Introduction

One of the major fractures in contemporary civil society takes place along the line of race and ethnicity. In many Western European countries and the US, the discussion of issues concerned with a multicultural society focuses on the problems that result from ethnic groups’ lack of integration in, and their failure to adapt to, Western society. While the assimilation of these groups is the hoped-for outcome, the reality that is increasingly perceived and presented is one of segregation and insularity. Instead of being highlighted as an advantage of modern society, ethnic and cultural diversity are now used as divisive mechanisms. The results are seen in the politicisation of issues such as immigration and asylum that split impoverished communities. As a result, many Western European countries previously lauded for their liberalism now see an increase in the votes cast for far-right political parties whose manifesto is based on race issues. This political swing has in turn resulted in more centrist governments imposing stricter immigration controls. Within countries, the position of migrants is increasingly questioned: migrants are portrayed as a social problem, a safety problem, having a retarded culture, lacking feelings of responsibility, failing to respect our values and norms, and abusing ‘our’ social security system (Gowricharn, 2002). This image is exemplified at its most extreme by the demonisation of the Islamic faith and its followers as potential terrorists.

One of the challenges faced in many large-scale (former) public housing estates, such as those studied in the RESTATE project, is the perceived lack of social cohesion resulting from the presence of many different ethnicities, which leads to a diversity in lifestyles that presents a challenge to social cohesion. What is more, this perceived lack of social cohesion is seen as one of the main reasons underlying the problems related to inter-ethnic conflicts, a lack of safety, problems involving the local environment, liveability, unemployment, and the like.

This chapter aims to show how social cohesion and ethnic diversity are interrelated and how urban governance arrangements can enhance social cohesion. This interrelationship is made clear in two steps. First, we outline the definition of social cohesion from a theoretical perspective, concentrating on how social cohesion and ethnic diversity are interrelated.