Showing papers on "Multiculturalism published in 2003"

Remaking the American Mainstream: Assimilation and Contemporary Immigration

Abstract: In this age of multicultural democracy, the idea of assimilation - that the social distance separating immigrants and their children from the mainstream of American society closes over time - seems outdated and, in some forms, even offensive. But, as Richard Alba and Victor Nee show in their systematic treatment of assimilation, it continues to shape the immigrant experience, even though the geography of immigration has shifted from Europe to Asia, Africa and Latin America. Institutional changes, from civil rights legislation to immigration law, have provided a more favourable environment for non-white immigrants and their children than in the past. Assimilation is still driven, in claim, by the decisions of immigrants and the second generation to improve their social and material circumstances in America. But they also show that immigrants, historically and in the contemporary world, have profoundly changed American society and culture in the process of becoming Americans. Surveying a variety of domains - language, socio-economic attachments, residential patterns and inter-marriage - Alba and Nee demonstrate the continuing importance of assimilation in American life. They predict that it will blur the boundaries among the major, racially defined populations, as non-whites and Hispanics are increasingly incorporated into the mainstream.

Teaching democracy : unity and diversity in public life

Abstract: In "Teaching Democracy, Walter Parker makes a unique and thoughtful contribution to the hot debate between proponents of multicultural education and those who favor a cultural literacy approach Parker conclusively demonstrates that educating for democratic citizenship in a multicultural society includes a fundamental respect for diversity

Region and place: Regional identity in question

Abstract: Identity, a term that was not yet included in Williams’ important Keywords: a vocabulary of culture and society (1976), has become a major watchword since the 1980s. Traditional territorialized battles over democracy, political status/citizenship and wealth have been complicated by the struggle over ’race’, ethnicity, multiculturalism, gender, sexuality, recognition and a new symbolic economy characterized by the production/marketing of images (Isin & Wood 1999, du Gay et al. 2000, Lash & Featherstone 2002). The identity discourse has emerged concomitantly with such arguments that the world, particularly the Western world, is moving towards a ‘forced’ individualization: people’s lives are increasingly being left as their own responsibility, so that people shape their lives and environments through personal identities rather than through categorizations such as nationality, class, occupation or home region (Beck & Beck 2001). Contrary to previous arguments, however, people’s awareness of being part of the global space of flows seems to have generated a search for new points of orientation, efforts to strengthen old boundaries and to create new ones, often based on identities of resistance (Castells 1997, Meyer and Geschiere 1999, Kellner 2002). It is argued that collective action cannot occur without a distinction between ‘us’ and the ‘other’ (Della Porta & Diani 1999) but identity movements do not always base their activities on difference as it may be strategically beneficial to stress similarities (Bernstein 1997). This report will review one specific part of the complicated identity discourse, the question of regional identity. Along with the tendencies depicted above, this old idea has gained new importance not only in geography but also such fields as cultural/economic history, literature, anthropology, political science, sociology, psychology and musicology. I will first reflect the premises that geographers and others have associated with this mushrooming but rarely analytically discussed category, then map the conceptual gaps, and, finally, suggest some possible avenues for further research.

Educating the national citizen in neoliberal times: from the multicultural self to the strategic cosmopolitan

Abstract: The paper is a broad, comparative investigation of shifts in the educational rhetoric and policy of three countries over the past two decades. Using England, Canada and the United States as case studies, I argue that the spirit of multiculturalism in education has shifted from a concern with the formation of tolerant and democratic national citizens who can work with and through difference, to a more strategic use of diversity for competitive advantage in the global marketplace. This shift is directly linked with and helps to facilitate the entrenchment of neoliberalism as it supports a privatization agenda, reduces the costs of social reproduction for the government, and aids in the constitution of subjects oriented to individual survival and/or success in the global economy.

