Integratie? Een pleidooi voor een alternatieve cultuurvisie

Abstract

The relationship between mosque and school is supposed to contribute tothe integration of newcomers in Dutch society. In this article the conceptof integration, as the adaptation of migrant communities to Dutch cultureand society, is deconstructed. It is shown that this view on integration hasmany problematic aspects. The criteria are not clear. The presupposition isthat Dutch culture and society are homogeneous and static – which is notthe case, for historical reasons but also because of the impact of globalization,including the arrival of migrants. Identities, both of the ‘established’Dutch and of newcomers, are contextually developed and constantly redefined.A new perspective on culture is needed, as a general human capacityfor meaning-making, contextually applied, resulting in dynamic repertoiresfor behaviour and interpretation. In the contacts between school andmosque this new perspective can be tested and exercised.