Perspectives for Multicultural Societies and Transnational Communities full text

A core feature of the nation-state as it emerged in Western Europe and North America was its claim to manage ethnic difference though border control as well as through processes of cultural homogenization or subordination of minorities. As I argued in the previous section, border control is looking rather shaky: there are many reasons to believe that international migration will continue to grow in the years ahead, and that states and international bodies will find it hard to enforce restrictions, This brings me to the second main theme: to what extent will migrant settlement and community formation change under conditions of globalization? What will be the effects on social relations, culture, identity and politics in receiving countries? How will states seek to incorporate minorities and manage diversity? To answer these questions we can start by looking at shifts in modes ofmigrant incorporation over the last half-century.