Human Rights, Diversity, and National Identity

Human Rights, Diversity, and National Identity PDF Author: Patricia E. Bromley
Publisher: Stanford University
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Fundamental world changes that simultaneously undermine a nation-state's charisma and promote the rise of a supra-national system have wide-ranging effects upon national states within a modern global society. My dissertation empirically examines the effects of social and cultural globalization on systems of mass schooling, which are central institutions in every country. Globally, primary and secondary education initially emerged as the premier tool for nation-states to create a unified national citizenry loyal to their country and socialized into a common cultural tradition. I examine the extent to which this original nationalizing purpose of schooling is challenged by the increased emphases on universal human rights and diversity in civic education. The analyses consist of two sections. Hierarchical linear models are used to analyze a unique primary data source of 521 social science textbooks from 74 countries during the period 1970-2008. These findings show a worldwide increase in emphasis on human rights and increases in discussions of diversity in well-established liberal democracies. Cross-national, quantitative analyses are complemented by a qualitative case study of social science curricula in British Columbia (BC), which examines nation-building within a context of strong emphasis on diversity and human rights. The BC study utilizes currently approved high school citizenship education textbooks as well as older textbooks dating back to 1871. It also draws on a selection of historical documents, including Ministry of Education reports, curricular frameworks, and high school exit exams. Process-wise, I find the incorporation of human rights and diversity reflects macro-level changes in national and global society. Content-wise, I find four main approaches to reconciling ideas of human rights and diversity with national identity: (1) framing human rights and multiculturalism as part of national identity, (2) using pedagogical approaches that promote multiple perspectives and individual agency, (3) celebrating social and scientific figures and accomplishments as the source of national pride, and (4) drawing on exogenous sources to affirm state legitimacy. This study is one of the first to theorize that civic education worldwide is moving away from a national focus and to provide empirical evidence of this trend. A key implication is that educational systems are being repurposed from their original goal of constructing a unitary national citizenry to a new view emphasizing human diversity and equality in a globally interconnected world. Further, students are increasingly taught that the global civil society and non-state actors are important and legitimate agents of social change.

Fear, Anxiety, and National Identity

Fear, Anxiety, and National Identity PDF Author: Nancy Foner
Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation
ISBN: 1610448537
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description
Fifty years of large-scale immigration has brought significant ethnic, racial, and religious diversity to North America and Western Europe, but has also prompted hostile backlashes. In Fear, Anxiety, and National Identity, a distinguished multidisciplinary group of scholars examine whether and how immigrants and their offspring have been included in the prevailing national identity in the societies where they now live and to what extent they remain perpetual foreigners in the eyes of the long-established native-born. What specific social forces in each country account for the barriers immigrants and their children face, and how do anxieties about immigrant integration and national identity differ on the two sides of the Atlantic? Western European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have witnessed a significant increase in Muslim immigrants, which has given rise to nativist groups that question their belonging. Contributors Thomas Faist and Christian Ulbricht discuss how German politicians have implicitly compared the purported “backward” values of Muslim immigrants with the German idea of Leitkultur, or a society that values civil liberties and human rights, reinforcing the symbolic exclusion of Muslim immigrants. Similarly, Marieke Slootman and Jan Willem Duyvendak find that in the Netherlands, the conception of citizenship has shifted to focus less on political rights and duties and more on cultural norms and values. In this context, Turkish and Moroccan Muslim immigrants face increasing pressure to adopt “Dutch” culture, yet are simultaneously portrayed as having regressive views on gender and sexuality that make them unable to assimilate. Religion is less of a barrier to immigrants’ inclusion in the United States, where instead undocumented status drives much of the political and social marginalization of immigrants. As Mary C. Waters and Philip Kasinitz note, undocumented immigrants in the United States. are ineligible for the services and freedoms that citizens take for granted and often live in fear of detention and deportation. Yet, as Irene Bloemraad points out, Americans’ conception of national identity expanded to be more inclusive of immigrants and their children with political mobilization and changes in law, institutions, and culture in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement. Canadians’ views also dramatically expanded in recent decades, with multiculturalism now an important part of their national identity, in contrast to Europeans’ fear that diversity undermines national solidarity. With immigration to North America and Western Europe a continuing reality, each region will have to confront anti-immigrant sentiments that create barriers for and threaten the inclusion of newcomers. Fear, Anxiety, and National Identity investigates the multifaceted connections among immigration, belonging, and citizenship, and provides new ways of thinking about national identity.

