Generous betrayal : politics of culture in the New Europe / Unni Wikan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wikan, Unni, 1944-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Racism.

History.

Minorities.

Immigrants.

Social conditions.

Europe--Ethnic relations.

Europe.

Ethnic relations.

Immigrants--Europe--Social conditions.

Minorities--Europe--History--20th century.

Racism--Europe--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

xv, 293 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2002.

Summary:

All over Western Europe, the lot of many non-Western immigrants is one of marginalization, discrimination, and increasing segregation. In this bold and controversial book, Unni Wikan shows how an excessive respect for "their culture" has been part of the problem. Culture has become a new concept of race, sustaining ethnic identity politics that subvert human rights -- especially for women and children. Fearful of being considered racist, state agencies have sacrificed freedom and equality in the name of culture.

Should immigrants be allowed to take their children, who have been born and raised in one country, back to the "homeland" to be married against their will? Should schools provide bilingual instruction, even when it means that children of immigrants will never learn to speak their mother tongue? Where should immigrants' loyalties lie -- with their country of birth or their country of residence? What is the meaning of citizenship in this multicultural world? These are among the questions that Wikan confronts, comparing her native Norway to Western Europe and the United States. Writing with power and grace, she makes a plea for a renewed moral vitality and human empathy that can pave the way for more effective social policies and create change.

Contents:

Introduction: A Personal Odyssey 1

I Welfare for Whom?

1 A Society Worth Living In 19

2 A Tale of Two Would-Be Survivors 20

3 A Modern Form of Sacrifice 24

II The New Norway

4 Immigrants in Norway: Some Salient Facts 31

5 Dangerous Facts: What We Were Not Supposed to Know 43

6 Silence as Political Cover-Up 61

III The Politics of Culture

7 Law versus Culture 69

8 Culture and Accountability 75

9 Culture

A New Concept of Race? 79

10 Cultures Don't Meet, People Do 83

IV Gender and Identity Politics

11 Sara's Story: The Crime of Becoming Swedish 91

12 Anna and Others: Religion Is Not the Culprit 98

13 Noreen's Story: The Price of a Narrow Escape 107

V The First Person Singular

14 A Fatal Difference in Grammar 117

15 "You Never Asked Me!" 120

16 Opportunity Lost: The Defeat of an Everyday Hero 124

17 Overcoming the Odds: Somali Women in Norway 129

VI Tolerance Versus Humanism

18 Generous Betrayal 139

19 The Politics of Fear 148

20 Civic Liberty and Liberal Democracy 160

VII A Hope for the Future

21 Nadia's Case: A Crucial Step Forward 173

22 Welfare and Citizenship 190

23 Welfare and Social Justice 207

Postscript: Aisha and the Long Way to Freedom 221.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-275) and index.

ISBN:

0226896846

0226896854

OCLC:

47971404