This book is a strong piece of scholarship and its contributors, among the best in the field, must be commended. They have achieved their goal to establish interculturalism as a new paradigm for diversity management. By the same token, they have provided governments, cities and academia with a possible alternative to multiculturalism (a term which is declining in favour in Europe). I have no doubt that the book, with its welcome combination of theoretical and empirical inputs, will soon become a milestone.'
- Gérard Bouchard, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Canada'This excellent collection of uniformly high quality essays analyses the theory, policy and implementation of the increasingly popular idea of interculturalism, and shows how it offers the best way to integrate minorities at the local level. It is underpinned by a well worked out theoretical framework and embedded in rich empirical analysis.'
- Bhikhu Parekh, University of Westminster and Member of the House of Lords, UK
Cities are increasingly recognized as new players in diversity studies, and many of them are showing evidence of an intercultural shift. As an emerging concept and policy, interculturalism is becoming the most pragmatic answer to concrete concerns in cities. Within this framework, this book covers two major concerns: how to conceptualize and how to implement intercultural policies.
Through the use of theoretical and comparative case studies, the current most prominent contributors in the field examine an area that multicultural policies have missed in the past: interaction between people from different cultures and national backgrounds. By compiling the recent research in Europe and elsewhere this book concludes that interculturalism is becoming both an attractive and efficient new paradigm for diversity management.
Academics, students and researchers working in the field of diversity studies and related areas will find this to be an essential read. Taking an innovative approach to issues raised by interculturalism in cities, it will also appeal to policy makers seeking to formulate a new policy focus and approaches for diversity management.
Contributors: T. Cantle, T. Caponio, I. Guidikova, A. Harell, A. Ludwinek, R. Ricucci, F. Rocher, A. Triandafyllidou, I. Ulasiuk, A. Wagner, P. Wood, R. Zapata-Barrero