Negotiating Ethnic Diversity and National Identity in History Education

Negotiating Ethnic Diversity and National Identity in History Education PDF Author: Helen Mu Hung Ting
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031125355
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
This edited book explores the problems and challenges of negotiating the representation of ethnic minorities within history education. It investigates how states balance the (non-)acknowledgement of the reality of cultural or religious diversity, and the promotion of a point of convergence in history education to foster national identity. Shifting our attention away from the intractable challenges posed by post-conflict countries for reconciliation, the contributors draw attention to the need to explore ways to prevent or pre-empt conflicts and exclusion through history education, which could contribute to developing a more sustainable culture of peace. Drawing on a wide range of contexts and sources, this book asks how history education could contribute to forming critical, historically informed, and committed young citizens. The book will be of interest to students and academics working on themes such as nationalism, citizenship, ethnicity, history education, multicultural education, peace studies and area studies, as well as practitioners in the fields of history, social studies, civic or citizenship.

Human Rights and Diverse Societies

Human Rights and Diverse Societies PDF Author: François Crépeau
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443863785
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
Over sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it has been widely observed that human rights resonate differently in various settings. This book addresses the timely and important question of how to understand human rights in a world of increasing diversity. The effects of globalization and the increasing mobility of persons and peoples have further deepened and multiplied the sites of interaction between different cultures, religions and ethnicities. These changes have been a source of enrichment, as multiculturalism, interculturalism and diversity permeate our daily lives. Yet, they have also revealed important societal cleavages, different conceptualizations of human rights, and divergent values and beliefs about moral, ethical, cultural and religious issues. In societies characterized by diverse social, ethnic, religious and cultural communities, it becomes critical to examine how to reconcile the tensions between respect for group-based identities and differences, the robust protections of individual rights and freedoms, and the maintenance of community solidarity and social cohesion. It is these tensions, mediated through debates about the interaction between human rights and diversity, that this book addresses. Eschewing any simple reconciliation of human rights and universalism, this book aspires to identify alternative frameworks that can facilitate the conceptualization of, and help find solutions to, the complex global human rights issues in diverse societies. In engaging with both the theoretical perspectives that question the 'universality' of human rights as well as assessing the practicality of diverse applications of human rights, this collection of essays explores how human rights can be employed to empower historically excluded and marginalized groups. Taking diversity into account in thinking about the universal aspirations of human rights protection requires us to reframe the question. Rather than asking whether human rights are universal, we need to ask how the universal principles underlying human rights are practically and tangibly realized in diverse contexts and communities. Through critical reflection and a reexamination of the concepts, categories, institutions and frontiers of human rights, this book contributes to an ongoing dialogue about human rights discourse and theory. Yet beyond its contribution to scholarly debates, it is our hope that this book will contribute to the development of concrete, tangible and institutional strategies for advancing the protection of human rights in diverse societies.

Day of Empire

Day of Empire PDF Author: Amy Chua
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0307472450
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
In this sweeping history, bestselling author Amy Chua explains how globally dominant empires—or hyperpowers—rise and why they fall. In a series of brilliant chapter-length studies, she examines the most powerful cultures in history—from the ancient empires of Persia and China to the recent global empires of England and the United States—and reveals the reasons behind their success, as well as the roots of their ultimate demise. Chua's analysis uncovers a fascinating historical pattern: while policies of tolerance and assimilation toward conquered peoples are essential for an empire to succeed, the multicultural society that results introduces new tensions and instabilities, threatening to pull the empire apart from within. What this means for the United States' uncertain future is the subject of Chua's provocative and surprising conclusion.

Rethinking National Identity in the Age of Migration

Rethinking National Identity in the Age of Migration PDF Author: Migration Policy Institute
Publisher: Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung
ISBN: 3867934754
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Greater mobility and migration have brought about unprecedented levels of diversity that are transforming communities across the Atlantic in fundamental ways, sparking uncertainty over who the "we" is in a society. As publics fear loss of their national identity and values, the need is greater than ever to reinforce the bonds that tie communities together. Yet, while a consensus may be emerging as to what has not worked well, little thought has been given to developing a new organizing principle for community cohesion. Such a vision needs to smooth divisions between immigration's "winners and losers," blunt extremism, and respond smartly to changing community and national identities. This volume will examine the lessons that can be drawn from various approaches to immigrant integration and managing diversity in North America and Europe. The book delivers recommendations on what policymakers must do to build and reinforce inclusiveness given the realities on each side of the Atlantic. It offers insights into the next generation of policies that can (re)build inclusive societies and bring immigrants and natives together in pursuit of shared futures.

