New Policies of Accommodating Diversity

Challenges and Opportunities for Multilevel States

Conference outline

Questions of how to accommodate cultural diversity have become increasingly important not only in Western Europe but also as part of processes of democratization outside Europe. Apart from the renaissance of internal nations within states, mobility and immigration are transforming the cultural composition of societies increasing their heterogeneity. Cultural communities differ in terms of language, religion, cultural tradition, and national or ethnic identity. Demands for special recognition or protection of group distinctiveness are challenging liberal principles of equality and raise questions about belonging, identity, in- and exclusion. Apart from practical problems of finding solutions satisfying for divergent groups, policies of integration also touch on normative principles of living together within one state.

The aim of the conference is to shed light on these fundamental questions and to compare policies of diversity management in different contexts. We intend to approach these issues of accommodation, integration and internal dynamics from different theoretical perspectives and include a variety of studies of different types of communities and the policies directed at their demands. Single case studies as well as small- and large-N comparisons will cover cultural communities in Europe, South-East Asia and in Africa.

The conference is organized by the research project “Dynamics of group conflicts in multinational multilevel states.”

The convenors are grateful for the support and funding by the Center of Excellence “Cultural Foundations of Social Integration” and for the support of the specialist group “Federalism” of the German Political Science Association.

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conference outline (pdf, 11 p.)