Interculturalism in Times of Crisis
| Published date | 01 April 2017 |
| Date | 01 April 2017 |
| Author | Tendayi Bloom,Valeria Bello |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12260 |
Interculturalism in Times of Crisis
Valeria Bello* and Tendayi Bloom*
ABSTRACT
This article locates the discussion of this Special Section within the wider analysis of Intercul-
turalism and intercultural dialogue as a new way of framing dynamic inter-ethnic and broader
community relations, and considering how perceived and real crisis affects both states’and
societys’understandings of ethnicity, culture and diversity. Taking cases from Catalonia,
Spain, the European Union, this Special Section’s multi-level approach illustrates how intercul-
tural dialogue can be developed at the sub-State, State, Region and international levels. By
surveying the articles in the Special Section, this introduction critiques the Interculturalism
framework and develops it. Crucially, drawing out insights from across these different types of
groupings and from theorists offering a range of perspectives, this collection is able to offer
new insights on Interculturalism, its relations with Multiculturalism, and forms of intercultural
dialogue.
INTRODUCTION
Since 2008, the economic stress precipitated by the US sub-prime mortgage crisis has affected most
regions of the world, to some extent. To this, add perceived crises of security through civil and tra-
ditional wars, crime, and terrorism, and further sensitivities and vulnerabilities. Threats from chang-
ing climatic conditions and increasing information connectivity across regions also contribute to the
sense of crisis. Within this global context, human mobility remains an important global phe-
nomenon, and one often associated with threat, security and hardship. Migration precipitates
increasing forms of cultural diversity in societies, richness that brings its own sets of challenges for
policymakers. Europe provides a useful example of this. Rising levels of migration into Europe
since the 1970s have transformed western European countries into net immigration recipients
(Bello, 2016). European countries have also suffered from the global economic downturn over this
period. Although there may or may not be changes regarding the reasons for migration, figures on
migratory fluxes indicate that these economic changes have not held back the trend towards
increasing immigration, That said, within countries like Italy and Greece, for example, the above-
mentioned variety of crises are affecting intercultural relations negatively over this time. Other
countries, like Spain, instead, do not exhibit this change (Bello, 2015).
Spain has been particularly touched by the recent economic hardships following the global eco-
nomic crisis that began with the problems in the global banking sector particularly in 2008 and
the heightened security crises that developed on the one hand from the attacks in New York and
Washington in 2001 and in Madrid in 2004 on the other hand from the political unrest in North
Africa and the Middle East. Despite this, unlike other countries that share the recent economic
and socio-political hardships, Spain is neither experiencing harsher relations with minority com-
munities nor showing worsening levels of prejudice towards migrants (Bello, 2015). In addition,
* United Nations University, Geneva
doi: 10.1111/imig.12260
©2017 The Authors
International Migration ©2017 IOM
International Migration Vol. 55 (2) 2017
ISSN 0020-7985Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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