Majority society
The term majority society denotes that part of a society which, due to the size of its share in the total population , can define and represent the cultural norm of a community .
Concept history
In Germany the word first appeared in connection with the public debate about the integration of immigrants . At the same time, warnings are often given against the development of parallel societies of ethnic minorities , which separate themselves from the German majority society instead of integrating into it. Proponents of multiculturalism reject the term because it suggests a duty of minorities to cultural assimilation to the majority , while in their view it is the duty of majority society to protect and recognize cultural differences.
Dominance culture
The term dominance culture was developed by Birgit Rommelspacher in 1995 to describe structural discrimination . According to this, forms of exclusion - such as that of racism - are essentially explained by the dominant cultural norms of a society. The exclusions cannot be explained, as is often assumed, by the cultural insecurity of the majority society as a result of foreign cultures or new emancipatory movements. This culture of dominance goes hand in hand with forms of “incorporation” of foreign or new cultures: “ Hans Jonas (1984) described conflict resolution through dominance behavior as 'Alexander syndrome': every border to a new country, to an unknown territory was a provocation for Alexander the Great enough to have to submit. He was driven to incorporate everything new into himself and his realm. "
The concept of the dominant culture coined by Bassam Tibi originally referred to a social consensus of values .
See also
literature
- Nikita Dhawan: Can the Subaltern Speak German? And Other Risky Questions. Migrant Hybridism versus Subalternity . April 25, 2007.
- Birgit Rommelspacher: Dominance culture. Texts on foreignness and power , Orlanda, Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-929823-29-2
