Delivering services in multicultural societies / Alexandre Marc.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Marc, Alexandre, 1956-

Series:

New frontiers of social policy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Minorities--Services for.

Minorities.

Minorities--Social conditions.

Multiculturalism.

Physical Description:

xv, 98 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : World Bank, [2010]

Summary:

Over the last two decades the world has witnessed an important transformation of the concept of citizenship and social integration, increasingly recognizing that cultural and ethnic diversity need to be considered when designing and implementing social policies. The increasing cultural diversity of societies, along with the important role culture plays in forming identities in these societies, creates major challenges for national and local governments in ensuring social cohesion and social inclusion.

Delivering Services in Multicultural Societies reviews recent approaches to recognizing cultural diversity when delivering basic services. It first discusses how supporting cultural diversity can help achieve social inclusion and social cohesion. It the considers the debate over multiculturalism from various perspectives and discusses the risks and benefits of policies that support cultural diversity. Also examined are policies and programs that support cultural deliversity of basic services, such as education, health care, customary law, traditional governance systems, and cultural services. For each of these services the author reviews main challenges and describes best practices. Finally, the book offers a synthesis of what has been learned about taking cultural diversity into account in service delivery.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Introduction: Culture and Services 1

Background and Definitions 1

Purpose and Organization 4

Chapter 2 Cultural Diversity and Public Policy 7

Migrations, Minorities, and the Demand for Cultural Recognition 8

A Growing International Recognition of Cultural Rights 12

A New Paradigm: The Concept of Multicultural Citizenship 14

Managing Cultural Diversity through Public Policy 18

Significance of Cultural Diversity in Making Public Policy for Development and Poverty Reduction 23

The Risks of Taking Culture into Account in Developing Public Policy 27

Chapter 3 Cultural Diversity and Service Delivery 31

Education 31

Health Care 40

Cultural Services 46

Delivering Services through Traditional Local Governance Systems 50

Chapter 4 Designing and Implementing Policies That Support Cultural Diversity in Service Delivery 57

A Conceptual Framework to Guide Policies 58

No Universal Solutions 60

Understanding Political Motivations 61

Integrated and Multisectoral Approaches 62

Establishing National Frameworks for Managing Cultural Diversity 64

Establishing Clarity in Decentralization Frameworks 65

Involvement of Concerned Sociocultural Groups 66

Balance between Citizens' Rights and Cultural Rights 68

Socioeconomic Conditions 69

Cost of Multicultural Programs 70

Long-Term Investments and Strategies 72

Evaluation 73

Chapter 5 Adapting Services to a Diverse Society 75.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780821380499

0821380494

9780821380840

0821380842

OCLC:

377808913