Styles of Multiculturalism in Mauritius

Styles of Multiculturalism in Mauritius PDF Author: Barbara Waldis
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 364380279X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
What does multiculturalism mean in Mauritius? This question was the starting point of an ethnographic study on an island state in the Indian Ocean that had always been part of a global project and always been (post)colonial. The introduction of citizenship education at school in this Republic with its ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse population serves as an example for the analysis of how different approaches to multicultural policy-making collide. The negotiations on the school subject illustrate the organisation of cultural difference by the state mainly through Indo-Mauritian and Creole nationalism.

Styles of Multiculturalism in Mauritius

Styles of Multiculturalism in Mauritius PDF Author: Barbara Waldis
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 364380279X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
What does multiculturalism mean in Mauritius? This question was the starting point of an ethnographic study on an island state in the Indian Ocean that had always been part of a global project and always been (post)colonial. The introduction of citizenship education at school in this Republic with its ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse population serves as an example for the analysis of how different approaches to multicultural policy-making collide. The negotiations on the school subject illustrate the organisation of cultural difference by the state mainly through Indo-Mauritian and Creole nationalism.

Common Denominators

Common Denominators PDF Author: Thomas Hylland Eriksen
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000320820
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
This book seeks to enhance comparative understandings of ethnicity, to refine theories of nationalism, and to contribute to ongoing debates on multiculturalism, identity politics and creolization. Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island-state with a population of about one million, provides a fascinating focus for this comprehensive study of social identity and political culture. Fifteen languages are officially spoken on the island, and four world religions are represented, as well as a high number of ethnic groups. The author argues that the social importance of ethnicity depends not only on political and economic circumstances, but also on kinship organization, and shows how ethnicity is expressed through the idioms of language and religion. However, it is also shown how ethnic identity may be superseded by other forms of belongingness and politics in the contemporary age. Nationhood, gender, class and individualism are all examined for the role they play in social organization and the formation of collective identity. Multiethnic and peaceful, the pace of social change in Mauritius has been rapid throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The ways in which Mauritians negotiate the relationship between ethnic, national and other identities in forging a surprisingly stable and democratic society, and the peculiar tensions which arise in the interface between the ethnic and the non-ethnic, ought to be familiar to anyone concerned with the future of multiethnic societies.

Recalling Fieldwork

Recalling Fieldwork PDF Author: Raluca Mateoc
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 3643802471
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
The volume addresses reflections on the social conditions in which anthropological research in Eastern European countries under and after socialism was conducted. Methodological commonalities and differences for anthropologists coming from specific academic traditions and political contexts are revealed through fresh reflections on the everyday fieldwork. Institutional settings of the 70s and 80s, challenges in entering the field or engagement with the needs and desires of the studied subjects come out of this web of reflections. While some authors recall fieldwork based in single countries, others recall journeys though multi-sited ethnographies.

The Mauritian Paradox

The Mauritian Paradox PDF Author: Ramtohul, Ramola
Publisher: University of Mauritius Press
ISBN: 9990373485
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Speaking of Mauritius as an economic miracle has become a cliché, and with good reason: Its development since Independence in 1968 can easily be narrated as a rags-to-riches story. In addition, it is a stable democracy capable of containing the conflict potential inherent in its complex ethnic and religious demography. This book brings together some of the finest scholarship, domestic as well as foreign, on contemporary Mauritius, offering perspectives from constitutional law, cultural studies, sociology, archaeology, economics, social anthropology and more. While celebrating the indisputable, and impressive, achievements of the Mauritian nation on its fiftieth birthday, this book is far from toothless. Looking back inevitably implies looking ahead, and in order to do so, critical self-scrutiny is essential, to be able to learn from the mistakes of the past. The contributors raise fundamental questions concerning a broad range of issues, from the dilemmas of multiculturalism to the marginal role of women in public life, from the question of constitutional reform and the continued problem of corruption to the slow destruction of Mauritius’ joy and pride, namely the beauty and purity of its natural scenery. Taking stock of the first fifty years, this book also looks ahead to the next fifty years, giving some cues as to where Mauritius can and should aim in the next decades.

State Legitimacy in a Fragile Context

State Legitimacy in a Fragile Context PDF Author: Marc De Santis
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 3643803044
Category : Colombia
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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Book Description
During the course of the last decades, the state experienced a revival on the scene of international development as there has been a growing acknowledgment amongst the international development community that the state plays a key role in enabling development in a specific society. Therefore, the role of the state and especially the concept of state-building have occupied a central place in the development discourse. In that respect, a growing interest has manifested itself in the discussion and analysis around so-called "fragile states". The author discussed the development discourse around that state-building paradigm in general and focuses through its field research in Colombia specifically on the question of the state legitimacy in so-called fragile contexts.

