Identity and Cultural Diversity

Course goals

Questions of identity are central in debates about immigration, ethnicity and cultural diversity. Terms such as ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural identity as well as `identity politics and `dual identities' have become widespread and common. The growing popularity of `identity has led to many different approaches for examining identity issues. Using insights from social psychology, sociology and anthropology, the central aim of the course is to develop a detailed understanding of the main questions of group identities in relation to cultural diversity. 

Content

In Part 1 of the course, identity is examined from different theoretical and methodological perspectives. Social psychological, anthropological and sociological theories about ethnic identity will be discussed. This is followed by an analysis of multiple and overlapping social identities, as well as different understandings of national belonging. In part 2, the emphasis is on current perspectives and debates about cultural diversity. The main arguments for the positions adopted in the debate are considered and it is examined how multiculturalism and other diversity ideologies (e.g., assimilation, interculturalism) relate to ethnic and religious identities and to intergroup relations.