Protection of Cultural Identity & Cultural Homogeneity The next two concepts being outlined are closely interlinked and will therefore be jointly presented. These are: protection of cultural identity and cultural homogeneity. According to Huysmans the issue of migration has also evolved in a political sphere concerned with the question of belonging. The protection of cultural identity is a fundamental concern by which the criteria for belonging are connected with migration. (Huysmans 2000: 762) Huysmans argues that immigrants in the EU are presented as challenging the myth of national cultural homogeneity. (Huysmans 2000: 762 l. 18-19) This understanding together with the comprehensive media coverage involving e.g. immigrants in riots is supporting the creation of a picture of migration as a cultural danger and something to protect the union against. Huysmans further argues, that there are claims that migration threatens nationalism, social values and political as well as social integration. (Huysmans 2000: 763). The understanding of cultural homogeneity within the EU is a precondition for the need for protection of the cultural identity. Huysmans accentuates that the idea of cultural homogeneity is a myth. Other theorists also question the belief that culture should be tied to a place. Gupta & Fergusson e.g. problematize the understanding of “cultural differences” and the way we take for granted that each country entails its own individual culture (Gupta & Fergusson 1992: 6) Gupta and Fergusson urge the reader to focus on and investigate, how this naturalisation of cultural differences between countries take place. Huysmans further states that these discourses, which represent migration as a cultural challenge to both social and political integration, have become essential in the rhetoric of security (Huysmans 2000: 762). In the setting where the issue of migration and asylum is politicised, immigrants and asylum seekers are often pictured as being culturally different. (Huysmans 2000: 763) The quote below states that this view of migrants is also present in policy work: “Integration policies often, at least indirectly, uphold the assumption that a culturally uniform society existed before migration started, irrespective of whether the policy expresses a desire for re-establishing the foregone homogeneity (…) Migrants
Protection of Cultural Identity & Cultural Homogeneity The next two concepts being outlined are closely interlinked and will therefore be jointly presented. These are: protection of cultural identity and cultural homogeneity. According to Huysmans the issue of migration has also evolved in a political sphere concerned with the question of belonging. The protection of cultural identity is a fundamental concern by which the criteria for belonging are connected with migration. (Huysmans 2000: 762) Huysmans argues that immigrants in the EU are presented as challenging the myth of national cultural homogeneity. (Huysmans 2000: 762 l. 18-19) This understanding together with the comprehensive media coverage involving e.g. immigrants in riots is supporting the creation of a picture of migration as a cultural danger and something to protect the union against. Huysmans further argues, that there are claims that migration threatens nationalism, social values and political as well as social integration. (Huysmans 2000: 763). The understanding of cultural homogeneity within the EU is a precondition for the need for protection of the cultural identity. Huysmans accentuates that the idea of cultural homogeneity is a myth. Other theorists also question the belief that culture should be tied to a place. Gupta & Fergusson e.g. problematize the understanding of “cultural differences” and the way we take for granted that each country entails its own individual culture (Gupta & Fergusson 1992: 6) Gupta and Fergusson urge the reader to focus on and investigate, how this naturalisation of cultural differences between countries take place. Huysmans further states that these discourses, which represent migration as a cultural challenge to both social and political integration, have become essential in the rhetoric of security (Huysmans 2000: 762). In the setting where the issue of migration and asylum is politicised, immigrants and asylum seekers are often pictured as being culturally different. (Huysmans 2000: 763) The quote below states that this view of migrants is also present in policy work: “Integration policies often, at least indirectly, uphold the assumption that a culturally uniform society existed before migration started, irrespective of whether the policy expresses a desire for re-establishing the foregone homogeneity (…) Migrants
European_Solidarity_.docx