Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T23:14:56.610Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diversity and Democratic Politics: An Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2010

Allison Harell  and
Dietlind Stolle
Allison Harell*
Affiliation:
Queen's University
Dietlind Stolle*
Affiliation:
McGill University
*
Allison Harell, 138 Union Street, School of Policy Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON Kl& 3N6, [email protected].
Dietlind Stolle, 855 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Department of Political Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T7, [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Abstract. In recent years, there has been increasing popular and academic debate about how ethnic and racial diversity affects democratic politics and social cohesion in industrialized liberal democracies. In this introduction, different interdisciplinary theoretical approaches for understanding the role of diversity for intergroup relations and social cohesion are reviewed and four extensions to the current literature are proposed. These include taking advantage of a comparative framework to understand how generalizable the consequences of diversity are. A comparative country approach also helps to reveal which policies might be able to mitigate any potential negative consequences of diversity. Most importantly, we propose that the research in this area should include other aspects of social cohesion beyond measures of generalized trust, such as solidarity, attitudes about the welfare state and redistributive justice, as well as political and social tolerance. Finally, research on the effects of diversity might gain more insights from taking less of a majority-centric approach to include the effects on various minority groups as well.

Résumé. Ces dernières années ont procuré un sol fertile au débat populaire et universitaire autour des effets de la diversité ethnique et raciale sur la politique démocratique et sur la cohésion sociale dans les démocraties libérales industrialisées. Dans cette introduction, nous passons en revue diverses approches théoriques interdisciplinaires permettant de clarifier le rôle de la diversité dans les relations entre les groupes et dans la cohésion sociale et nous proposons quatre ajouts à la littérature courante. Nous suggérons, entre autres, de tirer profit d'un cadre comparatif pour comprendre à quel point les conséquences de la diversité sont généralisables. Une étude comparative des pays aide également à cerner les politiques qui pourraient atténuer les conséquences négatives potentielles de la diversité. Par-dessus tout, nous avançons que la recherche dans ce domaine devrait inclure d'autres aspects de la cohésion sociale à part les mesures de la confiance généralisée, des aspects tels que la solidarité, les attitudes envers l'État-providence et la justice redistributive, ainsi que la tolérance politique et sociale. Finalement, la recherche sur les effets de la diversité pourrait devenir plus instructive en adoptant une approche moins centrée sur la majorité afin d'inclure également les effets sur divers groupes minoritaires.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 43 , Issue 2: Diversity and Democratic Politics , June 2010 , pp. 235 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu-Laban, Yasmeen and Couture, Claude. 2010. “Multiple Moirities and Deceptive Dichotomies: The Theoretical and Political Implications of the Struggle for a Public French Education System in Alberta.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 433–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alesina, Alberto and La Ferrara, Eliana. 2000. “Participation in Heterogeneous Communities.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 115: 847–904.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alesina, Alberto and La Ferrara, Eliana. 2002. “Who Trusts Others.” Journal of Public Economics 85: 207–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allport, Gordon W. 1958. The Nature of Prejudice. Garden City NY: Doubleday.Google Scholar
Anderson, Christopher and Paskeviciute, Aida. 2006. “How Ethnic and Linguistic Heterogeneity Influence the Prospects for Civil Society: A Comparative Study of Citizenship Behavior.” Journal of Politics 68: 783–802.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arneil, Barbara. 2006. Diverse Communities: The Problem with Social Capital. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arneil, Barbara. 2010. “Social Decline and Diversity: The Us and the Us's.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 273–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banting, Keith, Johnston, Richard and Soroka, Stuart. 2006. “Immigration and Redistribution in the Global Era.” In Globalization and Social Redistribution, ed. Wallerstein, M., Bardhan, P. and Bowles, S.. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Banting, Keith and Kymlicka, Will, eds. 2006. Multiculturalism and the Welfare State: Recognition and Redistribution in Contemporary Democracies. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, Brian M. 2001. Culture and Equality: An Egalitarian Critique of Multiculturalism. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Berry, John W. 2000. “Socio-Psychological Costs and Benefits of Multiculturalism: A View from Canada.” In Governance and Cultural Diversity, ed. Dacyl, J.W. and Weston, C.. Stockholm: UNESCO and CIEFO, Stockholm University.Google Scholar
Bibby, Reginald. 1990. Mosaik Madness: The Poverty and Potential of Life in Canada. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing.Google Scholar
