Multiculturalism, Identity and Difference. Experiences of Culture Contact

Multicultural societies are a phenomenon that is increasingly observed worldwide. This book brings together theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence on how culture contact is experienced at the individual level. At the heart of this book lies the question of how individuals living within a multicultural society experience the meeting of cultures. The studies were conducted in Luxembourg, a country where the foreign population has reached 45%. Luxembourg is a “natural laboratory” and provides an ideal context in which to study culture contact phenomena and to derive lessons for an increasingly globalized world. The empirical studies indicate a gap between multiculturalist ideas and specific forms of societal participation. The policy implications of the findings are discussed. These include a focus on highlighting similarities between cultures rather than differences, and addressing the issue of reciprocity – expectations of both, the receiving society as well as immigrants.