actors that have led to culturally mixed societies and thriving migrant diasporas:
Open borders
deregulation
encouragement of foreign direct investment
Open borders
Refers to the removal of barriers, such as visa requirements and immigration restrictions, that allow the free movement of people and goods between countries.
It promotes globalisation and integration by facilitating trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.
Deregulation:
Involves the reduction or elimination of government regulations and control over various sectors, including the economy, trade, and finance.
Deregulation aims to stimulate economic growth, increase competition, and attract foreign investment
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):
Occurs when a company or individual from one country invests in business operations or assets in another country.
FDI can bring capital, technology, and expertise, contributing to economic development.
areas where tension have risen:
Rise of extremism in Europe
Trans-boundary water conflicts in Southeast Asia
Rise of extremism in Europe:
Immigration was a key area for debate during the voting for Brexit in 2016
Anti-immigration political parties have been established across Europe (UKIP, Front National in France, Dutch Party for Freedom)
In 2014, 51% of the population voted in favour of stopping mass immigration into the country
Trans-boundary water conflicts in Southeast Asia:
the combination of open borders, economic development, and population growth has led to conflicts over trans-boundary water resources.
Rivers and water bodies shared by multiple countries, such as the Mekong River and the South China Sea, have become focal points of tension, as competing interests, including water access, agriculture, hydropower, and navigation, create challenges and potential conflicts between nations.
Open Borders and Migration:
Open borders encourage the movement of people across national boundaries.
Increased migration leads to the establishment of culturally diverse societies.
Deregulation and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):
Deregulation fosters a business-friendly environment, attracting FDI.
Foreign companies bring economic opportunities and contribute to cultural diversity through a diverse workforce.
Culturally Mixed Societies:
Locations with open borders and a pro-FDI environment often experience the development of culturally mixed societies.
Thriving urban areas become melting pots, with a fusion of languages, cuisines, and traditions.
Migrant Diasporas:
Diasporas emerge as communities of migrants settle and establish roots in host countries.
These communities contribute to economic, social, and cultural aspects of their host nations.
Tensions and Challenges:
Rise of Extremism in Europe:
Cultural tensions may arise due to differences in values, beliefs, and ways of life.
Some European countries have witnessed the rise of extremism, fueled by fears of cultural dilution and identity loss.
Trans-boundary Water Conflicts in South-East Asia:
Economic activities and population growth lead to increased demand for resources, including water.
Trans-boundary water conflicts may emerge as nations compete for shared water resources, leading to tensions.
Cultural Clash and Social Strain:
In some locations, cultural diversity may result in misunderstandings, discrimination, or xenophobia.
Social strain may occur as communities navigate differences in language, religion, and social norms.
Economic Disparities:
Foreign investment may lead to economic disparities, with migrant communities experiencing different levels of economic success.
This can exacerbate tensions and contribute to social inequalities.
Globalization and Governance:
Role of Governance:
Effective governance is crucial in managing the challenges associated with cultural diversity and migration.
Policies that promote inclusivity, diversity, and equal opportunities can mitigate tensions.
Security Measures:
Governments may implement security measures to address extremism and maintain social cohesion.
Balancing security concerns with the principles of an open and inclusive society is a delicate challenge.
International Cooperation:
Trans-boundary conflicts, especially over resources like water, require international cooperation and diplomatic efforts to find sustainable solutions.
Varying attitudes towards migration and cultural mixing:
- The open borders of EU nations have brought rapid cultural change.
- In 2004, eight Eastern European nations (including Poland and Slovakia) joined the EU.
- An unprecedented volume and rate of post-accession in-migration followed for the UK and Ireland.
- The arrival of 1 million Eastern Europeans is an important reason why the UK’s population grew from 59.5 million to 64.5 million between 2004 and 2015.
- Migrants have sometimes concentrated in particular areas and enclaves.
- For instance, new Polish migrants have joined a long-established diaspora community in Balham, London (first formed in the 1940s when the UK and Poland were Second World War allies).
- Many non-Polish Balham residents have welcomed the new arrivals and their contribution to the local economy and society.
- Small shopkeepers have visibly courted Polish custom.
- However, some local people worry that young migrants have increased the crude birth rate beyond the capacity of the areas primary schools.
- In turn, a thriving British diaspora has seeded itself across other EU countries
- UK residents began relocating to the Mediterranean coastline (France, Italy and Spain) in 1993, when freedom of movement in the EU was first allowed.
- British enclaves can be identified through local ‘ethnoscape’ features such as bars and cafes
- However, poor behaviour of some younger ‘Brits’ has sometime strained cultural relations with indigenous communities (Calella, 48 km north of Barcelona, has suffered from this).
Post-accession migration:
The flow of economic migrants after a country has joined the EU.
Diaspora:
The dispersion or spread of a group of people from their original homeland.
Crude birth rate:
The number of live births per 1000 people per year.
Tensions in London surrounding foreign investment and migration:
- The leaders of some of the UK’s biggest TNCs have argued that migration restrictions threaten their own competitiveness and, more broadly, the UK’s role as a global hub.
- Deregulation of the City of London in 1986 removed large amounts of ‘red tape’ for businesses
- London’s financial and legal firms began to regularly rotate staff between their different international offices in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
- Other companies have recruited large numbers of skilled people from overseas, such as Indian computer programmers.
It is not just UK-headquartered TNCs that are alarmed by restrictions on migration. Indian, Chinese and Brazilian TNCs wanting a European base may be less likely to choose London if it becomes harder to transfer staff to the UK. - Many other Londoners feel very differently, however.
- They believe too much in-migration has been allowed to take place. Some voted for UKIP in the 2015 general election.
- This political party wants to see even stricter controls on migration, including an end to the UK’s full participation in the EU and the freedom of movement this has allowed.
- Approximately 30 per cent of London’s 8 million residents were born in another country.
- On many London buses and trains you can now hear a variety of languages being spoken.
- Some Londoners judge the scale and rate of cultural change to have been too great.
Nationalist:
A political movement focused on national independence or the abandonment of policies that are viewed by some people as a threat to national sovereignty or national culture.
Post-colonial migrants:
People who moved to European Countries from former colonies during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
The UK received economic migrants from the Caribbean (especially Jamaica), India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uganda.
Extremism in Europe:
- In some EU states, nationalist parties, such as France’s Front National, command significant support.
- Nationalist parties often oppose immigration; some reject multiculturalism and openly embrace fascism.
- In the 1990s, the UK’s British National Party voiced its opposition to the continuing presence of post-colonial migrants and their families.
- Although race relations in the UK have improved over time, racially-aggravated assaults do, sadly, occasionally occur.
- The murder of Stephen Lawrence in Eltham in 1993 is one such example.
- Recently, tensions between some different communities have risen elsewhere in Europe.
- In France in 2015, staff of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed by gunmen of Algerian descent.
- The murderers said that their Islamic faith had been mocked.
- Extreme events such as these are still rare but demonstrate tensions in multicultural Europe.
- Around 25 per cent of voters supported France’s Front National party in the 2014 European Parliamentary elections.
Environmental tensions over water in south-east Asia:
Trans-boundary water conflicts in south-east Asia can, in part, be linked with globalisation. In recent years, tension and conflict has grown between user groups both within and between countries.