Billiet, Jaak, Maddens, Bart and Beerten, Roeland. 2003. “National Identity and Attitude toward Foreigners in a Multinational State: A Replication.” Political Psychology 24: 241–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bilodeau, Antoine. 2009. “Residential Segregation and the Electoral Participation of Immigrants in Australia.” International Migration Review 43 (1): 142–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bissoondath, Neil. 1994. Selling Illusions: The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada. Toronto: Penguin.Google Scholar
Blake, Donald. 2003. “Environmental Determinants of Racial Attitudes among White Canadians.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 36: 491–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bloemraad, Irene. 2006. Becoming a Citizen: Incorporating Immigrants and Refugees in the United States and Canada. Berkeley: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blumer, Herbert. 1958. “Race Prejudice as a Sense of Group Position.” Pacific Sociological Review 1: 3–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bouchard, Gérard and Taylor, Charles. 2008. “Fonder l'avenir: Le temps de la conciliation.” Montreal: Commission de Consultation sur les Pratiques d'Accommodement Reliées aux Différence Culturelles.Google Scholar
Branton, Regina and Jones, Bradford. 2005. “Re-examining Racial Attitudes: The Conditional Relationship between Diversity and Socio-Economic Environment.” American Journal of Political Science 49: 359–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cigler, Allan and Joslyn, Mark R.. 2002. “The Extensiveness of Group Membership and Social Capital: The Impact on Political Tolerance Attitudes.” Political Research Quarterly 55: 7–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Citrin, Jack and Sides, John. 2008. “Immigration and the Imagined Community in Europe and the United States.” Political Studies 56: 33–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crepaz, M. 2007. Trust Beyond Borders: Immigration, the Welfare State and Identity in Modern Societies. Ann Arbor MI: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Day, Richard J. F. 2000. Multiculturalism and the History of Canadian Diversity. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dovidio, John, Kawakami, Kerry and Gaertner, Samuel. 2002. “Implicit and Explicit Prejudice and Interracial Interaction.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82: 62–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dreiger, Leo and Shivalingappa, S. Halli. 1999. Immigrant Canada: Demographic, Economic and Social Challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenberg, Avigail and Spinner-Halev, J., eds. 2006. Minorities within Minorities: Equality, Rights and Diversity. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fieldhouse, Edward and Cutts, David. 2010. “Does Diversity Damage Social Capital? A Comparative Study of Neighbourhood Diversity and Social Capital in the US and Britain.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 289–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freedman, J. 2004. Immigration and Insecurity in France. Burlington VT: Ashgate Publishing.Google Scholar
Gaertner, Samuel L. and Dovidio, John. 2000. Reducing Intergroup Bias: The Common Ingroup Identity Model. Philadelphia: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Giles, Michael and Buckner, Melanie. 1993. “David Duke and Black Threat: An Old Hypothesis Revisited.” Journal of Politics 55: 702–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodhart, David. 2004. “Too Diverse?” Prospects 95: 30–37.Google Scholar
Gordon, Milton. 1964. Assimilation in American Life: The Role of Race, Religion, and National Origins. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gottschalk, P. and Smeeding, T.. 1997. “Cross-National Comparisons of Earnings and Income Inequality.” Journal of Economic Literature 35: 632–87.Google Scholar
Graber, Doris. 2004. “Mediated Politics and Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century.” Annual Review of Psychology 55: 545–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harell, Allison. 2010. “The Limits of Tolerance in Diverse Societies: Hate Speech and Political Tolerance Norms among Youth.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 407–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harell, Allison. 2010. “Political Tolerance, Racist Speech and the Influence of Social Networks.” Social Science Quarterly 91(3): 723–739.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harell, Allison and Stolle, Dietlind. Forthcoming. “Reconciling Diversity and Community? Defining Social Cohesion in Democracies.” In Social Capital and Social Cohesion: Interdisciplinary Theoretical Perspectives, ed. Hooghe, Marc. Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts.Google Scholar
Hero, Rodney. 2003. “Social Capital and Racial Inequality in America.” Perspectives on Politics 1: 113–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirschmann, Charles. 1983. “America's Melting Pot Reconsidered.” Annual Review of Sociology 9: 397–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hooghe, Marc, Reeskens, Tim, Stolle, Dietlind and Trappers, Ann. 2009. “Ethnic Diversity and Generalized Trust in Europe. A Cross-National Comparative Study.” Comparative Political Studies 42 (2): 198–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hum, D. and Simpson, W.. 2004. “Economic Integration of Immigrants to Canada: A Short Survey.” Canadian Journal of Urban Research 13(1): 46–61.Google Scholar
Hurwitz, Jon and Peffley, Mark. 2010. “And Justice for Some: Race, Crime and Punishment in the US Criminal Justice System.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 457–479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenson, Jane. 1998. Mapping Social Cohesion: The State of Canadian Research. Ottawa ON: Canadian Policy Research Networks.Google Scholar