Destination Canada: Immigration Debates and Issues

Abstract: List of Tables and Figures Preface Chapter 1 Questions of Immigration Globalization and Migration Scope of the Book Canada as an Immigrant Nation Old-timers and Newcomers The Immigration Question Conclusion Chapter 2 Immigration and Canada Immigration and Nation Building Immigration Policies in Historical Periods Changes in Post-War War II Canadian Immigration Policy Canada's Business Immigration Program Postwar European Immigration to Canada Emergence of 'Visible Minorites' in Canada Conclusion Chapter 3 The Social Construction of Immigrants The Amibiguity of the Term Immigrants The Bureaucratic Definition of Immigrants The Folk Version of Immigrants Immigrant as an Analytical Concept Expectations about Immigrants The Science of 'Benchmarking' Immigrants Ideological Biases in Benchmarking Immigrants Conclusion Chapter 4 Immigration and Canada's Population The Nature of the Debate Conflicting Assessments of Immigration Immigration and Population Growth Demographic Trends in Canada Projections of Population Change Population Size and Absorptive Capacity Conclusion Chapter 5 Economic Benefit of Immigration Objectives of the Immigration Program Difficulties in Estimating Benefit of Immigration Immigration and Aggregate Productivity Immigrants' Tax Contribution and Tax Burden Immigrants' Earnings Immigrants' Costs and Benefits Immigrants and Canada's Labour Force Conclusion Chapter 6 Human Capital of Immigrants Human Capital and Other Forms of Capital Human Capital as Immigrant Selection Criterion Earnings Disparities Social Inequality Devaluation of Immigrants' Educational Credentials Gauging the Market Worth of Immigrants' Credentials Types of Degree Holders and Their Gross Earnings Net Market Worth of Immigrant Degree Holders Human Capital and Earnings Conclusion Chapter 7 Immigration and Diversity The Demographic Reality of Ethnic Diversity Cultural Diversity and Social Cohesion Multiculturalism and Conformity Linguistic Diversity and Language Loss Cultural Diversity and Globalization Conclusion Chapter 8 Immigrants and the City Immigration and the Growth of Cities Immigrant Enclaves Schools and Neighbourhoods Affluent Areas and Prosperous Immigrants Conclusion Chapter 9 Immigration and Canadian Society The Immigration Question Revisited The Limits of Policy Development Biases in Public Discourse on Immigration Racialization of Immigrants in Academic Research Summary and Conclusion Appendix Notes References Author Index Subject Index Index

Learning for Cosmopolitan Citizenship: Theoretical debates and young people's experiences

Abstract: Since citizenship is a contested concept, education for citizenship is also a site of debate and controversy. This article explores the limitations of education for national citizenship, and reflects on the deficit models of young people which are often presented in justifying citizenship education. Extending political theorist David Held's model of cosmopolitan democracy, the authors propose the term education for cosmopolitan citizenship. They explore the features of education for citizenship in the context of globalisation, noting that citizenship education addresses local, national, regional and global issues. Such a perspective is critical in preparing young people to live together in increasingly diverse local communities and an interdependent world. The authors report on research carried out with young people living in multicultural communities in Leicester, UK, to explore understandings of community and levels of civic engagement. They explore the multiple identities and loyalties of these young people and identify sites of learning for citizenship in homes and communities. Drawing on these findings, the article concludes that a re-conceptualised education for cosmopolitan citizenship needs to address peace, human rights, democracy and development, equipping young people to make a difference at all levels, from the local to the global.

Critical race feminism : a reader

Abstract: Now in its second edition, the acclaimed anthology Critical Race Feminism presents over 40 readings on the legal status of women of color by leading authors and scholars such as Anita Hill, Lani Guinier, Kathleen Neal Cleaver, and Angela Harris. This second edition features 25 new essays and a new introduction by Adrien Katherine Wing. Critical Race Feminism gives voice to African American, Latina, Asian, Native American, and Arab women, both heterosexual and lesbian. Both a forceful statement and a platform for change, the anthology addresses an ambitious range of subjects, from life in the workplace and motherhood to sexual harassment, domestic violence, and other criminal justice issues. Extending beyond national borders, the volume tackles global issues such as the rights of Muslim women, immigration, multiculturalism, and global capitalism. Revealing how the historical experiences and contemporary realities of women of color are profoundly influenced by a legacy of racism and sexism that is neither linear nor logical, Critical Race Feminism serves up a panoramic perspective, illustrating how women of color can find strength in the face of oppression.

