M2202 Cultural Pluralism and Anti-Discriminatory Practice in Western Europe and North America

Lecturer: PhDr. Laura Laubeová

Semester: Summer

Duration: 2 lecture/seminar hours per week

ECTS Credits: 6

Prerequisites: None

Contents: The goal of the course is to present the theoretical and practical framework of multiculturalism in Europe while using comparative studies covering other parts of the world, mainly Canada and the USA. The course will also analyse major political and legal instruments for the protection of minorities and the elimination of racism. The aim is to enable participants to understand issues of inequality, race, and gender and their impact on policy making and policy implementation. Topics covered include: Introduction to terminology: sociological perspectives, political science and political philosophy approaches. Diversity and multiculturalism in the late 1990's and 2000's: policy and practice in EU countries, USA and Canada. Development of policies solving interethnic tensions: definitions and forms of discrimination, levels of discrimination, equal opportunity policy and positive action. Institutional racism in Europe and the USA. Immigration and asylum policies. The Roma as a transnational European minority. International instruments for protection of minorities and non-discrimination. Antidiscrimination legislation in the UK and Canada, the EU "race equality" directive. Human rights protection in the Czech Republic. The liberal theory of multiculturalism in the Czech environment: the civil principle and minority rights protection, the government programme of Romani integration, the Act of the Protection of Minorities and other measures aiming to solve interethnic tensions.

Assessment: Essay (up to 3000 words; one third of final result). Oral presentation (one third). Final exam (one third). Active participation and a minimum seventy-percent attendance is required.