Intercultural Europe. Diversity and social policy

Book abstract:

Intercultural Europe explores the complex relationships that exist between interculturalism and social policy. It provides challenging analyses of these relationships and the related issues of race and racism, immigration, migration, nationalism and citizenship. It shows how all are intricately linked to the development of social policies. The book provides wide ranging coverage of both social and public policies within member states of the European Union.

The focus of the book is variously on gender, poverty, youth, the elderly, education, housing and health. Other issues that are examined include the role of trade unions, community struggles and the spread of racist violence. While the book's primary concern is interculturalism within contemporary Europe, the contributions also provide an historical perspective, examining some of the continent's ancient antagonisms including anti-semitism, discrimination against the Roma people and the conflict in Northern Ireland.

This collection brings together scholars from Britain and Europe who provide a distinctive multi-disciplinary approach to the fields of European studies, interculturalism, race relations, sociology, politics, and social and public policy.

Jagdish Gundara is Reader in Education and Head, International Centre for Intercultural Studies, Institute of Education, University of London. Sidney Jacobs is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Plymouth.