Delivering Services in Multicultural Societies

by Alexandre Marc

Overview

Over the last two decades the world has witnessed an important transformation of the concept of citizenship and social integration, increasingly recognizing that cultural and ethnic diversity need to be considered when designing and implementing social policies. The increasing cultural diversity of societies, along with the important role culture plays in forming identities in these societies, creates major challenges for national and local governments in ensuring social cohesion and social inclusion. 'Delivering Services in Multicultural Societies' reviews recent approaches to recognizing cultural diversity when delivering basic services. It first discusses how supporting cultural diversity can help achieve social inclusion and social cohesion. It then considers the debate over multiculturalism from various perspectives and discusses the risks and benefits of policies that support cultural diversity. Also examined are policies and programs that support cultural diversity in the delivery of basic services, such as education, health care, customary law, traditional governance systems, and cultural services. For each of these services the author reviews main challenges and describes best practices. Finally, the book offers a synthesis of what has been learned about taking cultural diversity into account in service delivery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780821380499
Publisher:	World Bank Publications
Publication date:	11/23/2009
Series:	New Frontiers of Social Policy
Pages:	114
Product dimensions:	2.00(w) x 2.50(h) x 0.10(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

About the Author xiii

Abbreviations xv

Chapter 1 Introduction: Culture and Services 1

Background and Definitions 1

Purpose and Organization 4

Chapter 2 Cultural Diversity and Public Policy 7

Migrations, Minorities, and the Demand for Cultural Recognition 8

A Growing International Recognition of Cultural Rights 12

A New Paradigm: The Concept of Multicultural Citizenship 14

Managing Cultural Diversity through Public Policy 18

Significance of Cultural Diversity in Making Public Policy for Development and Poverty Reduction 23

The Risks of Taking Culture into Account in Developing Public Policy 27

Chapter 3 Cultural Diversity and Service Delivery 31

Education 31

Health Care 40

Cultural Services 46

Delivering Services through Traditional Local Governance Systems 50

Chapter 4 Designing and Implementing Policies That Support Cultural Diversity in Service Delivery 57

A Conceptual Framework to Guide Policies 58

No Universal Solutions 60

Understanding Political Motivations 61

Integrated and Multisectoral Approaches 62

Establishing National Frameworks for Managing Cultural Diversity 64

Establishing Clarity in Decentralization Frameworks 65

Involvement of Concerned Sociocultural Groups 66

Balance between Citizens' Rights and Cultural Rights 68

Socioeconomic Conditions 69

Cost of Multicultural Programs 70

Long-Term Investments and Strategies 72

Evaluation 73

Chapter 5 Adapting Services to a Diverse Society 75

Appendix: What is Cultural Identity? 79

Bibliography 83

Index 91

Boxes

1.1 Definitions 2

2.1 Minority Group Designations and Definitions 10

2.2 UN Recognition of Ethnic and Racial Rights13

2.3 Agency: A Definition 17

2.4 Dominant Minorities 23

3.1 Success of Multicultural Education Reform in Papua New Guinea 32

3.2 Maori Immersion Education and Education Outcomes 34

3.3 Institutionalized Discrimination: Segregated Schooling for the Roma 36

3.4 Social Inclusion and Preschool in Albania and Kosovo 38

3.5 Considerations in Bilingual Education 40

3.6 Roma Health Mediators in Roma Communities 42

3.7 Traditional Medicines, Contemporary Issues 45

3.8 The Return of the Kanun and the Fis in Albania 51

3.9 Local Governance versus National Citizenship in Totontepec, Mexico 54

4.1 The Vicious Cycle of Stereotyping 70

4.2 Lack of Financing Undermines Bulgarian Native Language Policy 71