National Identity

National Identity PDF Author: Richard R. Verdugo
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1681235250
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
National identity has been the subject of much controversy and debate. Some have even suggested dropping the concept entirely. One group, Essentialists, argue that national identity is fixed, cultural, based on birth and ancestry. Another viewpoint is posited by Postmodernists who argue that national identity is malleable, invented or imagined. As alternatives, some have suggested that national identity is a hybrid of both Essentialist and Postmodernist views. And still others bypass this argument and suggest that national identity should be based on civic factors, such as shared values and norms about citizenship. While controversy and debate are healthy exercises in any science, at some point order must be established if science is to proceed. The present volume is based on the idea that national identity is an ideal-type concept; it does not completely capture reality, but is used for analytic purposes. In addition, rather than focusing on these theoretical debates, we pursue research with the idea that results from research will contribute to the field of national identity. Three areas of national identity are discussed: theoretical, national, and individual. Two chapters focus on the major theories about national identity, provide critiques, and make suggestions about the topic. In section two, six chapters provide case studies of national identity on Scotland, Ireland, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, and France. In section three, two case studies focus on immigrants and the challenges they face in forming their identities, especially identifying with their host countries—Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Several important conclusions may be gleaned from the contributions of the present volume. To begin with, while national identity is a slippery concept, if the field wishes to move beyond debate about fundamentals, it would be well advised to view the concept as an ideal-type as suggested by the great German scholar, Max Weber. Secondly, the case studies included in the present volume indicate that national identity is not only based on ethnicity and culture, but on such external factors as governance regimes and their changes, economic crises, wars and other forms of aggressive activity, and social demographic changes in a population. These factors affect a population at the national level. For immigrants at the individual level, developing national identity is greatly affected by four interrelated factors: 1) the degree to which they are accepted by members of the host society; 2) immigrants’ language skills and physical appearances; 3) how well they are able to balance their host national identity, their ethnic identity, and acceptance of their native country; 4) and their generational status. Generally, at the national and individual levels, context and circumstances matter in developing national identity.

The Routledge Research Companion to Heritage and Identity

The Routledge Research Companion to Heritage and Identity PDF Author: Peter Howard
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317043235
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 529

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Book Description
Heritage represents the meanings and representations conveyed in the present day upon artifacts, landscapes, mythologies, memories and traditions from the past. It is a key element in the shaping of identities, particularly in the context of increasingly multicultural societies. This Research Companion brings together an international team of authors to discuss the concepts, ideas and practices that inform the entwining of heritage and identity. They have assembled a wide geographical range of examples and interpret them through a number of disciplinary lenses that include geography, history, museum and heritage studies, archaeology, art history, history, anthropology and media studies. This outstanding companion offers scholars and graduate students a thoroughly up-to-date guide to current thinking and a comprehensive reference to this growing field.

Negotiating National Identities

Negotiating National Identities PDF Author: Dr Christian Karner
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1409494365
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Negotiating National Identities presents an empirically detailed and theoretically wide-ranging analysis of the complex political and cultural struggles taking place in contemporary Europe. Taking contemporary Austria and her controversial identity politics as its central case study in a discussion of developments across a variety of national and pan-European contexts, this book demonstrates that neo-nationalism has been one among several competing reactions to the processes and challenges of globalization, whilst inclusive notions of identity and belonging are shown to have emerged from the realms of civil society and cultural production. Shifting the study of national identities from the party-political to the social, cultural and economic realms, this book raises important questions of human rights, social exclusion and ideological struggle in a globalizing era, drawing attention to the contested nature of European politics and civil societies, in which existing configurations of power and exclusion are both reproduced and challenged. As such, it will be of interest to anyone working in the fields of race and ethnicity, national identity and media and cultural studies.

The Ashgate Research Companion to Multiculturalism

The Ashgate Research Companion to Multiculturalism PDF Author: Duncan Ivison
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317042395
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 373

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Book Description
The Ashgate Research Companion to Multiculturalism brings together a collection of new essays by leading and emerging scholars in the humanities and social sciences on some of the key issues facing multiculturalism today. It provides a comprehensive and cutting-edge treatment of this important and hotly contested field, offering scholars and students a clear account of the leading theories and critiques of multiculturalism that have developed over the past twenty-five years, as well as a sense of the challenges facing multiculturalism in the future. Key leading scholars, including James Bohman, Barbara Arneil, Avigail Eisenberg, Ghassan Hage, and Paul Patton, discuss multiculturalism in different cultural and national contexts and across a range of disciplinary approaches. In addition to contributions, Duncan Ivison also provides a comprehensive Introduction which surveys the field and offers an extensive guide to further reading. This is a key volume for anyone interested in multiculturalism and its political premise.