According to one recent study, European countries that have combined multicultural policies with a strong welfare state have been less able to integrate immigrants from outside the continent. Another has been equally blunt: `the US integrates migrants into work, Europe integrates them into welfare’. Within Europe, there are contrasts in public opinion: `Germans hold an unreciprocated set of negative attitudes towards their Muslim co-citizens’ … `The British are tied with the French for the most positive attitudes towards Muslims and the most optimistic view of the prospects for Muslim integration.’Summary (by Serife Tekdal) Prof. Banton introduced the topic with David Cameron’s mantra, ‘multiculturalism’. He elaborated on European countries multiculturalist and assimilationist reactions towards immigrants integrating within the community. In addition to the integration policies surrounding immigrants, Prof. Banton included countries such as Austria, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom within the long list of countries promoting multiculturalist states. Quoting from Hansen and Koopmans studies Prof. Banton underlines the matters surrounding the welfare state of immigrants and the problems arising, such as inevitable unemployment rates. According to Prof. Banton, Hansen’s recent studies conclude that ‘the unemployment rate of male foreign-born workers in comparison to native- born workers in Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Sweden are much more higher in figures than Germany and the UK.’ These statistics surely shed light upon the US migrants’ integration into work, in association with Europe.
Another interesting but not intuitive topic he discussed was a survey conducted by Pew Research Centre on Global Attitudes, upon outlooks towards the Muslims and non-Muslims in 13 countries. The results were of a contradictive nature as Germans held an unreciprocated set of negative attitudes towards their Muslim co-citizens, yet the British and the French were associated with the most positive attitudes and undoubtedly, with the most optimistic viewpoint.
Prof.Banton did not fail to address Turkey, as he earmarked it as an ‘interesting case’ whilst dealing with sentimental issues;Turkey’s political and historical background. Prof. Banton criticized the Republic’s minority policies on the basis that ‘it had no conception of Armenians and Kurds as national or ethnic minorities.’ and he further discussed about the progress that have been made for the last decade of the Republic. Amongst other things, he went further on to explain the social and current affairs in the EU, such as the burqa ban in France and Italy. He explained such acts of violation with a simple solution; “It is possible to recognise minority rights in law if they are formulated as individual rights rather than as collective rights.”
The Professor was critical of the policies in many EU countries that include a form of integration policy, as well as stating the impossibility of balancing differences and equality within the state.
Biography:
Prof. Michael Parker Banton is an Emeritus Professor at University of Bristol. He was born on the 8th of September 1926 and served in the Royal Navy between the years of 1944 and 1947 as a Sub-Lieutenant RNVR. He graduated with a B. SC. In economics from the London School of Economics in 1950 and obtained his Ph. D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1954, and his D. Sc in 1964. He has held posts in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh from 1950 (Reader, 1962-65); as Professor of Sociology in the University of Bristol 1965-92, and Pro-Vice Chancellor 1985-88. C.M.G., 2001. Fil. dr. (h.c.) in Stockholm, 2000.
Prof. Banton has been a Member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination between the years of 1986 and 2001 (Chairman 1996-98; Rapporteur 1990-96 & 1998-2001). He has also been the President of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland between 1987-89, and also within the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Prof. Barton was also the President of the Sociology section (1970-71) and the Anthropology section (1985-86). Between 1990-94 Prof.Barton has been the President of the Ethnic, Race and Minority Relations section of the International Sociological Association and the Director of the Social Science Research Council Research Unit on Ethnic Relations during 1970-78.
During the years of 1966-96 he has been a part of Justice of the Peace, Bristol, and has been a Member of; Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure 1978-81, Royal Commission on Civil Disorders in Bermuda 1978, Ethnic Minorities Advisory Committee of the Judicial Studies Board 1993-96, UK National Commission for UNESCO 1963-66 & 1980-85 and also a member of the South Western Regional Hospital Board between the years of 1966-70.
Prof.Banton has also took positions as Visiting Professor for the: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1962; Wayne State University, 1971; University of Delaware, 1976; Australian National University, 1981; Duke University, 1982 and the National University of Malaysia, 2010.
Prof. Michael Parker Banton has written many books, and is the Author of The Coloured Quarter (Cape, 1955), West African City (OUP, 1957), White and Coloured(Cape, 1959), The Policeman in the Community (Tavistock, 1964), Roles (Tavistock, 1965), Race Relations (Tavistock, 1967), Racial Minorities (Fontana, 1972), Police-Community Relations (Collins, 1973), The Idea of Race (Tavistock, 1977), Racial and Ethnic Competition (CUP, 1983), Promoting Racial Harmony (CUP, 1985), Investigating Robbery (Gower, 1985), Racial Theories (CUP, 1987, second edition 1997), Racial Consciousness (Longman, 1988), Discrimination (Open UP, 1994), International Action against Racial Discrimination (OUP, 1996), Ethnic and Racial Consciousness(Longman, 1997), The International Politics of Race (Polity, 2002).
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