Rethinking 'Us' & 'Them': Integration and Diversity in Europe

I have lived in five different societies, that is, those of New York, Oregon, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Croatia, in particular in a war-torn part of Croatia. In New York and Oregon, which are two very different societies, integration and acceptance were relatively easy. In the others, there were very strong barriers against integration. I like Dr. Foroutan's model from a theoretical point of view. If we are looking at a top-down model, this all applies. However, the question is, if such a model is proper and is defensible. I believe that there needs to be a horizontal model, that is, where the immigrant and his/her culture adapt to the receiving culture and vice versa, as the speaker from Turkey indicated. That enriches both cultures. In fact, despite protests to the contrary, no government really supports horizontal integration. Their models are strictly top-down. They may give lip service to multiculturalism, but that has nothing to do with reality. I believe that it would be good if the targets of integration were to be politicians, police, and bureaucrats. To me, they are on the margins of society and really need to learn what people on the ground are thinking and doing, and, somehow, to be integrated into society. It is they who present the greatest barriers to an integrated, multicultural society. There should be encouragement of great diversity in society, which makes everyone richer. Measurement of integration is difficult. I think that most Western societies have an obsession with quantitative statistics. I think that qualitative descriptions are far better in this regard. I am pessimistic about where Europe is going with regard to integration. Current governmental attitudes, which emphasize policing and keeping people out rather than welcoming them and treating them in a humanitarian manner, are extremely damaging to all societies concerned. I grant that it is my area, but I am extremely concerned about the lack of psychological assistance to those coming to Europe. I also am extremely concerned that there are no real policies to encourage integration on any of the levels noted by Dr. Foroutan nor to heal the wounds caused in the regions of origin and along the way. I am virtually certain that, in the long run, this will cause disasters in terms of violence and prejudice and racism. I think that one of the questions for this course is how to avoid these problems. The real question is how to get to the policymakers and to those financing such programs and to get them to understand reality.