Johnston, Richard, Banting, Keith, Kymicka, Will and Soroka, Stuart. 2010. “National Identity and Support for the Welfare State.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43(2): 349–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joppke, Christian and Lukes, Steven, eds. 1999. Multicultural Questions. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joyner, Kara. 2000. “School Racial Composition and Adolescent Racial Homophily.” Social Science Quarterly 81: 810–25.Google Scholar
Kesler, Christel and Bloemraad, Irene. 2010. “Does Immigration Erode Social Capital? The Conditional Effects of Immigration-Generated Diversity on Trust, Membership and Participation across 19 Countries.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 319–347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koopmans, Ruud. 2010. “Trade-Offs between Equality and Difference: Immigrant Integration, Multiculturalism and the Welfare State in Cross-National Perspective.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 36 (1): 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koopmans, Ruud and Statham, Paul. 2001. Challenging Immigration and Ethnic Relations Politics: Comparative European Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Koopmans, Ruud, Statham, Paul, Giugni, Marco and Passy, Florence. 2005. Contested Citizenship: Immigration and Cultural Diversity in Europe. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Kymlicka, Will. 1989. Liberalism, Community and Culture. New York: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Kymlicka, Will. 1995. The Rights of Minority Cultures. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kymlicka, Will. 2010. “Testing the Liberal Multiculturist Hypothesis? Normative Theories and Social Science Evidence.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 43 (2): 257–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lancee, Bram and Dronkers, Jaap. 2008. “Ethnic diversity in neighbourhoods and individual trust of immigrants and natives: a replication of Putnam (2007) in a West-European country.” Paper presented at the International Conference on Theoretical Perspectives on Social Cohesion and Social Capital, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, Brussels.Google Scholar
Leigh, Andrew. 2006. “Trust, Inequality and Ethnic Heterogeneity.” The Economic Record 82: 268–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Letki, Natalia. 2008. “Does Diversity Erode Social Cohesion? Social Capital and Race in British Neighborhoods.” Political Studies 56: 99–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Massey, Douglass and Denton, Nancy A.. 1993. American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of an American Underclass. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
McKenzie, Brian. 2008. “Reconsidering the Effects of Bonding Social Capital: A Closer Look at Black Civil Society Institutions in America.” Political Behavior 30: 25–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLaren, Lauren M. 2003. “Anti-Immigrant Prejudice in Europe: Contact, Threat Perception and Preferences for the Exclusion of Migrants.” Social Forces 81: 909–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McPherson, J. Miller, Smith-Lovin, Lynn and Cook, James M.. 2001. “Birds of a Feather: Homophily in Social Networks.” Annual Review of Sociology 27: 415–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, Graham. 2006. “France: The Riots and the Republic.” Race & Class 47 (4): 26–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nannestad, Peter. 2008. “What Have We Learned About Generalized Trust, If Anything?” Annual Review of Political Science 11: 413–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, Pippa. 2005. Radical Right: Voters and Parties in the Electoral Market. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Connell, Michael. 2005. “Economic Forces and Anti-Immigrant Attitudes in Western Europe: A Paradox in Search of an Explanation.” Patterns of Prejudice 39: 60–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliver, J. Eric and Mendelberg, Tali. 2000. “Reconsidering the Environmental Determinants of White Racial Attitudes.” American Journal of Political Science 44: 574–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pettigrew, Thomas F. 1998a. “Intergroup Contact Theory.” Annual Review of Psychology 49: 65–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pettigrew, Thomas F. 1998b. “Reactions toward the New Minorities of Western Europe.” Annual Review of Sociology 24: 77–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pettigrew, Thomas. 2009. “Secondary Transfer Effect of Contact: Do Intergroup Contact Effects Spread to Noncontacted Outgroups?” Social Psychology 40 (2): 55–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pettigrew, Thomas and Tropp, L.R.. 2000. “Does Intergroup Contact Reduce Prejudice? Recent Meta-analytic Findings.” In Reducing Prejudice and Discrimination: Social Psychological Perspectives, ed. Oskamp, S.. Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Portes, Alejandro and Sensenbrenner, Julia. 1993. “Embeddedness and Immigration: Notes on the Social Determinants of Economic Action.” American Journal of Sociology 98: 1320–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 1993. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 2007. “E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-First Century.” Scandinavian Political Studies 30: 137–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quillian, Lincoln. 1995. “Prejudice as a Response to Perceived Group Threat: Population Composition and Anti-Immigrant and Racial Prejudice in Europe.” American Sociological Review 60: 586–611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radio Free Europe, 2009. http://www.rferl.org/content/Switzerland_Looks_Headed_Toward_Minaret_Ban_After_Referendum/1890536.html (February 2010).Google Scholar
