessary to explore it in public and political discourse.

In question #1 it is necessary to examine how the ideology of cultural diversity is put into political practices and official policies in Western European countries. Unlike the USA, where the focus of multiculturalism is racial relations, within a European framework multiculturalism is all about immigrant population from non-Western and non-Christian cultures.

Question #2 deals with political correctness and the policy of affirmative action. Political correctness is defined as “the avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude,

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marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against”. According to Collins English Dictionary political correctness is “the attitude or policy of being extremely careful not to offend or upset any group of people in society who have a disadvantage, or who have been treated differently because of their sex, race, or disability”. Another definition to learn is “affirmative action”. It is a policy or programme designed to counter discrimination against minority groups and women in areas such as employment and education. The term was coined in the USA. Its British equivalent is “positive discrimination” or “positive action”. While working on question #2, students need to search recommended below EU official websites and online news sites in order to collect information about governmental policies that promote the diversity or its institutionalisation.

Another facet of consideration is public perceptions of governmental policies of political correctness and affirmative action (question #3). Think over the reasons why these policies meet severe criticism from some segments of public, right-wing political parties and some scholars.

Question #4 deals with gender dimensions of multiculturalism and political correctness in public discourse. The discussion of this question should be focused on positive action policies towards women. Think over the question: Is positive discrimination of women in society justified? Corroborate your opinion.

Question #5 was prompted by recent statements of some European political leaders (German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, etc.) about the failure of the policy of encouraging the religious and cultural differences of immigrants. Analyze their arguments and express your own opinion about it.

Assignments for control and development of competences

1.Give definitions to the following terms: “political correctness”, “affirmative action”, “gender gap”, “glass ceiling”.

2.Explain the common features and differences between European and American kinds of multiculturalism.

3.List positive and negative effects of multiculturalism on the society in European countries.

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4.Comment on the following fact: In 2011 British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned multiculturalism as a failure. He said that public money should not be handed to ethnic groups who did not share British values. He called for an end to the 'passive tolerance' of divided communities and said members of all faiths must integrate into wider society and accept core values.

5.Answer the question: In 2011 British Prime Minister David Cameron declared: «Multiculturalism in Britain fostered extremism».

Do you agree with his opinion?

6.Comment on the declaration of French President N.Sarkozy about the failure of multiculturalism in France: «We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him…Of course we must all respect differences, but we do not want a society where communities coexist side by side. Our Muslim compatriots must be able to practise their religion, as any citizen can, but we in France do not want people to pray in an ostentatious way in the street. If you come to France, you accept to melt into a single community, which is the national community, and if you do not want to accept that, you cannot be welcome in France».

7.Comment on the following fact: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Australia's former prime minister John Howard and former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar declared in 2011 that multicultural policies had not successfully integrated immigrants.

8.Look at results of the research on multiculturalism policies in eight European countries: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the

Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria. The research was conducted in 2010. The results suggest that multicultural policies which grant immigrants easy access to equal rights and do not provide strong incentives for host-country language acquisition and interethnic contacts when combined with a generous welfare state, have produced low levels of labour market participation, high levels of segregation and a strong overrepresentation of immigrants among those convicted for criminal behaviour. Countries which have combined multicultural policies with a strong welfare state (Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands) display relatively poor integration outcomes. Countries that either had more restrictive or assimilationist integration policies (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France) or a relatively lean welfare state (the United Kingdom) have achieved better integration results.

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Answer the question: Does the research prove the failure of multiculturalism as a political strategy?

9. Read the input below and answer the question.

In 2009 the European Parliament banned its members from using “Miss” and “Mrs” because it claimed they are sexist. European politicians were warned that they must avoid referring to a woman's marital status. Madame and Mademoiselle, Frau and Fraulein and Senora and Senorita were also banned. Moreover, the new guidelines ruled out some other “sexist” words and recommended their politically

“headmasters” and “headmistresses” must be “heads” or “head teachers”; “air hostesses” should be called “flight attendants”. “Police officers” must be used instead of “policeman” and “policewoman”. “Man-made” is also taboo - it should be “artificial” or “synthetic”. The authors claimed that the aim of the new guidelines was to create “gender-neutral” language.

Some members of the European Parliament denounced the new rules. Scottish Tory MEP S. Stevenson described the guidelines as “political correctness gone mad”. Which side do you agree with: the creators of the politically correct language or its opponents? Give arguments to support your opinion.

10. Look at the input on gender aspects of political correctness and answer the question below.

“Positive discrimination towards women should be allowed”

"If anyone is disadvantaged it is men". This quote sums up the idiocy of the oppositions argument. How many female presidents have there been? How female CEO's are there of the worlds top companies?

