Scores of policy makers and politicians view integration as a means to form a homogenized society as opposed to a strategy that reinforces equal social and political contribution for every individual in Germany. Integration is ill-executed, and this issue has instigated a block amid Turkey and Germany in recent times, particularly when Wulff Christian, a former German President, was advised by, Abdullah Gul, a former Turkish president, that German should integrate Turks into its German culture. Following this request by Abdullah Gul, German Chancellor, Merkel Angela confirmed that multiculturalism has fallen short. According to Angela, there are approximately 7 million foreigners living in Germany (Klopp 2002, p.24). Over four million of these foreigners are of Muslim religious background and they have build over three thousands mosques across the country. The "Multikulti" concept has failed and the concept of German-ness is being overtaken given the increasing mosques and Turkish ghettos in Berlin and headscarves worn in classrooms and other social events (Klopp 2002, p.24). The religious culture of German has been overtaken taken by immigrants' religious culture. This trend challenges the feasibility of immigration policies. The increasing Turkish religious culture jeopardizes the national Christian identity of Germans and this augments fear towards Muslims given their record in terrorism and crime.
Objective of the Study
Many policy makers and politicians in German view integration politics as a means of creating a homogenized society. Multiculturalism contends to address minorities and thereby suggest a link with the majority. However, these categories, the minority and majority, wielded and defined with respect to each other are increasingly challenged and further made difficult through disparities in articulation amid developed capitalist nations and the Third World (Triadafilopoulos 2012, p.122). The organizing aspect for the minorities include such terms as indegeneity, ethnicity and race while their source are linked to colonization, immigration and other types of subjugation. Integration remains an alternative for western democracies to deal with the issues of immigrants. Nevertheless, as confirmed by a German Chancellor Angela Merkel, not all efforts of integration policies that take in novel models of multicultural citizenship have lead to the achievement of intended benefits. Multiculturalism can work in favor of the host country or in the favor of the immigrants (Triadafilopoulos 2012, p.121). Given the factors impending and facilitating multiculturalism, the purpose of this study is to evaluate multiculturalism in Germany, its success and failures, assess the integration policies and factors affecting multiculturalism. It is hoped that this analysis will inspire development of feasible integration and multiculturalism policies to ensure a multicultural state, and people will realize that not all problems are caused by multiculturalism or immigrants.
Chapter Two: Literature Review
Multiculturalism in Germany
Multiculturalism is understood against the backdrop of assimilations perspectives and policies that surround a nation's integration of immigrants in divergent nations. Multiculturalism refers to the situation where diverse cultures live together, but at the same tine establish and ensure spaces where every cultural group can develop with respect to its determination (Paul 2009, p.1). In one sense multiculturalism and multicultural are sociological terms that identifies societies characterized through cultural, ethnic or religious diversity (Triadafilopoulos 2012, p.125). Multiculturalism refers to a policy orientation that stresses on active support to assist immigrants to uphold the cultural allegiances with their origin nations as a major element of fair, non-assimilationist perspective to social integration. Multiculturalism began in Canada during 1970s and was adopted elsewhere. The concept of multiculturalism was created when tensions amid the Canadian federal government and province of Quebec were on the rise (Entzinger 2006, p.121). Multiculturalism in this policy-oriented perspective finds itself being routinely blamed because of failing to offer what it promised. Multiculturalism was intended to develop social cohesion through allowing immigrants' integration into the mainstream culture (Eckdart 2007, p.240). Another aim of multiculturalism was for consolidating popular attachment to the basic principles of liberal democracy besides putting to remission economic differences between old-stock populations and newcomers.
Multiculturalism has become a significant focus in debates in Germany for several years, particularly as pertains to the issues of nationality. As Germany still does not describe itself officially as an immigrant society, the presence of ethnic diversity offers numerous challenges (Albrecht 2012, p.364). Official and populist descriptions of nationality and citizenship have not extended to cultural immigrants and minorities. Neither of the term ethnic diversity and multiculturalism has entered the official political discourses in Germany. Until the nineteen...
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