Reeskens, Tim. 2009. “Ethnic and Cultural Diversity, Integration Policies and Social Cohesion in Europe.” Doctoral dissertation. Katholike Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium.Google Scholar
Reitz, Jeffrey G. and Banerjee, Rupa. 2007. “Racial Inequality, Social Cohesion, and Policy Issues in Canada.” In Belonging? Diversity, Recognition and Shared Citizenship in Canada, ed. Banting, Keith, Courchene, Thomas J. and Seidle, F. Leslie. Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy.Google Scholar
Rice, Tom and Steele, Brent. 2001. “White Ethnic Diversity and Community Attachment in Small Iowa Towns.” Social Science Quarterly 82: 397–407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothstein, Bo. 1998. Just Institutions Matter: The Moral and Political Logic of the Universal Welfare State. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothstein, Bo and Uslaner, Eric. 2005. “All for All: Equality, Corruption, and Social Trust.” World Politics 58: 41–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schain, Martin, Zolberg, Aristide and Hossay, Patrick, eds. 2002. Shadows over Europe: The Development and Impact of the Extreme Right in Western Europe. New York: Palgrave.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schildkraut, D. 2007. “Defining American Identity in the Twenty-First Century: How Much ‘There’ Is There?” Journal of Politics 69: 597–615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherif, Muzafer, Harvey, O.J., White, Jack, Hood, William R. and Sherif, Carolyn. 1961. Intergroup Conflict and Co-operation: The Robber's Cave Experiment. Norman: University of Oklahoma Book Exchange.Google Scholar
Shulman, Stephen. 2002. “Challenging the Civic/Ethnic and West/East Dichotomies in the Study of Nationalism.” Comparative Political Studies 35 (5): 554–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, Anthony D. 1986. The Ethnic Origin of Nations. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Smith, Miriam. 2009. “Diversity and Canadian Political Development.” Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association. Canadian Journal of Political Science 42: 831–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sniderman, Paul M., Peri, Pierangelo, Figueiredo, Rui J.P. and Piazza, Thomas. 2000. The Outsider: Prejudice and Politics in Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Sniderman, Paul M. and Piazza, Thomas Leonard. 1993. The Scar of Race. Cambridge MA: Belknap Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soroka, Stuart, Helliwell, John and Johnston, Richard. 2007. “Measuring and Modelling Trust.” In Diversity, Social Capital and the Welfare State, ed. Kay, Fiona and Johnston, Richard. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.Google Scholar
Stasiulis, Daiva and Yuval-Davis, Nira, eds. 1995. Unsettling Settler Societies: Articulations of Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Class. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stein, Robert, Post, Stephanie Shirley and Rinden, Allison. 2000. “Reconciling Context and Contact Effects on Racial Attitudes.” Political Research Quarterly 53: 285–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stolle, Dietlind, Soroka, Stuart and Johnston, Richard. 2008. “When Does Diversity Erode Trust? Neighborhood Diversity, Interpersonal Trust, and the Mediating Effect of Social Interactions.” Political Studies 56: 57–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stüssi, Marcel. 2008. “Banning of Minarets: Addressing the Validity of a Controversial Swiss Popular Initiative.” Religion and Human Rights 3 (2): 135–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tajfel, Henry and Turner, John C.. 1979. “An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict.” In The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations, ed. Austin, William G. and Worchel, Stephen. Monterey CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.Google Scholar
Tolbert, Caroline and Grummel, John. 2003. “Revisiting the Racial Threat Hypothesis: White Voter Support for California's Proposition 209.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 3: 183–202.Google Scholar
Uslaner, Eric. 2002. The Moral Foundations of Trust. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Uslaner, Eric. 2008. Corruption, Inequality, and the Rule of Law: The Bulging Pocket Makes the Easy Life. New York: Cambridge University Press. Or consult the electronic version at http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/uslaner/corruption.htm (Accessed February 2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uslaner, Eric. Forthcoming. “Does Diversity Drive Down Trust?” In Civil Society, the State and Social Capital: Theory, Evidence, Policy, ed. Selle, Per and Prakash, Sanjeev. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Wagner, Ulrich, van Dick, Rolf, Pettigrew, Thomas F. and Christ, Oliver. 2003. “Ethnic Prejudice in East and West Germany: The Explanatory Power of Intergroup Contact.” Group Processes and Intergroup Relations 6: 22–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warren, Mark, ed. 1999. Democracy and Trust. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waters, Mary C. 2001. Black Identities: West Indian Immigrant Dreams and American Realities. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Weldon, Steven A. 2006. “The Institutional Context of Tolerance for Ethnic Minorities: A Comparative, Multilevel Analysis of Western Europe.” American Journal of Political Science 50: 331–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, Matthew. 2010. “Diversity and the Imagined Community: Immigration and National Identity across Countries and Over Time.” Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar