Daniel Faas publishes Negotiating Political Identities: Multiethnic Schools and Youth in Europe
Apr 22, 2010
Globalization, European integration, and migration are challenging national identities and changing education across Europe. The nation-state no longer serves as the sole locus of civic participation and identity formation, and no longer has the influence it once had over the implementation of policies. Drawing on rich empirical data from four schools in Germany and Britain, this groundbreaking book examines how schools mediate government policies, creating distinct educational contexts that shape youth identity negotiation and integration processes. The study is the first of its kind to bring together between-country and within-country differences in identity formation among young people. By delving into the discourses of ethnic majority and Turkish minority youth, the book unravels a wide range of factors shaping contemporary identities and offers new insights into the particular role school policy approaches play in this process. The book situates these discussions within broader European and transatlantic theoretical and empirical debates on immigrant incorporation and offers a much-needed synthesis of European and American scholarship.
'Negotiating Political Identities' will appeal to educationists, sociologists and political scientists dealing with issues of migration, identity, citizenship and ethnicity. It will also be an invaluable source of evidence for policymakers and professionals concerned with balancing cultural diversity and social cohesion in such a way as to promote more inclusive citizenship and educational policies in multiethnic schools.
Review(s):
This ground-breaking book combines an unusually sophisticated theoretical approach with a rich and multi-layered empirical study of the development of ethnic and political identities among Turkish and native youth in four schools in Germany and England. The result is a strong argument that school level policy approaches are very important in influencing how young people categorize themselves. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in migrant integration, multiculturalism, education in Europe and beyond. (Mary C. Waters, Harvard University, USA)