Religious Diversity in Asia

Religious Diversity in Asia PDF Author: Jørn Borup
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004415815
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 347

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Book Description
This anthology explores religious diversity in Asia seen through the lenses of history, identity, state, ritual and geography. The chapters furthermore address theoretical and methodological reflections using Asia as a laboratory for broader comparative research of 'religious diversity'.

Us and Them in Modern Societies

Us and Them in Modern Societies PDF Author: Thomas Hylland Eriksen
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Cultural pluralism
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
Is nationalism an official ideology, or a personal sentiment, or both? How can ethnic and nationalist ideologies be reconciled? Is ethnicity a modern phenomenon? Do plural societies exist? This book addresses these and other issues concerning ethnicity and nationalism. Drawing on a wide range of examples from Mauritius and Trinidad, Hylland shows the complexity and the ambiguities of ethnic classification in multiethnic societies, the variable social importance of ethnicity, and the tension between ethnicity and nationalism. Refining the conceptual tools available for the study of these phenomena, the author points out ambiguities in conceptualizations of nationalism. He argues the utility of a formal comparative concept of ethnicity, but against over-emphasizing ethnic relations as is implied in the theory of "plural" societies.

Heritage and Change

Heritage and Change PDF Author: Damaris Lüthi
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 3643803753
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
The focus of this book is on the first-generation Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in Berne, Switzerland. During the Sri Lankan civil war, tens of thousands of Tamil refugees migrated to Switzerland. For decades, they hoped for a return to their desired own state Tamiḻ Īlam and strove to preserve their social ties and home ‘culture’. At the core of their identity was the Tamil language. They essentialized their values as part of the patriotic project of an independent ‘Tamil’ state. Swiss ‘culture’ was seen as incompatible with Tamil ideals. The second generation, socialized in the host country, tended to adopt both ‘cultures’. After the defeat of the Tamil Tigers and the end of the war in 2009, the vision of a return to the homeland was shattered. Ten years later the first-generation Swiss Tamils have little desire to return to a country where all their relatives have left or died, and where the situation is seen as unsafe. The elderly Tamils seem prepared to spend their old age in the Swiss exile, the homeland of their children.

Non-Western Identity

Non-Western Identity PDF Author: Byron G. Adams
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 303077242X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
Identity is a construct strongly rooted and still predominantly studied in Western (or WEIRD; Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) contexts (e.g., North American and Western European). Only recently has there been more of a conscious effort to study identity in non-Western (or non-WEIRD) contexts. This edited volume investigates identity from primarily a non-Western perspective by studying non-Western contexts and non-Western, minority, or immigrant groups living in Western contexts. The contributions (a) examine different aspects of identity (e.g., personal identity, social identity, online identity) as either independent or interrelated constructs; (b) consider the associations of these constructs with aspects of intergroup relations, acculturative processes, and/or psychological well-being; (c) document the advancement in research on identity in underrepresented groups, contexts, and regions such as Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America; and (d) evaluate different approaches to the study of identity and the implications thereof. This book is intended for cultural or cross-cultural academics, practitioners, educators, social workers, postgraduate students, undergraduate students, and scholars interested in studying identity. It provides insight into how identity in non-Western groups and contexts may both be informed by and may inform Western theoretical perspectives.

Mauritius - Culture Smart!

Mauritius - Culture Smart! PDF Author: Tom Cleary
Publisher: Kuperard
ISBN: 1857335465
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
Mauritius is a conundrum. A small, exotic, multiethnic island nation in the Indian Ocean, to some it is a multicultural "rainbow," a haven of peace, love, and understanding. Others see it as ethnically divided, cultivating only "sugarcane and prejudice." Opinions differ as to whether it is a Creole island, a Hindu-dominated Little India, or a neo-colonial outpost of the French-speaking world. Optimists see it as the biggest social and economic miracle of the post-colonial world, whereas pessimists believe it to be a social accident waiting to happen. For many visitors Mauritius appears to be a carefree tropical paradise, but its complexity will baffle any foreigner who dares to leave the comfort of the luxury beach resort. Daily life is far from idyllic for the majority of the population struggling to reconcile traditional culture and old ethno-religious antagonisms with the demands of the modern world. Mauritius is a very new nation, formed over the past three centuries. Although the South and East Asian influence is very strong, its most defining characteristic is its very multiculturalism. Its traditions reflect the diversity of the people, and Mauritian language, food and religion form an intoxicating medley. Other customs have been created locally and are shared by all, such as the lively and popular musical tradition of sega. Modernization and global economics mean many younger Mauritians now share a common culture and outlook on life, where the sense of being Mauritian outweighs ancestral ties and divisive communalism. Culture Smart! Mauritius will help you make sense of the modern and the traditional, of shared and ancestral culture, and enable you to navigate your way through the contradictions at the heart of modern Mauritius. Show the expected courtesy and respect and you will meet many extraordinary, warm-hearted, patient, and friendly people who are keen to welcome outsiders from any part of the world.