Ethnic Conflict, Migration, and Globalization

1. Ethnic Conflict, Migration, and Globalization Presented By: Laura Witherspoon

2. Migration • Globalization has weakened the concept of the Westphalian nation-state because the porosity of national borders allows for increased global flows of people and ideologies • This increase in mobility of people across national borders and the globalization of the nation-state has led to deep ethnic, religious, and ideological conflict • The changing role of the nation-state and its ability to exercise its sovereignty is central to the discussion on migration of peoples

3. Migration cont’d • The inappropriate and arbitrary drawing of nation-state borders in the post-colonialism era has exacerbated the effects of globalization • Poverty and economic inequality often cause migration • Other push and pull factors? • Increase in global awareness and culture clashes • “There has undoubtedly been a great deal of population movement associated with globalization” (Ritzer) • Despite more int’l openness from globalization, governments are reluctant to liberalize migration.

4. Emigrational Conflict • Labor migration is often perceived as threatening to a host country • Causes fear and resentment of immigrants • Suspicion and bitterness toward immigrants stimulates anti-immigration policies, as in the European Union • Greek ‘Golden Dawn’ • French ‘Front National’ • Racism and xenophobia • Psychological and physical divide between migrants and the host country population

5. Conflict and Globalization • Question to think about: Has globalization increased, decreased, or stalled ethnic conflict? • Ethnic conflict is not necessarily the result of ancient or inherent hatred between different ethnicities • Ex: Hutus and Tutsis • Some scholars claim ethnic conflict is less lethal in developed and economically open societies because economic globalization (which is beneficial to prosperity) discourages such violence • BUT what about the instability of multicultural societies unaccustomed to increasing immigration?

6. Greek ‘Golden Dawn’ • Golden Dawn is a neo-Nazi political party dedicated to protecting Greek heritage and culture from foreigners • Seized upon economic instability from debt-crisis in 2009 to push anti-immigration agenda • Default and fiscal austerity felt by everyone in Greece, but blamed on illegal immigrants • Effects of neo-liberal globalization have collided with the concept of a nation state with an identity and borders • Affects a person’s ability to identify with their changing national, and even ethnic, culture

7. Greek ‘Golden Dawn’ Golden Dawn protesting for a “Greece for Greeks”

8. French ‘Front National’ • Front National is a far-right political party whose agenda revolves around anti-immigration and xenophobia • Focuses on differences in values between secular France and strictly religious Muslim immigrants • By law, religion is not allowed in public locales • Wearing of the burka and headscarf, prayer in the streets • “We only submit to God and no one else” (http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/august/islamization-of-paris-a-warning-to-the-west/ ) • Leader Marine Le Pen sees an ‘Islamization’ of French culture • Expected Islam to adapt to France, but France is adapting to Islam

9. Identity and Globalization • Increasing loyalty to ethnic identity • To those who view globalization as a homogenizing force, the need to devote themselves to maintaining their cultural identity is strong • Esp. in cases where national borders are redrawn around groups of people • New national identities forced on existing ethnic identities • Ex: Alsace-Lorraine • Ex: Kurds

10. Ex: Parisian Banlieue • Violence and rioting in French suburbs is consequence of both ethnic and identity conflict • Ethnic and religious friction with Parisians (white, Catholic vs. African, Muslim) • Feeling of separation from native countries/traditions • Prejudice makes assimilation into French society difficult • Suburban ‘VillesNouvelles’ designed to house North African labor migrants in isolation from Paris proper • Result is divided population (physically and mentally)

11. Ex: Parisian Banlieue cont’d Protesters use the Internet to coordinate with other ‘villes nouvelles’ For them, rioting is about garnering social attention

12. Ex: Parisian Banlieue cont’d • French-born children of immigrants feel disconnected from both parent’s native culture and their own French culture • More global openness, more inconsistencies in identity • Ex: Secularism and banning of headscarves/burka • Globalization is less about homogenization, more about becoming acultural • Root of the problem is economic globalization • Promises to increase global integration and reduce poverty • BUT pushes low-skill jobs away from developed countries • Migrants and natives alike vying for the same scarce jobs

13. U.S.-Mexico Border • 1/10th of the US population was born outside the country • 85% of Mexicans who cross into the US border do so illegally • Work opportunities and standards of living in the US far exceed those in Mexico • Strong pull factors for labor migration • Labor migrants leave behind families, but… • US-Mexico border has become increasingly difficult to breach • Illegal immigrants rely on the underground economy • An effect of increased border security is keeping immigrants in

14. U.S.-Mexico Border • Right-wing politics and conservatives tend to believe that illegal (and legal) immigrants push down all wages • They resent the fact that illegal immigrants use public services paid for by tax-paying citizens • Bottom-line: The uncertainty, fear, and resentment that revolve around immigration are problematic • “Free mobility is a universal and basic human right”

15. What to Take Away? • Migration still faces many barriers, unlike other global flows • Barriers are based on Westphalian state and its borders • Globalization has rendered the Westphalian concept somewhat obsolete since the role of nation-states is changing (because global flows penetrate it more often) • Openness and external influences across borders erodes the sovereignty of the ‘Westphalian’ state • Ex: migration threatens national identity and economy • Globalization has facilitated greater migration and consequently greater internal, territorial, and ethnic conflict

16. Final Thoughts • Peace through interdependence? • Globalization has reduced interstate disputes overall, but not territorial, internal, or ethnic conflicts • Globalization has NOT flattened the world (borders are still highly important) • Globalization makes it easier for nations to extend their power beyond borders to protect citizens, but limits power to protect borders • Interfering with sovereignty of other nations or groups conflict • Without access to the global market, the resource base for many internal conflicts (think Opium/drugs/etc.) would disappear • “By increasing the prospective gains that may result from settled borders, globalization offers incentives for a well-bordered world”