THE CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATION POLITICS IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
THE CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATION POLITICS IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Summary/Abstract: In recent years, European countries are facing new waves of immigrants and refugees, who follow the classic immigration routes from east to west and from south to north. This social and demographic phenomenon, whose current dynamics could not be predicted, leads to multiple and various problems at the political and social level, as well as to challenges at both cultural and structural, macro-social level. The diverse contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies can generate dissensions and even social conflicts. That is why various discussions, both theoretically and practically, have emerged, dealing with possible solutions to such problems. Furthermore, the debates are not limited only to the field of culture and social interactions, but they also focus on the initiation of some actions at the social level of policies and concrete measures to facilitate the integration of migrants. The present paper is a sociological contribution to these discussions. The primary objectives are, on one hand, to conceptualize the terms of diversity and integration, and on the other hand to delimit the links between the cultural level of the practices, values, and symbolic representations and the structural level of integration policies. In this regard, the concept of “integration” is analytically and operationally approached, and the desiderata of integration politics are addressed.

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