VOL. 12, NO. 1, 2010 ISSN 2079-6595 Depicting Diversities GUEST EDITOR: Steven Vertovec 1 STEVEN VERTOVEC Depicting Diversities – Editorial Introduction 5 ANGÉLINE ESCAFRÉ-DUBLET Art, Power and Protest: Immigrants’ Artistic Production and Political Mobilisation in France Open Forum 21 KERSTIN DUEMMLER, JANINE DAHINDEN, JOËLLE MORET 59 WEISHAN HUANG Gender Equality as ‘Cultural Immigration and Stuff': Ethnic Boundary Work Gentrification: in a Classroom in Switzerland A Case Study of Cultural Restructuring in Flushing, 41 EKATERINA BRAGINSKAIA Queens Official Discourses and Patterns of State Engagement 73 DOROTTYA NAGY with Muslim Communities in Where is China in World Britain and Russia Christianity? DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATION: Paul de Guchteneire EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Gabi Alex CO-EDITOR: Christiane Kofri ASSISTANT EDITOR: Diana Aurisch UNESCO and Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity Director of Publication: Paul de Guchteneire (UNESCO) Editor-In-Chief: Gabriele Alex (MPI-MMG) Co-Editor: Christiane Kofri Assistant Editors: Diana Aurisch and Amber French Layout and Design: Birgitt Sippel Past Issues in 2008-2009: “Turks Abroad: Settlers, Citizens, Transnationals”, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2009 “The Human Rights of Migrants”, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2009 “The Conditions of Modern Return Migrants”, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2008 “Citizenship Tests in a Post-National Era”, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2008 Published jointly by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France and Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity Hermann-Föge-Weg 11 D-37073 Göttingen, Germany ISSN 2079-6595 The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this journal and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Available online at www.mmg.mpg.de/diversities and www.unesco.org/shs/diversities Diversities – Vol. 12, No. 1, 2010 Foreword from the Editors We are happy to present this Launching Issue of DIVERSITIES, a combined initiative of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity with the UNESCO's social sciences research and policy division. It carries on the work of its predecessor, The International Journal on Multicultural Societies (IJMS). DIVERSITIES is an on-line journal publishing high quality, peer-reviewed articles concerning multiple forms of diversity. It presents new research on different kinds of social difference – including ethnicity, religion, language, gender, sexuality, disability, social status and age: how these notions are socially constructed, how they unfold in different contexts and how they are addressed in policy and practice. The journal provides a forum for discussion, debate, refinement of social theory and development of key ideas at the nexus of research and policy making. Topics and contributors represent a range of global regions. Steven Vertovec is the Guest Editor of the first Issue of DIVERSITIES which is addressing the very way we look at social differences. In ‘Depicting Diversities’, a group of social scientists address the challenges of modern societies in providing space for debate on better policies on managing social, cultural and political differences. In a globalizing world, the notion of diverse societies will be ever more prominent and social scientists should not shy away from providing practical support to policy development. Theoretical reflection on the representation of diversities is essential in this respect: nothing more practical than a good theory! We hope that the new DIVERSITIES will stimulate readers globally to engage in intellectual debate and exchange of ideas, information and research outcomes. Scholars interested in publication in the journal can write to the editors at [email protected], or visit the website at: www.unesco.org/shs/diversities. Your Editorial Office, Editor: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Alex Co-Editor: Christiane Kofri Assistant Editor: Diana Aurisch Publication Director: Paul de Guchteneire Chief International Migration and Urbanization UNESCO, Paris Introduction: Depicting diversity STEVEN VERTOVEC (Director, Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen) Whether we are concerned with ethnic, of diversity governance themselves utilise or religious, gender-, age-, sexuality- or disability- create depictions of diversity. related diversities, social scientists, policy- Within the Department of Socio-Cultural makers and members of the general public Diversity at the Max-Planck-Institute for the tend to be conceptually confined to certain Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, which depictions of diversity. To depict something is launches the UNESCO journal Diversities with to describe, to represent, to characterise. In this special issue, this topic is approached by so-doing – particularly surrounding something way of a conceptual triad of ‘configurations- as socially, culturally and politically charged as representations-encounters’ (see Vertovec ‘diversity’ – the act of depiction may serve to 2009). In addressing any specific global set or to limit a given discourse, to explore or context (regardless of scale), ‘configurations’ to promote a particular theory of society, to refer to how diversity is measured within define or to position a set of groups within a specific structural and demographic con- social hierarchy, and to structure or to ditions; ‘representations’ includes ways in implement a specific political agenda. Depic- which diversity is imagined or depicted, while tions of diversity arise in everyday communi- ‘encounters’ considers the means and modes cation; unwittingly or purposefully, they may by way of which diversities are actually expe- become embodied in institutional practices and rienced in practice and social interaction. To modes of national governance. call this a conceptual triad is to insist that – Studying depictions of diversity – their again with respect to whatever the context processes of production and reproduction, being researched – each part of the triad their effects and transformations – should be must be understood in light of the other two. an essential task in social science and cultural Thus, for instance with regard to the theme studies today. Identities, human differences, of this issue, to better appreciate the ways in social structures and patterns of inequality which a certain context of diversity is cannot be assumed to be of one kind: they are depicted (here, by students within Swiss contextually conceived and enacted. Further schools, among artists and anti-racists within research and theory is required in order to the 1980s French political and art scene, and understand better the relationships between by Russian and British policy-makers regar- how diversities (and the groups within a varied ding relations to Muslim organisations), one social array) are imagined, how they related to must also gain a good grasp of the demo- social, economic and geographical characte- graphic and political-economic context as well ristics, how such depictions reflect or influence as the nature of everyday interactions affect- social interactions, and how political systems ting the groups who employ said depictions. Through a kind of hermeneutic circle – or Diversities – Vol. 12, No. 1, 2010: 1-3 ISSN 2079-6595 www.unesco.org/shs/diversities/vol12/issue1/art6 © UNESCO DIVERSITIES Vol. 12, No. 1, 2010 ◦ ISSN: 2079-6595 Steven Vertovec better, in this case, triangle, researchers can political expression vis-à-vis its (tokenistic?) achieve a more complete view on to diversity inclusion in the art world as „immigrant art‟. A dynamics. conundrum surrounding such art and Each of the articles within this special issue expression to this day, notes Escafré-Dublet, is of Diversities examines a range of inter-related that „from the point of view of immigrant issues of depiction, or how the dynamics activists, it is never political enough; from the of configurations-representations-encounters point of view of immigrant artists, it is never have unfolded within particular arenas. The artistic enough.‟ works arise through IMISCOE („Immigration, Reflecting a Barthian approach to ethnic Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe‟), boundary construction, Kerstin Duemmler, the Network of Excellence established under Janine Dahinden and Joëlle Moret offer their the European Commission‟s Sixth Framework study on „Gender equality as “cultural stuff” ‟. research programme (see www.imiscoe.org). And in line with Fredrik Barth‟s salient view, The network links some 30 research institutes they are interested in the social organisation of and over 500 researchers across Europe. cultural difference. Cultural difference – the Within IMISCOE, the research cluster on „stuff‟ of the title – is not assumed a priori, but cultural, religious and linguistic diversity has seen to arise in the conceptual or discursive organised numerous streams of research, marking of boundaries in everyday inter- events and publications. The cluster leaders actions, here within Swiss schools. The authors have been especially keen