Communatarism" in Great Britain and the "French Republican model" of integration: With which method should the public policies be controlled while dealing with a multicultural society

Résumé du document

The issues of national identity, citizenship and multiculturalism are definitely in the middle of nowadays debates. In his work, John Rex develops the approach that the development of multiculturalism policies might diminish tensions between dominant and minority groups within a contemporary society. Nevertheless, to which multiculturalist policies does he refer? Indeed, it appears that various ways to handle with a multicultural society exist. This study will stress the two big models benchmark in Europe: the British conception of integration and the French one. Focusing on these two models might be relevant given that the migration of millions of people, and notably from Muslim majority countries to Western Europe has raised crucial questions for public policies about how to integrate these people; in other words, about how to make them being utterly part of the reception society.

Extraits

[...] Historical comparative perspective between two models: the English Communautarism versus the French republican model of integration Firstly, an historical review on the fundamental differences within the two national conceptions of a multicultural society (interethnic relations ) to understand the origins of these models / ideologies, is relevant. The French republican model of integration from the Jacobin origins to his current application From the Jacobin doctrine which has historically influenced and conceived the French republican model . French society has a specific tradition of integration closely linked to its national history. [...]

[...] At first, only a minority of these immigrants expected to settle permanently and to stay in Britain more than a few years. In addition, the British government decided in 1962 about a bill designed to curtail New Commonwealth immigration. This Commonwealth Immigrant Act was clearly made in order to restrict nonwhite immigration. In spite of this Act, the 1950s has clearly changed the demographic, ethnic and socio-economic profile of Great-Britain. Indeed, the British tradition accords places to “social orders, classes and particularistic communities” (William Safran). There is a recognition and a valorisation of “cultural differences”. [...]

[...] Id' rather support some compensatory measures based on socio-economic criteria as the sociologist Eric Keslassy did. France, adapting its republican model to nowadays issues, seems to better understand that being part of a group is natural. Its republican mission, to avoid any communautarism, is to act in favour of the opening of communities towards the others. This is its contemporary republican mission. Saying that the whole French republican model is in crisis is a fake and biased debate and doesn't bring any concrete solution. [...]

[...] Is the British society coming to rethink its conception of citizenship? Finally, it appears that each model has a huge history deeply rooted in the society and closely linked to the History of the nation. The two countries are facing stark choices. Do they have to reconsider their model of integration, inherited of decades of History? What's more, given that both are facing troubles, is there a better model? Is one model more relevant in the contemporary Europe? [...]

[...] This meant that citizens of India and Pakistan for instance were also citizens of the UK. ( The comparison of national policies, outcome of history, highlights a sharp contrast between the French and the British socio-political construction of the State. Coming back to the origins enables to better understand the way the government deals with its multicultural society. Can these ideologies, facing new goals and perhaps new times, still be considered as being relevant today? II/ Threats and failure of these models: the necessity to rethink these models on the 21st century? [...]