Debating Diversity - Analysing the Discourse of Tolerance

Immigration, racism and nationalism have become hotly debated issues in the Western world. This highly original and controversial work focuses on the language used by the vast majority who regard themselves as being open to a multi-cultural society.
Using Belgium as a case study and drawing parallels with the UK, US, Europe and the former Yugoslavia, the authors analyse this language and reveal a remarkable consistency between these liberal voices, such as in news-reporting, and the language used by radical racist and nationalist groups.

List of contents

Introduction PART I Diversity: the issue 1 The management of diversity 2 Group relations, cognition and language PART II The ingredients of an ideology 3 The ‘migrant problem’ 4 The central concepts 5 Homogeneism PART III Homogeneism at work 6 Training for tolerance 7 Educating the public 8 Anti-racism, Epilogue

About the author

Jan Blommaert is Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghent, Belgium. Jef Verschueren founded the IPrA (International Pragmatics Association) in 1986 and currently directs its research centre at the University of Antwerp. Both authors have previously collaborated on The Pragmatics of Intercultural and International Communication (1991).

Summary

An eminently readable analysis on the rhetoric of the 'tolerant majority' - those who view themselves as being open to a diverse society; a rhetoric that is prevalent throughout the media and political world.

Product details

• Authors: Jan Blommaert, Blommaert Jan, Jef Verschueren, Verschueren Jef
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 13.08.1998
• EAN: 9780415191388
• ISBN: 978-0-415-19138-8
• No. of pages: 248
• Weight: 460 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Minority Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General, Sociolinguistics, Ethnic groups and multicultural studies