freedom; an offer you can't refuse danish concepts of integration in the debate on muslim...

Freedom; an offer you can't refuse

Danish concepts of integration in the debate on Muslim migrants

Ulrik Pram Gad

Research Priority "Europe in Transition" / Department of Political ScienceUniversity of Copenhagen

MandagsseminarCULCOM 20 October 2008

Agenda for the next 40 minutes:

1. Danish Identity through ’Muslim Relations’

2. Culturalism vs. Multiculturalism?

3. Carving out a Liberal(?) Integration Narrative


Dissertation:Constructing Danish, European and Western

Identity through 'Muslim Relations'(How) Can They Become (Like) Us?

Cases:• Danish integration policies re. Migrants• European integration policies re. Turkey• Western integration policies re. Muslim World+ How these cases relate


• Identity: when we speak about A and B being identical (or as if A and B were identical)



• Discourse: “regularity in the dispersion of utterances” (Foucault 1972:38)



• Discourse: “regularity in the dispersion of utterances” (Foucault 1972:38)

• Danish identity discourse: the agreement that there is such a ‘thing’ as a Danish identity.

• the starting point for disagreements over what Danish identity would more specifically be.


• Basic elements in Danish Identity Discourse:• Culturally homogenous• Danish ‘People’ built its(!) welfare state• Nation=State=Culture=Language=Church=....• An example to the World

• ... on how to live at home; peaceful tolerance• ... exporting good

• Identity needs difference: Self/Other, Us/Them• Danish identity pt. contrasted to The Muslims

Identity

Difference


Self

Radical Other

X Self

Radical Other

Self

Radical Other

Other B

Other C

Us

Them

Temporality

Spatiality Intentionality

Strategy

’Oughtology’ at t2

Us

ThemOntology at t1


Temporality

SpatialityIntentionality

Strategy Alternative

Strategy


“Among all the immigrant groups the [self-reported] attachment to Denmark is generally greater than the attachment to the country of origin. ... The proportion of immigrants and descendants [who] do not want to stay in Denmark varies from 15 pct. to 23 pct. 9 pct. of the Danes state that they do not want to live in Denmark for the rest of their lives.”

(Gundelach et al. 2007)


Danes

Muslims

X

“[We Danes] are dealing with each other with tolerance, good manners, politeness, compassion, and mutual understanding and respect. ...The Muslim way of life is ... incompatible with Danish, Christian way of thinking, since it is against Danish way of thinking to accept extreme male chauvinism, violent upbringing, separation of the sexes, forced marriage, female excision, flogging and brainwashing of school children”

(MP Kjærsgaard, DPP, 1998)

Culturalism


Danes

Muslims

X

“[We Danes] are dealing with each other with tolerance, good manners, politeness, compassion, and mutual understanding and respect. ...The Muslim way of life is ... incompatible with Danish, Christian way of thinking, since it is against Danish way of thinking to accept extreme male chauvinism, violent upbringing, separation of the sexes, forced marriage, female excision, flogging and brainwashing of school children”


Culturalism

Ass

imil

atio

n /

S

epar

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n


Danes

Muslims

Ethnic Danes

Muslim Danes

X

”integration is a mutual process which needs to be based on equal opportunity and absence of discrimination[. To achieve that, we need to] strengthen the possibilities for the ethnic minorities to communicate knowledge of their culture and conditions in Denmark.”(centre/left motion in Parl, 2000)

Culturalism Multiculturalism

Ass

imil

atio

n /

S

epar

atio

n

Dia

log

ue


Danes

Muslims

Ethnic Danes

Muslim Danes

X


Ass

imil

atio

n /

S

epar

atio

n

Dia

log

ue


Danes

Muslims

Ethnic Danes

Muslim Danes

X Social-Conservative Liberalism?


Danes

?

Ass

imil

atio

n /

S

epar

atio

n

Dia

log

ue

Cu

ltu

rall

y ag

no

stic

in

teg

rati

on

?

Agenda



3. Carving out a Liberal(?) Integration Narrativea. Concentric Fortifications to Limit the Influxb. Relating Societal and Cultural Integrationc. Cultural Integration as The Duty to be Freed. Counterterrorism: The Return of Dialogue

3. Carving out a ’Liberal’ Integration Narrative

”I am not minister for shower curtains, head scarves, and liver pâte in kindergartens.”

