Addressing tolerance and diversity discourses in Europe : a comparative overview of 16 European countries

Abstract

In recent times, the accommodation of ethnic and religious minorities and their special needs or claims has been an important concern for the European Union. In some countries challenges relate more to immigrant groups while in others they refer to native minorities. The question that has often been posed, in more or less politically correct terms, is how much and what kind of cultural diversity can be accommodated within liberal and secular democracies. It is in this context that this book surveys 16 European countries: 15 Member States: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and one associated country: Turkey. The book discusses the ways in which different states have dealt with similar diversity dilemmas. It considers what tolerance means in different countries and under different circumstances. It also casts light to the relationship among concepts such as tolerance, acceptance, respect, pluralism, integration or assimilation and questions which concepts provide an appropriate base for policy making.