The Rise and Fall of Multiculturalism: The Case of the Netherlands

Abstract: Wake up any expert on immigrant integration in the middle of the night and ask that person to name a country known for its multiculturalism. Ten to one that the answer will be Canada, Australia or the Netherlands. In recent years, however, multiculturalism has come increasingly under fire in all three, but probably most of all in the Netherlands. In this chapter I will first analyze the rise and fall of Dutch multiculturalist policies for immigrants. I will then place the recent turnaround in the perspective of the current debate on citizenship and multiculturalism, the general theme of this book. Can public policy in the Netherlands indeed be seen as an example of a renewed emphasis on citizenship and shared values in response to earlier tendencies towards postnationalism and multiculturalism? If so, what are the reasons for this change, what arguments have been put forward by different sides, and how are current trends likely to evolve further?

Veiled Submission: Gender, Power, and Identity Among Evangelical and Muslim Women in the United States

Abstract: The past decade has witnessed a proliferation of studies that illuminate devout women's affiliation with conservative religious communities. Despite the increasingly multicultural character of contemporary social and religious life, few studies to date have compared the experiences of conservative religious women across faith traditions. Guided by insights from cultural theory, this study begins by comparing elite gender discourses within evangelical Protestantism and Islam. Elite evangelical gender debates hinge on biblical references to women's submission. Similarly, Muslims dispute the meaning of the veil to Islamic womanhood. After outlining the contours of these debates, we draw on in-depth interview data with evangelical and Muslim women to demonstrate how these two groups of respondents negotiate gender in light of their distinctive religious commitments. In the end, we reveal that the unique cultural repertoires within these two religious communities enable women to affirm traditional religious values while refashioning such convictions to fit their post-traditional lifestyles.

Multicultural States and Intercultural Citizens

Abstract: Citizenship refers to membership in a political community, and hence designates a relationship between the individual and the state. One way to explore the idea of `multicultural citizenship', ther...

Insurgent multiculturalism: rethinking how and why we teach culture in medical education.

Abstract: The author proposes a theoretical orientation for cultural competency that reorganizes common curricular responses to the study of culture in medical education. What has come to be known in medical education as cultural competency is theoretically truncated and may actually work against what educators hope to achieve. Using Giroux's concept of insurgent multiculturalism, she suggests that the critical study of culture might be a bridge to certain aspects of professional development. Insurgent multiculturalism moves inquiry away from a focus on nondominant groups to a study of how unequal distributions of power allow some groups but not others to acquire and keep resources, including the rituals, policies, attitudes, and protocols of medical institutions. This approach includes not only the doctor-patient relationship but also the social causes of inequalities and dominance. Linked to professional development efforts, insurgent multiculturalism can provide students with more opportunities to look at their biases, challenge their assumptions, know people beyond labels, confront the effects of power and privilege, and develop a far greater capacity for compassion and respect.

Cultural citizenship : cosmopolitan questions

Abstract: Series editor's foreword Introduction and acknowledgements Cultural citizenship Cosmopolitan and multicultural citizenship world, nation, city and self Ecological and cultural citizenship across the nature/culture divide Media, cultural citizenship and the public sphere Consumerism, cultural policy and citizenship Cultural citizenship a short agenda for the future Glossary References Index.

