From the Plural Monoethnic to the Multiethnic
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REGION PEDAGOGY FOR UNDERSTANDING KOSOVO SOCIETY (I) From the Plural Monoethnic to the Multiethnic Sometimes the constraints of disciplinary thinking, including bias, are so great that it is difficult for some to grapple with claims (or propositions) that they find too foreign. Take, for example, the claim that Kosovo is not a multiethnic society or many Kosovo Albanians, the fact organizations (IGOs) like the UN and the By Rory J. Conces Fthat there is a plurality of ethnic peo - Departments of Philosophy and Religious EU. For there to be a multiethnic society, ples within Kosovo is enough for them to Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha there must be diversity or a plurality of believe in their country's multiethnicity. peoples. This captures the literalness of Why would they believe otherwise? After "multiethnicity" in any way one pleases, "multi" in "multiethnicity," albeit without all, if a multiethnic society is defined as including treating multiethnicity as mere the slightest hint of how much diversity is diversity of ethnic peoples. But it would one that includes two or more distinct eth - required. If this were all there was to the be remiss of us not to take seriously the nic groups, then cities like Pristina, Zubin concept, even the most homogeneous common usage of the term as it is found Potok, and Strpce provide ample evidence countries of Europe (which is most of for multiethnicity. However, there is more. them) would be multiethnic in the way All the censuses taken since 1948 have touted by Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo and indicated a diverse ethnic population of Denmark, for example, would stand side- Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Romani, Gorani, by-side in this regard. This does not seem and others. And these demographics have to be quite right, however. been in place for most of the current gen - What the Kosovo Albanians have done is erations of Kosovo, since approximately to assume an incorrect definition of mul - 85% of the population was born after tiethnicity, and then finding that their 1948. For many Kosovo Albanians then, own society answers to this definition, their country's multiethnicity is a fact. Defining a multiethnic society solely in terms of have declared their society to be multi - diversity and then identifying Kosovo as multiethnic ethnic. Moreover, since Danish society leaves "much to be desired" Kosovo's Multiethnicity: Fact meets this definition, the Kosovo within nation building and human rights Albanians can say that their two societies or Fiction? discourse, for it is within that discourse are alike, and so they should be talked that the future of Kosovo is being charted. about in the same way. The problem with Within the broader international commu - Fortunately, the dispute is merely verbal, this is that they are not talked about in nity, however, this claim of multiethnici - the result of a confusion over the meaning the same way, nor should they be. ty has been discredited as fiction rather of a single word. Disclose the correct def - Differences sometimes do matter! than taken as fact, at least for now. For inition to the Kosovo Albanians, or To be honest, with approximately 90% instance, UN Special Envoy Martti whomever, and the verbal problem will of the population of Denmark being of Ahtisaari implied as much in the opening disappear. Or, if that is not enough, per - Danish descent, Denmark is not exactly sentence of his 2007 proposal: "Kosovo haps some creative pedagogy can smooth a land of immigrants. Ethnic groups tend shall be a multi-ethnic society." This was the way for those who remain overly dis - to be rather small, with Turks comprising followed by explicit denials of its fact - ciplined in their thinking. the largest group, followed by Germans, hood in statements made by officials But is this switch of definition simply a Bosnians, and Lebanese and others. Yet from Belgrade (Bogdanovic) in 2007 and matter of using a term in the way the Denmark, like Kosovo, meets the mini - the OSCE (Guldimann) in 2008, for powerful use it or is there something mal standard of diversity-there are ethnic example, when they noted that multieth - more to it? I believe there is a rationale Others. One significant difference nicity is a "non-existent category" in for its common usage. between Denmark and Kosovo, howev - Kosovo and "Kosovo cannot be called a er, is the historical nature of their current multi-ethnic society," respectively. Taking Definitions Seriously diversities. Whereas Denmark has These responses to Kosovo's supposed undergone continuous immigration for multiethnicity, however, were not in any Let me be more specific. Defining a multi - six centuries, much of the present-day way a rejection of the diversity claim ethnic society solely in terms of diversity ethno-scape dates back only to the (estimated to be 92% ethnic