Integration conference "My home, our home: what unites us in a multicultural community" on 15th and 16th November in Tallinn, Estonia. Conference webpage: www.integrationconference.ee

1. A Home for Everyone?
Multiculturalism and Integration in Contemporary Democracies
Keith Banting
Queen’s University, Canada
Presentation to the International Integration Conference 2018, Tallin, Estonia

2. Politics of diversity in the 20th Century
• Nation-building: historic pattern
• Promoting a common language, culture and identity
• Suspicion of ethnic minorities
• Multiculturalism: second half of 20th century
• Acceptance of ethnic diversity as an enduring element of democratic societies
• Recognition, accommodation, and support of difference
• Three distinct policy models
• Immigrant minorities, national minorities, indigenous minorities

3. Multiculturalism for national minorities
Creating territorial autonomy
MCP Index
• Affirmation of ‘multination’ status
• Territorial autonomy for minority nation: full set of institutions/services
• Official language status of minority language
• Guaranteed representation in central institutions
• Public funding of minority language institutions
• Acceptance of minority role on international bodies
Canadian case
• National minority (Quebec) and indigenous peoples (First Nations)
• Acceptance of multiple national identities and cultures

4. Multiculturalism Policies for National Minorities
1980
Out of 6
2000
Out of 6
2010
Out of 6
Belgium 3.5 5.5 5.5
Canada 4.5 5 6
Finland 4 4.5 4.5
France 0 1 2
Greece 0 0 0
Italy 3.5 4 4.5
Japan 0 0 0
Spain 4 4.5 6
Switzerland 4 4 4
United
Kingdom
1.5 5 6
United States 3.5 3.5 3.5

5. Multiculturalism for Immigrant Minorities
Changing the terms of integration
MCP Index
• Affirmation of multiculturalism in the constitution or legislation
• Multiculturalism school curricula
• Mandate of broadcast media
• Exemptions from dress codes
• Allowing dual citizenship
• Funding ethnic groups
• Funding bilingual education
• Affirmative action programs
Canadian case
• Integrationist conception of multiculturalism
• Supplemented with strong integration programs

10. Politics of Diversity in the 21st Century

11. The strange “death” of multiculturalism

12. The Integrationist Turn
Multicultural integration (Sweden)
• Right to integrate: public support / voluntary participation
• Compatible with stronger multiculturalism policies
Mandatory integration (Denmark, Netherlands)
• Duty to integrate: but little public support
• Linked to residency/naturalization/access to social benefits
• Deeper tension with multiculturalism policies
• Canada:
• An “uncontrolled” experiment: Canada / Quebec

13. Outcomes
Multicultural integration
• Positive relationship with civic and political integration (Bloemraad)
• Multiculturalism policies do not erode solidarity/redistribution (Banting et al)
Mandatory integration
• Little tangible advantage in integration outcomes (Goodman and Wright)
• Undermining social trust? (Canada / Quebec)
Wider implications
• Identity change is a slow, multi-generational process

14. Estonian model: different or similar?
Estonian model
• Moving in same direction as in Western Europe from a different direction?
• Model at independence (1991): “non-territorial cultural autonomy”
• Close to national minority model: full set of Russian language institutions/services
• Binational/federal model off the table
• Evolving towards something closer to immigrant minority model
• Mix of voluntary and mandatory instruments
• More similar to Quebec model than the Canadian model
Common challenges / different choices
• National identity: core identity vs. multiple identities
• Integration as mutual adjustment: convincing the majority to change
• Mandatory/voluntary: implications for identity, trust and perceived fairness