Mixed-Race, Post-Race: Gender, New Ethnicities and Cultural Practices

Abstract: Social scientists claim that we now live in a post-race society, where race has been replaced by 'ethnicity' Yet racism is endemic to British society and people often think in terms of black and white With a marked rise in the number of children from mixed parentage, there is an urgent need to challenge simplistic understandings of 'race', nation and culture, and interrogate what it means to grow up in Britain and claim a 'mixed' identity Focusing on mixed-race and inter-ethnic families, this book not only explores current understandings of 'race', but it shows, using innovative research techniques with children, how we come to read race What influence do photographs and television have on childrens ideas about 'race'? How do children use memories and stories to talk about racial differences within their own families? How important is the home and domestic culture in achieving a sense of belonging? Ali also considers, through data gathered from teachers and parents, broader issues relating to the effectiveness of anti-racist and multicultural teaching in schools, and parental concerns over the social mobility and social acceptability of their children Rigorously researched, this book is the first to combine childrens accounts on 'race' and identity with contemporary cultural theory Using fascinating case studies, it fills a major gap in this area and provides an original approach to writing on race

Feminist perspectives in therapy: Empowering diverse women, 2nd ed.

Abstract: her theoretical development of gender maneuvering to include (chapter 5) a discussion of how “doing” performance uses the body to “manipulate the relationship between masculinity and femininity as it is articulated visually through style” (p. 118). Schippers extends her analysis of the sexist dimensions of rock’s hierarchical relationship between musician and fan to suggest the ways in which groupies are constructed as feminine sexual objects of male desire. By using her ethnographic methodology and interviews with bands, such as Soundgarden and Fugazi (p. 62), she shows how alternative rock musicians actively seek to destroy the sexist groupie stereotype and to do sexuality differently. As Schippers observes, race and class are inextricably present in mediations of feminine and masculine sexualities, but alternative hard rockers enjoy the freedom to explore sites for gender maneuvering because of their “class and racial privilege” (p. 126). This privilege provides an explanation for the book’s acknowledged relative silence on these themes but suggests one of the many potential future explorations Schippers points to in her final pages. Her musings on the need for future research on gender maneuvering in such sites as schools and the workplace signal that other exciting publications can be expected from Schippers and others who may be inspired by her. Schippers concludes that it will take more than gender maneuvering and collective political action to do away with male dominance, but further research on local examples of the interactions of these processes may indicate “the next wave of feminism.” This is an optimistic note on which to finish this terrific book, which goes a long way to provide reasons to (continue to) believe in the power of women and men together in reconfiguring a nonsexist future.

Integrating Immigrants in Liberal Nation-States: Policies and Practices

Abstract: This volume surveys a new trend in immigration studies, which one could characterize as a turn away from multicultural and postnational perspectives, toward a renewed emphasis on assimilation and citizenship. Much scholarship in the past fifteen years or so, enticed by the discovery of “globalization,” has looked at contemporary immigration as obliterating and undermining some traditional principles of nation-states, such as the congruence of political and cultural boundaries and citizenship. In this new orthodoxy, multiculturalism had replaced assimilation as a mode of immigrant integration, and post- or transnational identities, affiliations, and protections had devalued, perhaps even rendered obsolete traditional citizenship. Immigrants were thus depicted as harbingers of a new multicultural and postnational world, in which the national fixity of identity, rights, and organizational capacity had dissolved (for influential statements, see Soysal 1994 and Basch et al. 1994).

This Land Is Our Land: Immigrants and Power in Miami

Abstract: For those opposed to immigration, Miami is a nightmare. Miami is the de facto capital of Latin America; it is a city where immigrants dominate, Spanish is ubiquitous, and Denny's is an ethnic restaurant. Are Miami's immigrants representative of a trend that is undermining American culture and identity? Drawing from in-depth fieldwork in the city and looking closely at recent events such as the Elian Gonzalez case, This Land Is Our Land examines interactions between immigrants and established Americans in Miami to address fundamental questions of American identity and multiculturalism. Rather than focusing on questions of assimilation, as many other studies have, this book concentrates on interethnic relations to provide an entirely new perspective on the changes wrought by immigration in the United States. A balanced analysis of Miami's evolution over the last forty years, This Land Is Our Land is also a powerful demonstration that immigration in America is not simply an "us versus them" phenomenon.

