The politics of diversity in Europe, edited by Gavan Titley and Alana Lentin

The process of immigration to other countries, or even to different parts of one’s own country, is known to be a difficult task. One is faced with new languages, cultures, and social rules that at times contradict or defy what was once a norm. The extent of the differences in culture can be stressful for the migrant and disconcerting for the host country. Migrant and second generation youth are presented with the unique decision of whether to conform to the new culture and become a seamless member of society or to maintain the culture being represented at home.
The present situation, needs and lifestyles of diverse youth in Europe are addressed in the book ‘The politics of diversity in Europe’. The book consists of eleven different studies that address, particularly in reference to youth, how diversity is presently being interpreted in socio-political interactions, of the molding processes of other cultures and identities into the general whole, and the ways of integrating this information into the field of social work and education. With 10 different national contexts represented, the reader can have a fairly comprehensive overview of the present research, issues and success within the realm of European youth diversity. Besides the handful of studies presented in this book, long lists of references and informative endnotes are provided in the event that the reader would like to find more information on each particular study.
As a whole, this book provides excellent perspective into the lives of those that are on the fringes of our societies and through reading these studies, we can gain insight into how we as individuals can reanalyze our day-to-day interactions with diverse individuals. Perry Hwang