Becoming Europe

Immigration Integration And The Welfare State

Patrick Ireland

• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Year: 2004
• eBook ISBN: 9780822972570
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Comparative Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Across Europe, millions of immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers have often had difficulties fitting into their new societies. Most analysts have laid the blame on a clash of cultures. Becoming Europe provides evidence that institutions matter more than culture in determining the shape of ethnic relations.Patrick Ireland argues that it is incorrect blithely to anticipate unavoidable conflict between Muslim immigrants and European host societies. Noting similarities in the structure of the welfare states in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium—as well as in their respective North African and Turkish immigrant communities—he compares national- and city-level developments to show how approaches toward immigrant settlement have diverged widely and evolved over time. Becoming Europe demonstrates how policymakers have worked hard to balance immigrants' claims to distinct traditions with demands for equal treatment. Ultimately, it reveals a picture of people learning by doing in the day-to-day activities that shape how communities come together and break apart.

Table of contents

• Contents
• List of Tables
• Preface
• List of Abbreviations
• 1. Introduction: Europe’s Immigrant Integration Crisis
• 2. Germany: Social Policy and the Construction of Ethnic Identities
• 3. German Cities and City-States: Facing Diversity in Diverse Ways
• 4. The Netherlands: Pillars, Pragmatism, and Welfare State Restructuring
• 5. Belgium: Between Cultural Pluralism and Liberal Neutrality
• 6. Conclusion: The Defining Role of Policies and Institutions
• Notes
• References
• Index