Position Paper – Cultural Aspects of Urbanity, Gender and Migration Zuzana Révészová Workshop 3 – John Holmwood 18.10.2012

Multiculturalism, migration and problems of belonging In a prescribed literature, I found very interesting the cosmopolitan epistemological discussion set in the beginning and the evolution of the 'material' debate through the end. I appreciate how the teacher suggested the topics to follow from the beginning to the end. The first reading, Becks and Bhambras, sets visions of cosmopolitanism in the scientific discourses. Following debate on diversity afterwards focuses on the critical issues occuring in the contemporary societies. The diversity issues, as shown, have great implact on public policy in the societies where the immigration or ethinc differences are more visible or increasing. This is a main statement I would assume from the prescribed reading for this workshop. Differences therefore creat huge discussions and become a clash point mostly in the election times. Division of the society resembles a discussion on such cases like Dreyfus in the end of 19th century. The main reason for that is the implication of social welfare and protection of human rights as a identity-building set of values, and the opennes and immigration increasin on the other hand. A challenging point is brought by the criticism of the Western point of postcolonial value system that creates the logic of the cosmopolitan present. This problem is complex in its existence – the beginning of immigration is caused by the leaving of the collonies, the beginnig of the intolerance is caused by being postcolonial and rich from the colonies and the worst is the hopelessness in trying to resolve this with no real vision. I would see the debate of the Prospect magazine, challenging multiculturalism as a key text of the set. Application of the sociological concept would not lead me to the analysis of the real situation of the actual tolerance of the imigration, however, I would like to focus on the analysis of the acceptance of the meaning of each of narratives used in the article. The 'context' articles suggested just describe the results of conducted researches (mostly quantitative), whom is hard to inscribe a concrete value. Actual writings and literature of the acceptance of the differences would be much more valuable. One of the examples for me would be a huge debate on the 'Muhammed' movie that has exploaded recently. An analytical frame set by Beck would adequatly fit to this topic of research, because of its unexisting borders of discussion. An importand issue of the set of answers of the article was also the solidarity point. It is a time, in my view, to reconstruct the term solidarity of society in the cosmopolitan point of view as

well. The set of answers would probably help to bring the discussion over the struggle 'it helps to people, it doesn't help to people' as offered. I had an impression, that arguments used in the replies operate with a solidarity term as a “well being of all individuals that helps the well being of the society”. I neither think it would be a working concept of solidary society. *Beck, U. 2002. ‘The Cosmopolitan Society and Its Enemies,’ Theory Culture Society 19 (1–2), 17–44 Beck, U. and Grande, E. 2007. ‘Cosmopolitanism: Europe's Way Out of Crisis,’ European Journal of Social Theory 10 (1), 67-85 *Bhambra, G. K. 2009. ‘Postcolonial Europe: Or, Understanding Europe in Times of the Postcolonial’ in Chris Rumford (ed) Handbook of European Studies, London: Sage Bhambra, G. K. 2011. ‘Cosmopolitanism and Postcolonial Critique’ in M. Rovisco and M. Nowicka (eds) The Ashgate Companion to Cosmopolitanism. Ashgate: Farnham An important debate in the UK was generated by the editor of Prospect magazine, challenging multiculturalism: *Goodhart, David. 2004. "Is Britain Too Diverse." Prospect, February issue http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/media/replies.pdf. An extensive set of replies is here: http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/too-diverse-david-goodhartmulticulturalismbritain-immigration-globalisation/. Some articles on the context of the debate: Citrin, Jack, and John Sides. 2008. "Immigration and the Imagined Community in Europe and the United States." Political Studies 56:33-56. Hopkins, D. J. 2011. "National Debates, Local Responses: The Origins of Local Concern about Immigration in Britain and the United States." British Journal of Political Science 41:499-524. Kenny, M. 2012. "The Political Theory of Recognition: The Case of the White Working Class'." British Journal of Politics & International Relations 14 (1):19-38. On solidarity as ‘political friendship’, see: *Allen, Danielle. 2004. Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship since Brown v Board of Education. Chicago: U of Chicago Press. Esp. part 1