Which point of view do you agree with? Corroborate your opinion. 11. Choose one of the topics below and write an essay:

–Multiculturalist approaches to the issues of race and ethnicity.

–Multiculturalist approaches to the issues of personal and collective identities.

–Political dimensions of multiculturalism.

–Multiculturalism and political correctness in working environment.

–Multiculturalism and political correctness in educational environment

–Multiculturalism and political correctness in everyday life.

–Political correctness in language.

–Positive discrimination towards women in society is justified.

–Positive discrimination towards women should not be allowed.

Requirements for submission of an essay:

An essay has clearly stated objectives and is planned carefully. The structure of the paper work has all the necessary elements. They are the following: 1. Introduction (Objectives of the essay, analysis of primary sources and research works of scholars). 2. Main part (a statement, supportive arguments “for” and “against”, the author’s personal point of view). 3. Conclusion. An excellent essay has clear statements and several supporting arguments presented in a logically coherent order. Conclusions logically follow arguments. The essay must be written according to the requirements: the paper should not exceed 4-5 pages. It should be typed in a readable font such as 12or 14-point Times Roman or Arial. Cover sheet or title page should include the following information: name, class number, instructor’s name, date and the title of the essay. The paper must include footnotes either on each page or at the end of the main text.

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Vocabulary to learn

1.cross-national comparison

2.gender-neutral

3.identity markers

4.justified

5.multi-faith society

6.patriarchal society

7.political correctness

8.positive action

9.positive discirmination

10.sexist

11.social / working / educational environment

Recommended Reading

Basic

1.Koopmans, R. Trade-Offs between Equality and Difference: Immigrant Integration, Multiculturalism and the Welfare State in CrossNational Perspective// Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. January 2010. Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 1–26 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/- 13691830903250881.

2.Norris, P., Inglehard R. F. Muslim integration into Western cultures: between origins and destinations // Political Studies. 2012.Vol. 60, No. 2, p.p.216–251.

3.Miller-Idriss, S. and Rothenberg, B. Ambivalence, pride and shame: conceptualizations of German nationhood //Nation and Nationalism, 2012, 18(1), p.p.118–135.

4.Culture matters more // The Economist, Aug 11th 2012.

5.Berman, G. and Paradies, Y. Racism, disadvantage and multiculturalism: towards effective anti-racist praxis // Ethnic and Racial Studies. February 2010. Vol. 33. No. 2, pp. 214–232.

6.Nicolas Sarkozy joins David Cameron and Angela Merkel view that multiculturalism has failed // Daily Mail, 11 February 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1355961/Nicolas-Sarkozy-joins- David-Cameron-Angela-Merkel-view-multiculturalism-failed.html.

7.Triandafyllidou, A.; Modood, T. and Meer, N. Eds., European Multiculturalisms: Cultural, Religious and Ethnic Challenges. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011.

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8. Werbner, P. Multiculturalism from Above and Below: Analysing a Political Discourse // Journal of Intercultural Studies. April 2012, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 197–209. < http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/- 07256868.2012.649527>.

Additional

1.Claval, P.Multiculturalism and dynamics of modern civilization. < http://archive.unu.edu/dialogue/papers/claval-s2.pdf.

2.Levey, G. B. Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism: A

Distinction without a Difference? // Journal of Intercultural Studies Vol. 33, No. 2, April 2012, pp. 217–224. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/- 07256868.2012.649529>.

3.End it, don’t mend it // The Economist, April, 5, 2003.

4.Wilson, N. Unwelcome remainders, welcome reminders.

(ethnicity within national identity) (Theory, Culture and Criticism) MELUS; 6/22/1994; <http://www.highbeam.com>.

5.Modood, T. & Meer, N. Rejoinder: Assessing the Divergences on our Readings of Interculturalism and Multiculturalism // Journal of Intercultural Studies. April 2012, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 233–244. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2012.649531>.

6.Wieviorka, M. Multiculturalism: A Concept to be Redefined and Certainly Not Replaced by the Extremely Vague Term of Interculturalism // Journal of Intercultural Studies. April 2012, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 225–231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2012.649530.

Internet resources

http://europa.eu – An official website of European Union. Under section Publications and documents one can find official documents of EU, statistics and opinion polls, articles of publishers and writers. Another helpful section of the website is Newsroom, where press releases in printed or video versions can be found. The website provides with valuable data about the official policies in the EU as well as info about public sentiments and attitudes towards policies of political correctness and affirmative action.

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PRACTICAL # 4. Factors of European identity construction: migration

Objective: to develop the ability to analyze and summarize the results of research work on the basis of up to date interdisciplinary approaches.