Citizenship in Latin America

Abstract: In the past two decades, the notion of citizenship has become increasingly recurrent in the political vocabulary in Latin America and in other parts of the world. In Latin America, this phenomenon has been linked to the emergence of social movements during the late 1970s and 1980s and efforts at democratization, especially in countries with authoritarian regimes. In the United States and in Europe, the assertion of multiculturalism and the struggle of ethnic minorities for recognition of their rights have been the main driving force for the development of citizenship as a powerful reference in that struggle. Increasingly adopted since the late 1980s and 1990s by Latin American popular movements, excluded sectors, trade unions, and left parties as a central element of their political strategies, the notion of citizenship has become a common reference among social movements such as those of women, blacks and ethnic minorities, homosexuals, retired and senior citizens, consumers, environmentalists, urban and rural workers, and groups organized around urban issues such as housing, health, education, unemployment, and violence (Foweraker, 1995; Alvarez, Dagnino, and Escobar, 1998). These movements have found reference to citizenship not only a useful tool for their particular struggles but also a powerful articulating link among them. The general demand for equal rights embedded in the predominant conception of citizenship has been extended and specified in accordance with the demands in question. In this process of redefinition, strong emphasis has been placed on citizenship's cultural dimension, incorporating contemporary concerns with subjectivities, identities, and the right to difference. Thus, on one hand, the construction of a new notion of citizenship has come to be seen as reaching far beyond the acquisition of legal rights, requiring the constitution of active social subjects identifying what they consider to be their rights and

A History of Education for Citizenship

Abstract: In this unique examination of education for citizenship, Derek Heater covers two and a half millennia of history encompassing every continent. Education for citizenship is considered from its classical origins through to ideas of world citizenship and multiculturalism which are relevant today. The book reveals the constants of motives, policies, recommendations and practices in this field and the variables determined by political, social and economic circumstances, which in turn illustrate the reasons behind education for citizenship today. Sections covered include: * Classical origins * The age of rebellions and revolutions * Education for liberal democracy * Totalitarianism and transitions * Multiple citizenship education. A History of Education for Citizenship will be of interest to teachers and students of citizenship, particularly those concerned with citizenship education. It will also be of interest to those working in the field of politics of education and history of education.

Do Multiculturalism Policies Erode the Welfare State

Abstract: The past 30 years have witnessed a dramatic change in the way Western democracies deal with ethnic minorities. In the past, ethnic diversity was often seen as a threat to political stability, and minorities were subject to a range of policies intended to assimilate or marginalize them. Today, many Western democracies have adopted a more accommodating approach. This is reflected in the widespread adoption of multiculturalism policies for immigrant groups, the acceptance of territorial autonomy and language rights for national minorities, and the recognition of land claims and self-government rights for indigenous peoples. We refer to these policies as multiculturalism policies or MCPs. The adoption of MCPs has been controversial, for two reasons. The first is a philosophical critique, which argues that MCPs are inherently inconsistent with basic liberal-democratic principles. Since the mid-1990s, however, this philosophical debate has been supplemented by a second argument: namely, that MCPs make it more difficult to sustain a robust Welfare State (hereafter WS). Critics worry that such policies erode the interpersonal trust, social solidarity and political coalitions that sustain a strongly redistributive WS. This paper reviews the reasons why critics believe that MCPs weaken political support for redistribution, and then examines empirically whether the adoption of MCPs has, in fact, been associated with erosion of the WS. This examination involves two steps: we develop a taxonomy of MCPs and classify Western democracies as strong, modest or weak in their level of MCPs. We then examine whether the strength of MCPs is associated with the erosion of the WS during the 1980s and 1990s. The evolution of the WS is measured through change in four indicators: social spending as a percentage of GDP; the redistributive impact of taxes and transfers; levels of child poverty; and the level of income inequality. We find no evidence of a consistent relationship between the adoption of MCPs and the erosion of the WS. Our analysis has limits, and we hope it stimulates further research. Nevertheless, the preliminary evidence presented here is clear: the case advanced by critics of MCPs is not supported. The growing ethnic diversity of Western societies has generated pressures for the construction of new and more inclusive forms of citizenship and national identity. The evidence in this paper suggests that debates over the appropriateness of multiculturalism policies as one response to this diversity should not be preempted by unsupported fears about their impact on the WS.

