This briefing note highlights NEW KNOWLEDGE about France. We present here new knowledge and key messages for policy makers and civil society.

Transcription

1 NEW KNOWLEDGE abut France This briefing nte highlights NEW KNOWLEDGE abut France. We present here new knwledge and key messages fr plicy makers and civil sciety. On-ging prject February 2013 Issue 2013/03 ACCOMMODATING ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN FRANCE France is ne f the first natin states t establish the principles f fundamental human rights and universalistic citizenship. France has als been ne f the ldest cuntries f immigratin, with significant flws f immigrants diversifying its demgraphic cmpsitin particularly since the 19 th century. The French republican mdel has privileged the primacy f civic natinalism rted in the 1789 Revlutin and its aftermath. Thus, just as laïcité has becme a crnerstne f French citizenship, s t the use f categries r statistical tls t take accunt f the cuntry s ethnic and racial diversity has lng been resisted. In the ACCEPT PLURALISM prject, we investigated hw ethnic, religius and cultural diversity is accmmdated in tw very imprtant areas: educatin and plitical life. Thrugh ur empirical research, we fcused n the cncept f laïcité in addressing issues pertaining t tlerance t diversity in France, and mre specifically religius diversity. Laïcité is the French understanding f secularism that strictly cnfines religius matters t the private sphere: religius activities are nt t be financed by the state, nr are religius expressins suppsed t be expressed by state agents r in state-funded institutins (such as public schls). The adptin f what can be called, the language f laïcité t deal with religius diversity has several implicatins: First, the reference t laïcité is a way t recall the law and the necessity t cnfine religius expressins t the private sphere in the French cntext. This came as mst bvius in the respnse t religius diversity in French schls. The 2004 law banning the cnspicuus display f religius signs in schls reminds all students f the necessity t keep their religius faith utside f the educatin sphere (the law is limited t state-funded public schls and secndary educatin, thugh). The cnfinement f religius expressins t the private sphere is understd as a necessary cnditin t fster tlerance and prtect the freedm f belief r disbelief. The interviews we cnducted with teachers, schl staff and participant bservatin in the classrm demnstrated that individuals share this cnvictin. Secnd, there is a tendency t use the term laïcité t discuss the place f Islam in France. In this cntext, we identified sme intlerant uses f the term laïcité. When laïcité is used t restrict religius practices r the expressin f religius beliefs that are nt extending t the

2 public sphere, it ges beynd the limit f the law and impeaches the freedm f belief. Instances f religius discriminatin may ccur. Third, laïcité can als serve as a grund fr mbilizatin. Minrity grups, which might be the target f religius discriminatin, articulate their demands in terms f laïcité. Thrugh this discurse they can make themselves audible t the rest f the French sciety. Mainly, hwever, it is a way t ask t be treated as equal citizen. Religius minrities are nt asking fr mre rm t express their religius affiliatin but t be given as much space as majrity religins in France. It is a claim fr equality and nt specificity. One f the mst cntentius tpics t emerge is the way Cathlicism is framed as a cultural affiliatin in France therefre legitimizing its presence in varius institutins (schl hlidays in the academic calendar, fr instance). Religius minrities ask that Cathlicism be given as little rm as ther religius beliefs. The language f laïcité has thus ffered rm t intlerant discurses and practices twards Islam in France. Hwever, Muslim grups are reclaiming the cncept f laïcité, in rder t cmbat discriminatin and ask t be treated equally. Evaluatin f discurses and practices f tlerance in ur case studies: Religius diversity in schls Curriculum extensin with inclusin f immigratin histry Plitical participatin f Muslim peple Institutinal and legal framewrk Tlerance thrugh the implementatin f laïcité Acceptance There is n recgnitin f religius minrity in plitics Practical situatin A tw-tier laïcité: mre rm is allcated fr the expressin f the majrity religin (Cathlicism) The recgnitin f immigratin can lead t instances f ethnic ascriptin f pupils Muslim rganisatins are mbilised t defend Muslim peple against discriminatin Public discurses Suspicin twards Muslim claims (hallal meat, Ramadan and absence n the day f Aïd) The histry curriculum shuld be mre inclusive f diversity while remaining predminantly universalist & republican Muslim rganisatins are accepted as lng as they articulate their claim in terms f laïcité TOLERANCE IN FRENCH SCHOOLS & THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LAICITE Empirical research reveals an imprtant breach between the principles and the situatin in the classrm. In principle, the philsphical bjective f laïcité is t guarantee the neutrality f French public schls. This leads t the teaching f civic educatin classes in secndary and high schls, and is understd as guiding the 2004 law banning the cnspicuus display f religius signs in schls. Interviews with teachers, schl staff and participant bservatin in the classrm demnstrated that individuals share a cmmn belief in laïcité as a mean t fster tlerance amng the schl ppulatin. In practice, teachers and pupils cntend that a disprprtinal rm is allcated t Cathlicism. Teachers reprt questins r cmplaints frm pupils that, albeit secular, French schls are clsed n Cathlic hlidays. As a result, there is a sense that a tw-tier laïcité applies that is a threat t the Republican prmise f equal treatment, regardless f pupils rigin r religin. ACCEPT PLURALISM Research Prject

