Between multiculturalist and universalist discourses : dealing with ethnic diversity in British and French urban settings

7 décembre 2009
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Between multiculturalist and universalist discourses : dealing with ethnic diversity in British and French urban settings by Francisco Javier Moreno Fuentes, Universitat de Barcelona, RTN URBeurope

Introduction.
The settlement of populations of immigrant origin in Western Europe during the
last decades represented an important challenge to public authorities, and particularly to
those managing cities. Despite the existence of considerable flows of migration linked to
agricultural activities (and therefore channelled to rural or semi-rural environments) most
migrants arriving to these countries settled in urban spaces. The works on the impact of
globalisation on the transformation of urban spaces placed the connection between
migratory processes and urban policies within the social sciences agenda (Sassen 1991,
Castells 1997). A growing literature has also established a strong basis for the analysis
of the incorporation of populations of immigrant origin into cities in advanced
contemporary societies (Sophie-Gendrot and Martiniello, 2000; Ireland, 1994).
Nevertheless, the actual mechanisms through which public administrations have dealt
with issues arising from the presence of a growingly diverse population at the local level
(on matters of social rights and welfare provision, housing policies, education, cultural
and religious diversity, social and political participation, discrimination, etc) require
further attention. This chapter tries to give a step in that direction by comparing the way
ethnic diversity has been addressed in British and French urban settings, and by trying
to extract some conclusions on the complex relations between official policy frameworks
defined at the aggregated societal and political level, and actual practices implemented
at the local level. Download the Cahier N°9

Mise à jour: 30 août 2005.

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