Migration, Ethnicity and the Economy - Period 1

Failing immigrant incorporation in many Western societies has been attributed to immigrant culture. Although an increasing proportion of immigrants are incorporated in society, they are blamed for their deficient attitudes, ethnic networks and incompatible values. Immigrants are urged to adopt the host society's culture to establish equal chances. This message of assimilation had been strongly recommended in public debate and scholarship. In this reasoning, two issues are downplayed. The first is that the causes of social exclusion are located in the realm of 'culture' that becomes a master concept to explain every negative outcome concerning migrants. In contrast, the native population allegedly acquires public goods via the market specifically the labour and housing market. The market is supposedly devoid of culture, as major players are rationally driven to maximize their gains. This tension between culture and market is a central topic of the course. The second issue consists of a denial of the way culture frames and determines economic forces, including markets. The dominant concept is that economics determine culture (rather than culture determining economics) and that culture is something located outside the economic realm. This conception of the market ignores that culture is often constitutive of economics and that the economic actor?s culture acounts for incorporation or exclusion of migrants. This course addresses the relationship between culture and economics. It discusses the current (mis)conceptualization of culture in the field of economics and the related consequences. It exemplifies these issues by discussing the incorporation of immigrants.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) awards credits based on the ECTS system. Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.