Albanian, 4% and then identifying Kosovo as multiethnic 1960s, there being a variety of immi - ethnic Serb, and 4% ethnic other), but leaves "much to be desired" on two counts. grants including guest workers, family rather a reaction to an incorrect definition First, this definition is deficient insofar as it dependents, refugees, and asylum seek - which stipulated that diversity is both a includes only one of two necessary condi - ers who arrived during that timeframe. necessary and sufficient condition for tions for a multiethnic society as embraced Much of Kosovo's present diversity, on multiethnicity. Of course, one can define by various international governmental the other hand, dates back to at least the Bosnia Daily, June 23, 2015 10 REGION Ottoman Empire. Moreover, rather than So the core idea of a multiethnic society vate lives? Who do they date and eventual - being a place for new immigrants, seems clear enough. To say of a society ly marry? The answers to these questions Kosovo is undergoing a significant emi - that it is multiethnic is to emphasize its are the same for each group: with members gration (and a brain drain), perhaps to integration and interaction, rather than of their own ethnic group and in their places like Denmark. In each case, how - the truism that there are ethnic Others. It respective enclaves. These enclaves are ever, the concern was never to simply is an enriched definition that sets its bounded by evocative objects, clear indica - create diversity where there was none, sights well beyond the uninspiring and tors of domains of ethnic dwelling. but rather "what to do" with the preexist - impoverished life within the enclave. It Members of the various ethnic groups know ing, and sometimes growing, diversity. is a definition of commitment, rather full well where they are: flags are a dead giveaway-including the double-headed Toxic Environment eagle flag of Albania and the flag of Kosovo and Metohija (also the state flag of Serbia). This leads to a second difference, one These objects are symbols of their respec - that is most pertinent to the concept of tive ethno-nationalisms, which remain an multiethnic society itself. It deals with important part of many peoples' identities the kind of relationship that exists and a source of continued antagonism. If between the majority and the minorities. the goal is to create a multiethnic society in Denmark is a country that tries to inte - Kosovo, then the integration-interaction grate and, in some ways, assimilate its A woman views the art installation Thinking of paradigm needs to be implemented. Of immigrant population. The cornerstone You in Pristina course, interactions will not always be of this effort is the Integration Act of than one of disassociation. affirming from the start, but are sometimes 1999. To create a citizenry loyal to The antithetical definition, one of disassoci - unsettling, even hostile. Yet it is hoped that Danish values, culture, and language - ation, is expressed when there is diversity over time the social dynamic will reach an who can contribute economically, politi - without integration and interaction, a situa - expression of tolerance (a matter of "endur - cally, and socially to Danish society - is tion that is especially troublesome in post- ing" the differences of the Other) and then of great importance to the Danes. In conflict settings. Although integration and beyond to acceptance, respect, and finally, order to achieve this, the Danish govern - interaction remain a possibility in such situa - the amalgam of affirmation, solidarity, and ment has implemented a variety of pro - tions, what we find is more or less a plural critique. The dynamic will be slow to grams, some of which counter the ten - monoethnic society in which ethnic groups change, expressed in increments from one dency for ethnic Others to live in generally live and work in distinct enclaves generation to the next, each being embed - enclaves, such as the geographical dis - and devoid of much, if any, meaningful ded in greater and greater integration, and persal of refugees and strengthening interethnic relations. Enclave living perpetu - expressing more and more interaction all in neighborhoods from ghettoization. ates the sources of antagonism, including the name of improving peoples' lives. It is true that Denmark's immigration policy ethno-nationalist identities that exclude and has come under fire, partly due to the trac - mobilize; ignorance about and stereotypes of Tools to Loosen Constraints tion gained by the anti-immigration stance the Other; selective use of history and mem - of the Danish People's Party (DPP). Yet it is ory; and manipulation by elites. Within this No doubt any challenge to the diversity difficult to imagine a Denmark that denies toxic environment, deliberation among like- only definition will be greeted with a fair entry to all prospective immigrants (includ - minded people can further group polariza - amount of disdain and ridicule.