Urban Multiculturalism beyond the ‘Backlash’: New Discourses and Different Practices in Immigrant Policies across European Cities

Abstract

All across European receiving societies, the mainstream political discourse is displaying increasing disaffection with multiculturalism. It is primarily at the level of local policies, though, that the social inclusion of immigrants and the governance of ethno-cultural diversity are negotiated. Building on a comparative study of the urban 'adaptations' of multiculturalism in eight European cities, this article addresses three questions: (1) the changing relations between national and (relatively autonomous) local immigrant policies; (2) the ways in which such policies are locally reframed and reshaped along the continuum between multiculturalism and assimilation; (3) the involvement of civil society organizations in urban governance processes. Altogether, local policies seem to have been less affected by the backlash against multiculturalism than a common sense understanding would entail. Yet, they are increasingly constrained by anti-immigrant positions and budgetary restrictions, as well by the search for new political idioms vis-à-vis the de-legitimization of the multiculturalist lexicon and agenda.

Stuck Between Mainstreaming and Localism: Views on the Practice of Migrant Integration in a Devolved Policy Framework

“…In particular, LAs and service providers would value and adopt targeted approaches to make their services equally accessible to any member of the local community, including newcomers with specific cultural and linguistic needs, for example. The case of stakeholders working with asylum seekers and refugees also pointed to the benefits of the tailored nature of their work (see Ambrosini and Boccagni 2015 for further examples of local practice).…”

“…This approach within integration policy has gained momentum in recent years, especially in the UK-although with a stronger focus on ethnic diversity (Scholten et al 2017). Of course, mainstreaming and localism are often context specific and contested, and indeed vary across nation states (see Ambrosini and Boccagni 2015). While some states use these terms to signify a move away from multiculturalism, at the local level, they play out very differently.…”

Governing agricultural migrant workers as an “emergency”: converging approaches in Northern and Southern Italian rural towns

“…The latter tend to be theorized as distinct but their inter‐relation can be strong, although difficult to disentangle, as will be shown. More generally, through our cases we will explore the hypothesis according to which local governments privilege pragmatic approaches to migrants' incorporation (Caponio and Borkert, ; Jørgensen, ), as they are faced with their needs most directly (see Ambrosini and Boccagni, ). We will also look at the role of civil society .…”

What Is Intercultural Sustainability? A First Exploration of Linkages Between Culture and Sustainability in Intercultural Research

“…Instead, societies will need to deliberately avow themselves to sustainability goals (Mendoza, 2010). Ambrosini and Boccagni (2015) as well as Boese and Phillips (2011) (both JIC) point out that the local community level may be the most immediate entry point for ensuring intercultural sustainability.…”

“…Its online archive dates back to the journal's first volume published in 1980, and here, 21 articles have been selected (Ambrosini & Boccagni, 2015;Boese & Phillips, 2011;Busbridge & Winarnita 2015;Castles, 2013;Catney et al, 2011;Collins, 2013;Dahinden et al, 2014;Dawe, 2007;Downman, 2012;Gvion, 2014;Humphrey, 2013;Jakubowicz, 2011;Kesten et al, 2011;Khan, 2014;Kubal, 2013;Mansouri & Pietsch, 2011;Mondain & Diagne, 2013;Muñoz, 2011;Poucki & Bryan, 2014;Poynting & Mason, 2006;Stolle-McAllister, 2013). …”