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Reinventing Multiculturalism: Urban Citizenship and the Negotiation of Ethnic Diversity in Amsterdam

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  • JUSTUS UITERMARK
  • UGO ROSSI
  • HENK VAN HOUTUM

Abstract

A number of authors have recently suggested that cities are becoming increasingly important as sites for the negotiation of ethnic diversity. While multiculturalism has been declared ‘dead’ in many countries, cities are now experimenting with new ways to accommodate ethnic diversity. This article reports on research conducted in Amsterdam. In this city, a ‘minority policy’ has been replaced by a qualitatively different ‘diversity policy’. Even though the diversity policy meets many of the criticisms that have been made against multiculturalism, the new policy also generates its own forms of exclusion. It is concluded that the stress on intercultural interaction and an emphasis on high‐quality policies and projects can in practice produce results that run counter to the intentions of policymakers as well as critical theorists. Ironically, these two features of the diversity policy tend to depoliticize societal problems and frustrate political mobilization of some marginalized groups. Dernièrement, plusieurs auteurs ont suggéré que les villes prennent une importance croissante en tant que lieux de négociation de la diversité ethnique. Alors qu’on a annoncé la mort du multiculturalisme dans bien des pays, les villes connaissent désormais de nouveaux modes d’accueil de la diversité ethnique. Cet article rend compte de recherches menées à Amsterdam. Une ‘politique des minorités’ y a été remplacée par une ‘politique de la diversité’ différente sur le plan qualitatif. Même si cette nouvelle politique répond à plusieurs des critiques formulées à l’encontre du multiculturalisme, elle génère aussi ses propres formes d’exclusion. On peut déduire que l’accent sur l’interaction interculturelle ainsi qu’une priorité aux politiques et projets de qualité peuvent, en pratique, produrie des résultats qui viennent s’opposer aux intentions des décideurs eux‐mêmes et des théoriciens détracteurs. Bizarrement, ces deux caractéristiques de la politique de la diversité tendent à dépolitiser les problèmes sociétaux et à contrarier la mobilisation politique de certains groupes marginalisés.

Suggested Citation

  • Justus Uitermark & Ugo Rossi & Henk Van Houtum, 2005. "Reinventing Multiculturalism: Urban Citizenship and the Negotiation of Ethnic Diversity in Amsterdam," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 622-640, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijurrs:v:29:y:2005:i:3:p:622-640
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2427.2005.00614.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Phil Hubbard, 2012. "Afterword: exiting Amsterdam's red light district," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1-2), pages 195-201, April.
    2. Eva Swyngedouw, 2020. "Reeling in Newcomers: Urban Competition around Migrant Reception in Brussels," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 395-414, May.
    3. Justus Uitermark & Jan Willem Duyvendak, 2008. "Citizen Participation in a Mediated Age: Neighbourhood Governance in The Netherlands," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 114-134, March.
    4. Penny-Panagiota Koutrolikou, 2012. "Spatialities of Ethnocultural Relations in Multicultural East London: Discourses of Interaction and Social Mix," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(10), pages 2049-2066, August.
    5. Nancy Ettlinger, 2009. "Surmounting City Silences: Knowledge Creation and the Design of Urban Democracy in the Everyday Economy," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1), pages 217-230, March.
    6. Hilje van der Horst & André Ouwehand, 2012. "‘Multicultural Planning’ as a Contested Device in Urban Renewal and Housing," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(4), pages 861-875, March.
    7. Nicolas Van Puymbroeck & Paul Blondeel & Robin Vandevoordt, 2014. "Does Antwerp Belong to Everyone? Unveiling the Conditional Limits to Inclusive Urban Citizenship," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 2(3), pages 018-028.
    8. Manuel B. Aalbers & Sara Rancati, 2008. "Feeling Insecure in Large Housing Estates: Tackling Unsicherheit in the Risk Society," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(13), pages 2735-2757, December.
    9. Licia Cianetti, 2020. "Governing the multicultural city: Europe’s ‘great urban expectations’ facing austerity and resurgent nativism," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(13), pages 2697-2714, October.
    10. Jaime Palomera, 2014. "How Did Finance Capital Infiltrate the World of the Urban Poor? Homeownership and Social Fragmentation in a Spanish Neighborhood," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 218-235, January.
    11. Hyunji Cho, 2021. "The politics of recognition and planning practices in diverse neighbourhoods: Korean Chinese in Garibong-dong, Seoul," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(14), pages 2863-2879, November.
    12. Jiaping Wu, 2014. "The Rise of Ethnicity under China's Market Reforms," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 967-984, May.
    13. Nir Cohen & Talia Margalit, 2015. "‘There are Really Two Cities Here’: Fragmented Urban Citizenship In Tel Aviv," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 666-686, July.

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