Transnational America: race, gender and citizenship after 9/11

Abstract: This paper examines the racialisation and gendering of a collective subject described as ‘Middle Eastern or Muslim’ in the US media in the aftermath of 9/11. It examines how this category came to be visible and prominent through the workings of disciplinary power and forms of governmentality through the binary of freedom and unfreedom, necropolitics and the politics of security and freedom. Multiculturalism in the US, as it was articulated in consumer culture through the national spectacle of the flag, emerged as an example of this new form of governmentality that is both regulative and productive of American nationalism and transnationalism.

Where Are You From? Middle-Class Migrants in the Modern World

Abstract: Acknowledgments Preface 1. Questions of Ethnicity 2. Being Vilayati, Becoming Asian: Keeping up with the Kapurs, the Chawlas, the Kalias, and the Aggarwals in London 3. "I Am From Nowhere": Partition and Being Punjabi 4. Becoming a Hindu Community 5. The Search for a Suitable Boy 6. Becoming British Asian: Intergenerational Negotiations of Racism 7. Being British, Becoming a Person of Indian Origin 8. "Where Are You Originally From?" Multiculturalism, Citizenship, and Transnational Differences Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

Legacies of white Australia: Race, culture, and nation

Abstract: The White Australia policy continues to haunt Australia. Here, leading Australian scholars provide an informed debate on the essential issues of race, identity and nation that will determine our attitudes to immigration, multiculturalism and Australian-Asian engagement in the twenty-first century.

Multiculturalism, postcoloniality, and transnational media

Abstract: Reflecting the burgeoning academic interest in issues of nation, race, gender, sexuality, and other axes of identity, Multiculturalism, Postcoloniality, and Transnational Media brings all of these concerns under the same umbrella, contending that these issues must be discussed in relation to each other. Communities, societies, nations, and even entire continents, the book suggests, exist not autonomously but rather in a densely woven web of connectedness. To explore this complexity, the editors have forged links between usually compartmentalized fields (especially media studies, literary theory, visual culture, and critical anthropology) and areas of inquiry-particularly postcolonial and diasporic studies and a diverse set of ethnic and area studies. This book, which links all these issues in suggestive ways, provides an indispensable guide for students and scholars in a wide variety of disciplines. Essays in this groundbreaking volume include Julianne Burton-Carvajal on ethnic identity in Lone Star; Manthia Diawara on diasporic documentary; Hamid Naficy on independent transnational film genres; Robyn Wiegman on whiteness studies; Faye Ginsburg on indigenous media; and Jennifer Gonzales on race in cyberspace; Ana M. Lopez, on modernity and Latin American cinema; and Inderpal Grewal and Caren Kaplan on Warrior Marks and multiculturalism and globalization. A volume in the Depth of Field Series, edited by Charles Affron, Mirella Jona Affron, and Robert Lyons

Bosnian Refugees in Britain Questioning Community

Abstract: The way in which migrants are incorporated into society varies according to which society is being examined. The British model is loosely based on notions of multiculturalism. Groups of migrants ar...