Organizational structure of the class: group discussion

Topics for discussion

1.The EU’s migration strategy.

2.Stocks and flows of non-EU citizens’ immigration.

3.Illegal immigration to EU.

4.Intra–EU migration in historical retrospective.

5.Socio-demographic profile of the migrants and immigrants at

present.

6.The European Union and migration: a threat to identity?

Learning strategies

The mobility of people is now firmly recognized as a key dimension shaping society today, but the relationship between migration and societal change is only partly understood. The issue of migration in two aspects – immigration to EU and internal EU migration – is directly related to the problem of European identity construction.

Since the 1990s, migration has increasingly been seen as a threat to societal security, including challenge to cultural identity. The EU’s migration situation is particularly complex with 27 member states, each of which has national identity concerns in addition to sharing a collective concern about the Union’s societal identity. Therefore, the central point of the group discussion at class is an impact of migrations of population on the European identity.

The preparation for question #1 one should start with the examination of EU official documents representing EU’s migration strategy. (Recommended reading, doc. 1 and 2). While studying the documents, bear in mind that EU migration policy applies to thirdcountry nationals entering the EU and don’t regulate the movement of citizens within the Union. The most pertinent questions to address are the following: What immigration controls does Europe have in place?

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How are they to be enforced? Do they command the confidence of communities? Can they promote the balanced society with liberal values?

In question #2 it is necessary to make a socio-demographic profile of immigrants in historical retrospective. Bear in mind that there are four main legitimate reasons why people migrate into the EU: to work, to study, to unite with family members, and to seek political asylum after having escaped oppression. Analyze each of these reasons. It’s a starting point for the study of socio-demographic profile of immigrants.

In question #3 think over the reasons for mass character of illegal immigration to EU; find out the main sources of it, the channels of penetration through EU borders.

Another facet of migration issue is the movement of persons within EU (question #4). Try to find out which type of migration prevailed at which period of time: organised (employer–initiated) quota migration, family migration, highly skilled migration, retirement migration and student migration.

One more aspect to explore is socio-demographic profile of migrants and immigrants at present (question #5).

The group discussion concludes with the key issue of the theme, namely whether migration presents a potential threat to EU identity, in particular European cultural heritage. question #6). Scholars point out three dangers to societal security through migration. Firstly, public order may be undermined. Migrants are often perceived as posing a threat to public order through criminal activities including drug and people trafficking, theft and terrorism although some scholars argue that this problem is largely overestimated. Another threat is that cultural identity may be challenged. The challenge to cultural identity stems from competing cultural values and norms, as illustrated by the 2004 French ban on wearing overt religious symbols, such as the hijab in schools. Finally, migration affects labour markets: domestic labour market may be destabilised.

Members of the public are sincerely concerned about the impact of migration on society. This concern derives from the sense that immigration is somehow uncontrolled; that new immigrants do not share the same values and commitment to society as the indigenous population; and that migration has introduced unfairness into the

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allocation of jobs, housing and social services by giving priority to new immigrants. Think over the question: are these concerns based on facts or are they just symptoms of bigotry, or harbingers of racist behaviour?

Try to explain reasons for political and public concerns about immigration to Europe. Study news sites and newspapers online in order to collect facts to illustrate and corroborate your assumptions.

Assignments for control and development of competences

1.Summarize EU’s migration strategy. What are the main points of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)?

2.Formulate the rights migrants in EU have. Which EU official documents protect these rights?

3.Formulate the reasons for public concerns about immigration. Think whether immigration from non-Western and non-Christian regions pose a real threat to European cultural identity.

4.Suggest the type of policy Member States should carry out towards immigrant population: assimilation, integration or cultural diversity.

5.Read an extract from research work and comment on it.

Destabilising effects of migration on labour markets and domestic stability

«Migration affects labour markets and domestic stability in both the losing and gaining societies. Developing countries often lose their younger, better-educated population to the developed world. For example, by 1987, 30 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s skilled manpower stock had emigrated to the EU. As well as the economic impact, societal security is affected by the demographic shift towards an older population. In Moldova nearly a quarter of all citizens of working age have jobs abroad, leaving an ageing population with strong allegiance to the Communist Party and a gender imbalance further skewed by the large-scale trafficking of young women as part of the sex trade. In gaining countries, too, migration can destabilise through the growth of racism and xenophobia; a factor that today causes concern within the EU». (source: Wing Commander P. E. O’Neill RAF (2006): The European Union and Migration: Security versus Identity?, Defence Studies, 6:3, 322–350 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14702430601060149)

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