Session 6: Pluralistic and Inclusive Politics
5th Global Conference
Friday 6th November – Sunday 8th November 2009
Salzburg, Austria
The Potential and Possibility of a Pluralistic Japan
Julian Chapple
Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan
Today, amidst an unprecedented flow of people from country to country, Japan has remained almost a passive observer – satisfied to keep stringent entrance barriers intact for the sake of preserving the cultural status quo. However, with a sharply falling birth rate, rapidly aging population, labour shortage, and economic stagnation, Japan’s lawmakers and bureaucrats have recently begun to initiate debate into the possibility of greater immigration. This paper explores these recent moves, from the perspectives of external (global economic competition, need for greater innovation, etc.) and internal (immigrant struggles, lack of rights, moves by Japanese citizens to assist and include disadvantaged foreigners particularly through NGOs) perspectives. In particular it looks at the necessities of political, societal and attitudinal change in the populace in order to allow for the inclusion of difference in what is arguably the world’s most homogenous developed nation-state. This requires a re-assessment of exactly who is – and can be – Japanese and what it means to be ‘Japanese’; enormous questions which at present the government seems loathe to address. An examination of local and grassroots level moves to accommodate greater diversity, demonstrates the benefits to Japanese society of such acceptance. It concludes with suggestions for how state-makers can realize a possible new model along the lines of what has been referred to variously as ‘cosmopolitan’, ‘global’ or ‘universal’ citizenship, applicable and – arguably – beneficial to Japan’s situation. Done correctly and with appropriate input and debate, Japan could create a new social contract with its citizens (native and new) that would serve as a model for other states in Asia.
Download Draft Conference Paper (pdf)
Diversity in Parliaments of Germany: Turkish-origin Members of Parliament in Germany
Devrimsel Nergiz
Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology, Germany
Scholars have mainly examined criteria for membership in a national community and citizenship rights accorded to immigrants from a state-centric lens; the ways in which immigrants lay claims to enact citizenship is rarely examined. Proposed study claims, that citizenship is not solely about passive criteria of membership of a national community and assembly of rights and duties conferred by the state yet a political practice that individuals engage in and become agents of transformation.
In that vein, Turkey origin parliamentarians with migration-background in Germany offer a relevant case by their actively constructed citizenship and demonstration of belonging by choice to German society. Hereby the paper aims at introducing an analysis of the transformation of citizenship in Germany and simultaneously explores its active practice –together with implications- by this new group of elites in German political party landscape.
In doing that the author seeks to incorporate the analysis of citizenship into debates in political representation: (1) By presenting contemporary change in citizenship policies in Germany, that has not only high levels of migrant population but also political activity by migrants at different levels of federal republic (2) By seeking an analysis for the model of representation on part of the selected group of politicians through in depth interviews with selected parliamentarians of Turkey origin.
The author argues that the definition and practice of citizenship is not singularly located at one national scale, but also encompasses the public and individual practice building fluid boundaries at multiple sites. Political actors selected locate themselves (or are perceived to be) between two spheres of belonging, but also represent all “citizens” in German parliament(s). The Janus- faced political representation performed by target group provides invaluable insight to politics in immigrant countries together by reinterpretation of citizenship.
Download Draft Conference Paper (pdf)
Public Broadcasting in New Zealand: Can State Media Be Inclusive Media?
Donald Reid
Department of Media, Film and Communication, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
In New Zealand the state has always been a dominant actor in the ownership and governance of broadcasting, and the orthodox tropes perpetuated by public service broadcasting have reflected the state’s role in society. Since the establishment of television in 1960, to the de-regulation of broadcasting in 1989, the state held a monopoly over New Zealand terrestrial television. Despite a commercial imperative within the governance structure of the state broadcaster, television’s initial period was typified by a paternalistic ethos, with educative and high culture values being significant in programming and scheduling decisions.
From the 1980s the paternalism that typified New Zealand broadcasting has gradually given way to production modes and programming that represents diversity and social inclusion, thanks, in part, to new gatekeeping and funding mechanisms created when the industry was de-regulated in 1989. However, given these mechanisms remain part of the state media structure, the programming produced still must comply with a predetermined set of criteria – this includes not only form and subject matter, but also elements inherent the broadcast and reception of terrestrial commercial media: schedule constraints and the necessity to provide ratings-friendly programming.
This paper examines the relationship between national identity and state media in New Zealand, and plots a genealogy of the shifting ethos and objectives of public broadcasting in New Zealand: from paternalism to social inclusion. I argue, however, that any form of state media will function to perpetuate certain orthodoxies and (favourable) national tropes. I therefore examine the discursive boundaries of New Zealand’s state media and the possibility offered by digital media forms to disrupt and subvert accepted national narratives.
Entries (RSS)