When Culture Means Gender: Issues of Cultural Defence in the English Courts

Abstract: The use of cultural defence has been much discussed in the American context and has figured as one of the areas of concern in feminist assessments of multiculturalism. This paper examines two categories of cases from the English courts, those where cultural context has been seen as significant in interpreting the actions of female defendants, and those where 'culture' is invoked to explain severe acts of violence against women. It argues that cultural arguments become available to female defendants mainly when they conform to stereotypical images of the subservient non-Western wife. They have not, on the whole, been successfully employed by male defendants to mitigate crimes against women, though there are troubling exceptions. The larger problem is that mainstream culture itself promotes a gendered understanding of agency and responsibility, as when it perceives men as understandably incensed by the sexual behaviour of their women, or women as less responsible for their actions because of the influence of men. The conclusion is that the uses and abuses of cultural defence highlight issues that have wider provenance, for it is when cultural arguments resonate with mainstream conventions that they have proved most effective.

The politics of migration : managing opportunity, conflict and change

Abstract: 1. Introduction: Sarah Spencer (Institute of Public Policy Research). 2. Migration to Europe Since 1945: Its History and its Lessons: Randall Hansen (University of Oxford). 3. Managing Rapid and Deep Change in the Newest Age of Migration: Demetrios G. Papademetriou (Migration Policy Institute, Washington DC). 4. The Economic Impact of Labour Migration: Mark Kleinman (University of Bristol). 5. Refugees and the Global Politics of Asylum: Jeff Crisp (Head of the Evaluation and policy Analysis Unit at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees). 6. The Closing of the European Gates? The New Populist Parties of Europe: John Lloyd (Financial Times). 7. Muslims and the Politics of Difference: Tariq Modood (University of Bristol). 8. The Politics of European Union Migration Policy: Claude Moraes MEP (Member of the European Parliament). 9. The Politics of US Immigration Reform: Susan Martin (Georgetown University). 10. Migration and the Welfare State in Europe: Andrew Geddes (University of Liverpool). 11. Understanding Anti--Asylum Rhetoric: Restrictive Politics or Racist Publics?: Paul Statham (University of Leeds). 12. Immigration and the Politics of Public Opinion: Shamit Saggar (Yale University). 13. Immigration, Citizenship, Multiculturalism: Exploring the Links: Will Kymlicka (Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario).

Establishing a community of practice in a secondary mathematics classroom

Abstract: Every classroom is culturally diverse. In the upper set of a selective grammar school, it may be that the diversity is much narrower than in a mixed ability group of the inner-city comprehensive. But there will still be a diversity. Cultural diversity is not ethnic diversity as such, nor is it religious pluralism as such. Cultural diversity is just as much the television programmes that we watch, the newspapers we read, the music we appreciate, the sporting pastimes we follow, the eat-ins or take-aways we do or do not order, even the drinks we buy and the places where we drink them. It is the same at every level of education, from the nursery to the university. We are indivisibly part of a multicultural society, a multicultural world. As Lynch et al. (1992, p. 5) say: If we consider the overlapping dimensions of cultural diversity which have seized the headlines even in the recent past-racial, religious, linguistic, regional, ethnic, gender, age, social class and more recently caste-we cannot avoid the conclusion that, not only are most nation states culturally diverse, but that the world’s population as a whole manifests a rich diversity across a large number of overlapping cultural factors and dimensions, representing a pluralism of pluralisms. Elsewhere, they reflect that ‘there is not, and probably never will be, one perception of cultural diversity, even within the same cultural context, social stratum or nation state’ (vol. 1, p. 445).

Ethnic Heritage as a Tourist Attraction: the Peranakans of Singapore

Abstract: Singapore's multiculturalism is an important theme in the country's destination marketing and the paper explores the manner in which ethnicity is depicted in promotional material and the forces shaping the decision-making process. The nature of Peranakan culture, a unique synthesis of Chinese and Malay influences, is the subject of particular discussion and its actual and potential role as a tourism resource is analysed. State authorities are seen to exercise considerable power, making use of tourism images to reinforce political ideologies through the communication of messages about preferred versions of identities. However, tourism representations also convey something of the complex realities of identity in Singapore and perhaps can assist in increasing awareness of, and protecting, the cultural heritage of more marginalised groups. Insights are thus offered into the relationship between tourism and ethnic heritage in plural societies and its management.