3 TOLERANCE IN FRENCH SCHOOLS & THE INCLUSION OF IMMIGRATION IN THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM In 2008 it was decided that the French natinal histry curriculum wuld include chapters n immigratin. This was a pr-active measure t deal with the challenge f diversity and has been effective since Empirical research has revealed an anxiety n hw these new chapters may be taught: The cncern was raised that this new additin t the curriculum shuld nt nly be taught t pupils f immigrant backgrund fr fear t assign them specific traits and undermining the Republican principle f equal treatment regardless f ethnic rigin. Mrever, it was nted that the tpic f immigratin shuld nt be assciated in the way it is taught with current events but rather, it shuld be apprached as a regular tpic f histry (In 1876, already 4% f the ppulatin were freign-brn). NEW KNOWLEDGEN ON TOLERANCE IN FRENCH POLITICAL LIFE Althugh Muslims, in general, may be reluctant t adpt the ntin f laïcité (perceived as antireligius and used t restrict their practices), Muslim activists have been increasingly identifying laïcité as a useful principle with which t prtect their religius beliefs. Claims f laïcité n the part f minrity activists are actually claims fr equality and against discriminatin. Central t their mbilisatin is the idea that laïcité tends t be diverted frm its legal meaning when it is used t discriminate against Muslims. As a result, rganisatins usually prvide legal infrmatin abut laïcité n their website and make it central t their mbilisatin. The initial reactin t the first headscarf affair f 1989 was essential in linking the tpic f Islam with laïcité and feminism in France and with the grwing stigmatisatin f Islam and the systematic use f laïcité t pass laws restricting the practice f Islam. Sme defenders f laïcité and feminist activists denunced an intlerant interpretatin f laïcité. This gave mre strength and legitimacy t the mbilisatin f Muslim activists. Mbilisatin under the banner f laicité fr the defence f their interests, suggests the ability f Muslim activists t frame their plitical psitins in accrdance with the mainstream standards f French plitical life. Hwever, beynd the fight against discriminatin and the reassessment f their cmmitment t laïcité, rganisatins are als negtiating their identity as Muslims in a pst-migratin sciety. The fact that they emphasise the egalitarian dimensin f laïcité is evidence that the issue is nt nly abut the prtectin f religius freedm but als abut the acceptance f Muslim citizens in France. Therefre, minrity claims f laïcité are nt nly abut tleratin. They are claims fr the acceptance f Muslims as equal citizens in France. CONCLUDING REMARKS ACCEPT PLURALISM Research Prject

4 We therefre argue that: At the natinal level, there is a need t reassess laïcité in view f its cre principles, i.e. f equality and neutrality twards religius beliefs. At the lcal level, there is a need t acknwledge that sme rm is allcated t Cathlic practices and a decisin t either equalize dwnward (make less accmmdatin t Cathlic practices) r equalize upward (make as much accmmdatin t Cathlic practices, as Jewish, Prtestant r Muslim practices). There shuld be an awareness f the necessity t recgnize immigratin histry as a legitimate tpic f histrical inquiry. - Teachers shuld be trained t incrprate pedaggical resurces that are specific t immigratin histry. - Plicy makers shuld take legislative measures recgnising the need t prtect citizens frm religius discriminatin FURTHER READINGS T read mre n the research findings presented here, see: Cncepts and Practices f Tlerance in France By Riva Kastryan and Angéline Escafré-Dublet (CERI Sciences P, Paris) Dwnlad yur cpy frm: Other relevant publicatins include: 2012/02.2. Handbk n Tlerance and Diversity in Eurpe Anna Triandafyllidu (EUI) Dwnlad yur cpy frm: ACCEPT PLURALISM Research Prject

5 PROJECT IDENTITY Acrnym Title Shrt Descriptin Authrs Web site Duratin Funding scheme EU cntributin Cnsrtium Crdinatr Scientific Crdinatr EC fficer ACCEPT PLURALISM Tlerance, Pluralism and Scial Chesin: Respnding t the Challenges f the 21st Century in Eurpe ACCEPT PLURALISM questins hw much cultural diversity can be accmmdated within liberal and secular demcracies in Eurpe. The ntins f tlerance, acceptance, respect and recgnitin are central t the prject. ACCEPT PLURALISM lks at bth native and immigrant minrity grups. Thrugh cmparative, theretical and empirical analysis the prject studies individuals, grups r practices fr whm tlerance is sught but which we shuld nt tlerate; f which we disapprve but which shuld be tlerated; and fr which we ask t g beynd tleratin and achieve respect and recgnitin. In particular, we investigate when, what and wh is being nt tlerated / tlerated / respected in 15 Eurpean cuntries; why this is happening in each case; the reasns that different scial actrs put frward fr nt tlerating / tlerating / respecting specific minrity grups/individuals and specific practices. The prject analyses practices, plicies and institutins, and prduces key messages fr plicy makers with a view t making Eurpean scieties mre respectful twards diversity. Angéline Escafré-Dublet, Riva Kastryan CERI Sciences P, Paris March 2010-May 2013 (39 mnths) Small and medium-scale cllabrative prject 2,600,230 Eur 17 partners (15 cuntries) Eurpean University Institute, Rbert Schuman Centre fr Advanced Studies Prf. Anna Triandafyllidu Ms. Luisa Anastpulu, Directrate General fr Research and Innvatin, Eurpean Cmmissin ACCEPT PLURALISM Research Prject