(Minister for Integration Haarder, lib., 2004)

• The Irrelevance of Their Culture

“The Chinese are perfect immigrants because they fulfil the only criterion for integration: integration in the labour market. ... no one is demanding that they dispose of their culture as long as they prove themselves able to work and participate in the Danish community... If all immigrants were like the Chinese, my job as Minister for Integration would be superfluous.“



“We do ... not want a multicultural Denmark. We find that Danish Christianity, history, culture and conception of democracy shall be the foundation upon which Denmark rests. We need to be better at dialogue ... and in that dialogue we shall dare to say who we are. The presence of people of other ethnic background and other religious faith shall not make us give up what is ours.” (later Minister for Integration Hornbech, lib., 2000)

• The Irrelevance of Their Culture• The Ultimate Relevance of Our Culture


• The Irrelevance of Their Culture• The Ultimate Relevance of Our Culture

“Danish culture is more important than other cultures. ... One need to be familiar with the biblical story and one need to be acquainted with other religions. This is discrimination and this is the way it should be... So, I contend, all this talk of equality of cultures and equality of religion – it is nonsense... Well, Denmark is a Danish society. It is the Danes who decide in Denmark. And we are, as well, the ones who decide how many should be let in... Isn't this discrimination? Of course it is discrimination."


3.a Concentric Fortifications to Limit the Influx

Denmark

(Muslim) Strangers

Limit influxGet inside DKStay inside

State Authority on behalf of Danish Society

(Muslim) Strangers


Access:• Visa Policies• Asylum Criteria

• No ’de facto’• Potential for Integration

• Family Reunification • Criteria• Migration Exam• Bureaucracy


Access

Residence:• Integration Contracts• Expelling Criminals• Economic Incentives• Repatriation Schemes


Access

Residence

Citizenship:• Waiting time• Naturalization Exams• Excluding Burdens• Annulling Citizenships

3.b Relating Societal and Cultural Integration

Denmark

(Muslim) Strangers

Manipulate incentive structures

”Potential for Integration”



(Muslim) Strangers


Processing Integration• (Education ->) Labour Market

= avert threat to Welfare State• Disperse Ghettos

= dissolve threat to Homogeneity• Fight Excessive Crime Statistics

= fight threat to Peaceful Society• ∑ = INTEGRATION incl. Cultural

“The significant drop in the influx of refugees and immigrants has created the preconditions for an efficient integration of the immigrants who are already in the country.”

(Lib./Con. Government platform 2005)


Culturalist: Our Culture = Our Right=> Culture = ∑ Integration (Alternative = Leave)

“Integration is ... important for foreigners with a permanent residence in Denmark. ... it naturally demands that a foreigner with another ethnic background coming to Denmark really take the trouble to become Dane.”


"[The 1983 Alien Act w]as one of the most fatal events ... Here, the Danish people were derived of their right of primogeniture "

(MP Krarup, DPP 2005)



Rationalist Reflex: Labour Market = ∑ Integration

Culturalism = Distraction

“One of the problems is the massive focus on religion, culture and tradition ...employers who have experienced new-Danish apprentices quickly forget about the cultural background of the apprentices.

(Min. for Employment Frederiksen, lib., 2002)



Indulgent Rationalist:Labour Market! (+ Culture) = ∑ Integration

“participation in the labour market ... is the most important precondition for a successful integration ...One of the goals of a successful integration is that the foreigners endorse some fundamental values and norms ... which are necessary for their ability to participate on equal footing in working life and societal life in other respects.”

