The Political Psychology of Globalization: Muslims in the West

by Catarina Kinnvall, Paul Nesbitt-Larking

Overview

In an increasingly globalized world, there are new economic, strategic, cultural, and political forces at work. The Political Psychology of Globalization: Muslims in the West explores how these shifts and shocks have influenced the way in which Muslim minorities in western countries form their identities as political actors. Catarina Kinnvall and Paul Nesbitt-Larking uncover three identity strategies adopted by Muslims in the West: retreatism, essentialism, and engagement. Six western countries - Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom - serve as places for exploration of the emergence of these Muslim political identities. These countries are discussed in light of their colonial histories, patterns of immigration, and citizenship regimes.

Although retreatism, essentialism, and engagement occur in Muslim citizens of each of the six western nations discussed in this book, the countries that are best able to balance individual and community rights are most successful in promoting the politics of engagement. In contrast, regimes that focus on anti-terrorist legislation and discourses, and support majority political cultures that are exclusionary, also promote retreatism and essentialist identity strategies in both minority and majority communities. The authors discuss the importance of a climate of engagement that is based on recognition, dialogue, deep multiculturalism, a new global and "cosmopolitical" consciousness, and a sense of political identity that transcends national boundaries and regimes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199747542
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/29/2011
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Catarina Kinnvall is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. She is also a former Vice President of the International Society of Political Psychology. Her research interests include political psychology, security, globalization, religion, and nationalism, with a particular focus on South Asia and Europe. She is the author of Globalization and Religious Nationalism in India: The Search for Ontological Security (Routledge), co-editor of On Behalf of Others: The Psychology of Care in a Global World (Oxford University Press), and author of numerous articles and book chapters.

Paul Nesbitt-Larking is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Huron University College in Canada. His work on power, discourse, and identity is situated within the research traditions of critical theory, political psychology, and political sociology. His publications include Politics, Society, and the Media, published by the University of Toronto Press, and over fifty scholarly articles and book chapters.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

1 Introduction 3

Identities, Discourses, and Multiculturalism: The Political Psychology of Diasporas and Postdiasporas 6

Cosmopolitical Considerations 10

A Brief Overview of the Book 12

Part I Theorizing Citizenship, Integration, and Identities in Multicultural Settings

2 Immigration and Citizenship Regimes in a Globalizing World 21

Patterns of Immigration to the West: From Decolonization to Deconstruction 22

Migrants, Diasporas, and Postdiasporas 26

Patterns of Immigration and Regimes of Citizenship in Six Western Countries 28

France 30

The Netherlands 31

The United Kingdom 34

Denmark 35

Sweden 38

Canada? 39

Silence and Invisibility: Muslim Immigrants in the West to the End of the Cold War 41

3 The Political Psychology of Integration and Assimilation 49

Assimilation or Dispersal? Dealing with the Stranger Within 56

Threats and the Postcolonial Order: The Emergence of "New Nationalism" 60

Religion, Fundamentalism, and Defensive Essentialism 63

The Heart of Darkness: Gender and the Veil 69

From Essentialism Toward a Politics of Engagement 73

4 Dialogism, Multicultiiralism, and Cosmopolitical Citizenship 75

The Meanings of Multiculturalism 75

The Politics of Dialogue 78

Beyond Cosmopolitanism: Postcolonialism and the Cosmopolitical Orientation 85

Danger and Opportunity: Living in a Global World 92

Part II Challenges and Identity Crises: Muslims in the West

5 The Politics of Retreatism 99

Retreatism as an Identity Strategy 100

France 100

The Netherlands 103

The United Kingdom 105

Denmark 109

Sweden 113

Canada 117

Conclusion 122

6 The Politics of Essentialism 123

Essentialism as an Identity Strategy 123

France 124

The Netherlands 128

The United Kingdom 132

Denmark 138

Sweden 146

Canada 153

Conclusion 157

7 The Politics of Engagement 160

Engagement as an Identity Strategy 160

France 161

The Netherlands 165

The United Kingdom 168

Denmark 171

Sweden 176

Canada 180

Conclusion: The Case for Engagement 185

8 Conclusion 187

References 197

Index 217

Editorial Reviews

"At this point in global history, there could not be a more timely discussion of the social, psychological, and political consequences of globalization, cultural change, and identities lived 'in between.' Drawing on the lived experiences of Muslims in Europe and North America, Nesbitt-Larking and Kinnvall develop a sophisticated analysis of changes in modern cultures that place identity, dialogue, and human agency at the center of our understanding of and ambitions for intercultural relations, engaged citizenship, community cohesion, and societal change. I highly recommend this text to all those interested in understanding cultural change today, its politics, and its psychology." —Caroline Howarth, Lecturer, Institute of Social Psychology, The London School of Economics and Political Science

"Written in a most engaging style, this book exhibits fine, empirically based scholarship and demonstrates theoretical sophistication and historical sensitivity in attending to one of the most politically volatile issues of our time. The authors' multidisciplinary approach illuminates the interplay among social, political, economic, and psychological forces. They offer us new ways of thinking about citizenship, multiculturalism, and globalization, ultimately pointing to a viable and vibrant politics of engagement." —Molly Andrews, Professor of Sociology and Co-director, Centre for Narrative Research, University of East London

"Drawing on a remarkable range of scholarship, the authors address some of the most critical issues facing us today: globalization, identity, and the challenges to Western liberalism posed by sources ranging from fundamentalism and terrorism to ethnocentrism, racism, and religious prejudice. Their analysis of the political psychology of identity among Diaspora and post-Diaspora communities sets a new level of discourse and is essential reading for anyone interested in the integration of Muslim communities into Western society. Their brilliant book will remain a classic text for those interested in how people construct hybrid identities and narratives that help them make sense of a constantly changing political reality." —Kristen R. Monroe, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, and Director, Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality, University of California, Irvine

"Kinnvall and Nesbitt-Larking forge a unique approach to processes of globalization. Comparing identity strategies and citizenship regimes in a context of multiculturalism, they bridge traditional dichotomies of individual and society and of the local and the global." —Bert Klandermans, Professor of Applied Social Psychology, VU University Amsterdam

"This book fills an obvious lacuna in the field, and does so with authority and elegance... This study is both theoretically sophisticated and empirically grounded, and is a most timely book for scholars as well as policy makers. Summing up: Highly recommended. All readership levels." — A. Ahmad, Black Hills State University, CHOICE

"This book is an impressive combination of thorough empirical and comparative analysis combined with an inter-disciplinary and innovative theoretical angle. Through a well-defined structure, the authors provide an impressive tour de force of the field, introducing novel empirical material and theory rooted in political psychology. The added value rests on the extent of its comparative scope; its detailed case studies and the close integration between data and theory as well as a compellingly clear writing-style. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in European Muslim politics. It establishes a laudable goal of unshackling cosmopolitanism from its Eurocentric and orientalist origins. Whether this is realistic in terms of feasible practical policy options is open for debate and further work, but the urgency of the issue cannot be denied." — Ethnic and Racial Studies

"The Political Psychology of Globalization systematically analyzes various identity strategies within different citizenship regimes. Anyone interested in the issues of multiculturalism, integration of Muslims in the West, and identity might find this book useful. In addition, this book might be of interest to those seeking to understand the changing concepts of multiculturalism and identity in general." — Sabina Cehajic-Clancy, PsycCRITIQUES

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