Risky dialogues about gender and diversity in Denmark - Bad Request

<strong>Risky</strong> <strong>dialogues</strong> <strong>about</strong> <strong>gender</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>diversity</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Denmark</strong> Helene Pristed NIELSEN In effect the contemporary global situation is creat<strong>in</strong>g real confrontations between cultures, languages, <strong>and</strong> nations, <strong>and</strong> if the un<strong>in</strong>tended results of such real confrontations is to imp<strong>in</strong>ge upon the lives of others, then we have a pragmatic imperative to underst<strong>and</strong> each other <strong>and</strong> to enter <strong>in</strong>to a crosscultural dialogue (Benhabib 2002: 36, orig<strong>in</strong>al emphasis). The claims of cultures to reta<strong>in</strong> their <strong>in</strong>dividuality […] can be realized only through risky <strong>dialogues</strong> with other cultures that can lead to estrangement <strong>and</strong> contestation as well as comprehensive <strong>and</strong> mutual learn<strong>in</strong>g (Benhabib 2002: xiv). Tak<strong>in</strong>g its clue from these two quotes by Seyla Benhabib, this paper is written with the suggestion <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that we may be fac<strong>in</strong>g a ‘pragmatic imperative’ for ‘risky <strong>dialogues</strong>’ <strong>in</strong> contemporary Danish society. This does not mean, however, that readers disagree<strong>in</strong>g with this (normative) suggestion should simply dismiss the paper. The paper is not <strong>in</strong>tend<strong>in</strong>g to set up an action plan for implement<strong>in</strong>g such <strong>dialogues</strong> (hardly a feasible objective), but rather illustrate what happens when multiple, possibly conflict<strong>in</strong>g, forms of cultural or group identifications ‘meet’ 1 each other <strong>in</strong> public debates. Empirical data, selection criteria <strong>and</strong> methodology Analyses below are based on data collected for the Danish part of the Eurosphere project 2 - ‘Diversity <strong>and</strong> the European Public Sphere: Towards a Citizens’ Europe?’, which spans 16 participat<strong>in</strong>g countries. Briefly stated, the project asks whether an <strong>in</strong>clusive European public sphere is possible with<strong>in</strong> the context of ethno-national <strong>diversity</strong> at both the European <strong>and</strong> national levels. I will be us<strong>in</strong>g a limited part of this data set, as it is extremely volum<strong>in</strong>ous. Data consists of structured <strong>in</strong>terviews with prom<strong>in</strong>ent actors <strong>in</strong> the public debate. These actors have been selected with<strong>in</strong> four different categories: political parties, social movements, pr<strong>in</strong>t media, <strong>and</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k tanks. In total, the Danish team 3 has conducted 55 <strong>in</strong>terviews, with 3-5 prom<strong>in</strong>ent persons <strong>in</strong> each of 4 political parties, 4 social movements, 3 newspapers <strong>and</strong> 3 th<strong>in</strong>k tanks. These <strong>in</strong>terviews have been <strong>about</strong> <strong>diversity</strong> <strong>in</strong> general, <strong>and</strong> specifically ethno- 1 I write ‘meet’ <strong>in</strong> averted commas, because viewpo<strong>in</strong>ts below are expressed <strong>in</strong> isolation by <strong>in</strong>terviewees be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terviewed for the Eurosphere study. 2 For details <strong>about</strong> this project, its research aims, theory <strong>and</strong> methodology, see www.eurosphere.uib.no 3 Thanks are owed to Anne Skytt Gregersen, Pernille Rødkær Bundgaard, Lise Rol<strong>and</strong>sen Agustín <strong>and</strong> Birte Siim for their direct <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>direct contributions to this paper.