(Tænketanken 2001)




Culturalist Rationalist:Culture -> Labour Market = ∑ Integration

“The point that foreigners should endorse fundamental values and norms does not in it self mean that foreigners have to give up their original culture, e.g. religion, attire, or cuisine. This may, however, be necessary if insistence on the original culture is in conflict with values and norms in Denmark to such an extent that foreigners cannot participate on equal footing in working life and societal life in other respects.” (Tænketanken 2007)





Functionalist Rationalist:Homogenous Culture -> Cohesive Power=> Culture = ∑ Integration


Functionalist Rationalist:

* Sammenhængskraft; cohesive power (social cohesion)

** Social sammenhængskraft; social cohesive power

“Cohesive power; that is to secure a society that hangs together.A society in which there are not too great social or economical divisions ... But cohesive power is also to secure a society that hangs together in terms of values.” (PM Rasmussen, lib., 2005)

“I have come to the conclusion that social cohesive power**and only a little inequality is a competitive issue”

(PM Rasmussen, lib., 2004)


Functionalist Rationalist:

* Sammenhængskraft; cohesive power (social cohesion)

“The strength of the Danish welfare society is that we are so homogenous and have a great cohesive power. ... But if there are large groups with entirely different values ... then our society starts falling apart.” (Former/later minister Jespersen, soc.dem.->lib., 1999)





Functionalist Rationalist:Homogenous Culture -> Cohesive Power => Culture = ∑ Integration

Culturalist Universalist:Our Culture = Universally valid=> Culture = ∑ Integration

3.c Cultural Integration: The Duty to be Free

Denmark

(Muslim) Strangers

Free Individuals from Culture

Oppressive Cultural Practices

Manipulate incentive structures

”Potential for Integration”



(Muslim) Strangers


Culturalist Universalism*:1. Danish values, norms and practices are good

2. If They knew what was best for them,They would do/be like Us.

3. Works by way of metonymy and contrastSpecific Danish Value Specific Muslim Value

Danish identity Muslim Other

* Mouritsen (2006): ‘The particular universalism of a Nordic civic nation’, ch. 5 in Modood et al (eds) Multiculturalism, Muslims and citizenship, Routledge


Culturalist Universalism:• basic mode of knowledge production:

freedom of expression (vs. religious taboo)”The freedom of expression entails that everything may be put up for critical discussion. I will, e.g., never accept that it should not be possible to discuss sharia critically. It cannot be that because someone says that it is sacred then it cannot be made the object of a discussion.”



Culturalist Universalism:• basic mode of knowledge production:

freedom of expression (vs. religious taboo)

Specific Freedom Specific Coercion

Danish Freedom Muslim Coercion

”The freedom of expression entails that everything may be put up for critical discussion. I will, e.g., never accept that it should not be possible to discuss sharia critically. It cannot be that because someone says that it is sacred then it cannot be made the object of a discussion.”



Culturalist Universalism:• basic mode of rationality of government:

secular democracy (vs. religious dictate)

“Christianity constitutes the difference [between politics and religion] … the words of Christ make [politics] no longer a holy matter”

(Min.f.Church Fergo, lib.)

”Without the gospel, salvation becomes a political task. Political ideologies will reign freely over people’s souls.”

(later Min.f. Integration and Church Hornbech, lib.)

"[I]t is an anomaly to speak of Christian fundamentalists." (MP Holmsgaard, soc.)


Culturalist Universalism:• basic mode of social interaction:

peaceful consensus (vs. violence)

• basic mode of collective identification:the nation state (vs. the ummah)


Culturalist Universalism:• basic mode of social organisation:

egalitarianism (vs. hierarchy)

“We shall not, by reference to something cultural or religious, accept if a specific attire, education or spouse is forced on women ... We must help the individual immigrant woman to live an active life and we must change the opinion of both men and women for the benefit of integration... It is related to another worrying tendency ... that is, the coming generations”

(Min.f. Integration, Hvilshøj, lib., 2007)



Culturalist Universalist:Our Culture = Universally valid=> Culture = ∑ Integration

NO Alternative: Resistance= Mis-recognition of Universality

= Existential Threat to Identity

Freedom; an offer the Muslim can’t refuse - and the State can’t afford not to deliver...

3.d Counterterrorism: The Return of Dialogue

“it is important that suspicion of being part of the problem

is not thrown on anyone able to contribute to the solution...efforts should be concentrated on ‘disagreeing dialogue’ – that is direct dialogue with persons who represent controversial opinions“

(Government counterterrorism action plan 2008)

freedom; an offer you can't refuse danish concepts of integration in the debate on muslim...

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