Traditional Concepts of Integration

The Sociology of Multiculturalism

In this course, Professor Tariq Modood (University of Bristol) explores sociological approaches to multiculturalism and integration. In the first lecture, we think about traditional understandings of integration as being grounded in cultural, religious or national sameness. In the second lecture, we look at how the emergence of multicultural societies, such as modern Britain, challenge these older notions, and consider the nature of cultural difference. Next, we look at ideas of Britishness and the ways these have changed over time. In the fourth and final lecture, we consider how we can construct notions of British national identity which can accommodate cultural diversity.

Traditional Concepts of Integration

In this lecture, we think about classical approaches to integration and the role of culture in this process, focusing in particular on: (i) the two main factors on which integration has historically been based in Europe – religion and the nation state; (ii) Émile Durkheim’s work on mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity, and his idea that integration operates through economic difference, or a division of labour, and cultural sameness; (iii) the multiculturalist challenge of integration – how to produce integration in societies where there is cultural difference rather than sameness.