Japanese Sociological Review
Online ISSN : 1884-2755
Print ISSN : 0021-5414
ISSN-L : 0021-5414
Articles
Social Integration in Post-Multiculturalism
An Analysis of Social Integration Policy in Postwar Britain
Satoshi ADACHI
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2009 Volume 60 Issue 3 Pages 433-448

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Abstract
Globalization has accelerated the flux of immigrants and increased the number of ethnic minorities and the degree of cultural diversity. On the one hand, immigrants and ethnic minorities have a positive effect, both socially and economically, on the host society. On the other hand, the rise of cultural diversity led by them has resulted in ontological insecurity among the majority. Multiculturalism has conventionally perceived the issue of diversity as positive. However, Multiculturalism has been criticized recently because the recognition of cultural diversity does not create common ground among different groups, but instead, intensifies social tension. A new philosophy and policy is required to address the issues of social unity and cultural diversity.
The appeasement between social unity and cultural diversity requires two-way processes. The first is to reduce cultural diversity and promote a sense of common "belonging," and the second is to enable people to adapt to diversity and increase the feeling of "security" toward diversity. These two processes, however, are politically opposed. How can they be compatible? This paper works on this question by exploring the social integration policy in Britain. I divide Britain's social integration policy into three stages on the basis of the relationship between belonging and security: after WWII till 1979, Thatcher and Major's Conservative Government (1979-97), and Blair's new Labour Government (1997-). The appeasement of belonging and security has been achieved by the three political barters between anti-immigration laws and racial relation laws in the first stage, by the division between national assimilation policy and local multiculturalism policy in the second stage, and by citizenship policy and Britishness as a liberal form of national identity in the third stage. This paper focuses on the social integration policy and philosophy of the new Labour Government because it proposes a postmulticulturalism discourse for social integration.
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© 2009 The Japan Sociological Society
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