Diversity in Local Political Practice

This book book contributes to the comparative study of societal diversity and local politics in France and Germany, and will be of interest to academics, researchers and advanced students of Sociology, Public Policy, Law, and Political Science.

In what ways do local authorities respond to the increasing socio-cultural heterogeneity of urban populations? While other studies have often focused on policy declarations, the eight chapters in this book provide rich evidence on the content and implementation of local policies. Furthermore, several chapters offer theoretical insights into the factors driving or hindering policies that acknowledge socio-cultural heterogeneity and ensure more equality and inclusive public services.

The general focus of the book is on cities in France and Germany, that is, two major immigration countries in Europe - countries in which local authorities have a relatively strong position within the state structure. The contributions analyze how local actors use their powers to ensure more equal public employment, adapt cultural offers and recreational facilities to the demands of a diverse population, and/or to fight discrimination. Further chapters investigate who takes part in formulating policies and seek to explain why cities take different decisions about strategies and practices. As a whole, the book contributes to the comparative study of societal diversity and local politics in France and Germany, and will be of interest to academics, researchers, and advanced students of Sociology, Public Policy, Law, and Political Science.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies.

Autorentext

Karen Schönwälder is Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen, Germany, and Professor of Political Science at Göttingen University.

Inhalt

Introduction: Diversity in local political practice

Karen Schönwälder

1. Colour-blind diversity: how the "Diversity Label" reshaped anti-discrimination policies in three French local governments

Laure Bereni, Renaud Epstein and Manon Torres

2. Workforce diversity policies in practice: drivers and barriers in local administrations

Christine Lang

3. The local turn in integration policies: why French cities differ

Anouk Flamant

4. What explains diversity-policy adoption? Policy entrepreneurs and advocacy coalitions in two French cities

Michalis Moutselos

5. Externalization or imitation: the 201516 asylum-seeker immigration as a catalyst for local structural change

Miriam Schader

6. A relational approach to local immigrant policy-making: collaboration with immigrant advocacy bodies in French and German cities

Maria Schiller, Julia Martínez-Ariño and Mireia Bolíbar

7. Cultural policies mixing commonality and difference? The case of public libraries in French cities

Alexandre Tandé

8. The accommodation of Muslim body practices in German public swimming pools

Ines Michalowski and Max Behrendt