Leitkultur

Dominant culture is a term that was introduced by the political scientist Bassam Tibi in the political science debate to describe a social consensus on values ​​. From the year 2000, the term is used in a distorted way in the political discussion related to the topic of immigration and integration of immigrants, and as a counter-concept to multiculturalism. In theoretical terms, it is in this discussion to one facet of the conflict between identity and pluralism theory in the context of consensus theories without this would be made aware of the participating audience. This debate was triggered by a speech by the Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz.

Definition at Bassam Tibi

For Bassam Tibi, the dominant European culture based on Western values: " The values ​​for the desired dominant culture must of cultural modernity arise, and they are called:. Democracy, secularism, education, human rights and civil society " This term is similar to the usual in constitutional jurisprudence term the " Freedom basic democratic order."

The need for a dominant culture in a cultural nation like Germany founded Tibi follows:

History and use of the term

Bassam Tibi said in 1998 in his book "Europe without identity " of a "European culture". In the same year the time - publisher Theo Sommer first used the term " German culture" in order to launch a debate on integration and core values ​​in Germany: "Integration necessarily mean a good deal assimilation into German culture and its core values."

To a broad public discussion, there was, however, only when Friedrich Merz, then Chairman of the CDU in the Bundestag, rules for immigration and integration as a free and democratic German culture called for in the "world " on 25 October 2000 and turned simultaneously against multiculturalism. To the fact that the term " German culture" of summer was coined, Ernst Benda had remembered during the polemical public debate in a letter to the FAZ. Also Merz referred thereafter expressly summer. However, this rejected the reference. He had spoken out only for integration but not against immigration. Bassam Tibi also resisted the political instrumentalization and spoke of an " abortive German debate ". The term " German culture" had been partially met with public opposition and referred to as " opening pitch for the New Right ." So writes Jürgen Habermas: " In a democratic constitutional state, the majority must one's own cultural way of life for minorities - as far as it differs from the common political culture of the country - not impose a so-called dominant culture. "

2005, the Bundestag President Norbert Lammert (CDU ) was a continuation of the debate on the "dominant culture " is required in a TIME interview, since the first " very short debate aborted prematurely " was: "One of the peculiarities of this short debate was that it a wide, knee-jerk rejection of the term was, even though - or because - it turned out in the debate that there was an equally broad support for what was going on in the debate. " A significant public reaction to this initiative immediately after the election of the Speaker of Parliament did not exist. Lammert later claimed, "The World " to lead a discussion on the dominant culture at European level in order to elicit the possibility of identity formation in a multicultural society in a commentary in the newspaper: "If a Europe of diversity preserve national identities and yet to develop a collective identity, it needs a political guiding principle, a common foundation of values ​​and beliefs. Such a European central idea necessarily refers to common cultural roots, to the common history, common religious traditions "(Die Welt, December 13, 2005).

In connection with the so-called " cartoon crisis " had been responding when in February 2006 in Muslim countries with the most violent protests to the publication of cartoons of Mohammed, Lammert renewed his call for a debate on defining culture. The controversy over the Muhammad cartoons show " the inevitability of such a self-understanding of our society on common ground and a minimum of common orientations " as the Speaker of Parliament in Germany Funk said. A pure constitutional patriotism is not sufficient, since any constitutional live by cultural conditions, the " yes not from heaven " fell. Fundamental rights such as the press and freedom of expression would have to be supported by a social consensus. The relationships between rights and entitlements on the one hand and cultural beliefs on the other would have to be made ​​in a fundamental debate again in the context of a multicultural society. The " best, well-meaning but thoughtless on closer inspection " idea of ​​multiculturalism was now come to an " obvious end." Multiculturalism that does not mean that in a society everything and nothing more really applies simultaneously. In conflict situations must be clearly decided what can claim to be valid and what is not. Lammert emphasized that he had never knowingly spoken of " German culture". What is crucial for the basic culture in Germany, going far beyond national borders. Thus was when the term at all deserve a spare to speak reasonable from a " European culture".

Paul Nolte speaks in his " generation reform. Beyond the blocked Republic " from 2004 by a civil dominant culture, in which the new underclass to orient.

2010 defines CSU General Secretary Alexander Dobrindt the German culture as " Christianity with its Jewish roots, influenced by antiquity, humanism and the Enlightenment."

The concept of " European culture"

The term European dominant culture by Bassam Tibi represents a consensus of values ​​based on the values ​​of " cultural modernity " ( Jürgen Habermas) and includes:

• Primacy of reason from religious revelation,
• Democracy based on the separation of religion and politics,
• Pluralism and
• Tolerance

As part of the debate on integration of migrants in Germany Bassam Tibi encouraged to develop such a European dominant culture for Germany. He spoke in favor of cultural pluralism with values ​​consensus against wertebeliebigen against multiculturalism and parallel societies. He presented " immigration " ( controlled, ordered ) against " immigration " ( in rank growth, including illegal migration and human smuggling ). In the ensuing debate emerged, terms such as "Western culture", "Christian culture", or " liberally Democratic Culture" on.

The concept of " German culture" in the political debate

Merz had the political variant of the dominant culture concept formulated in the framework of the debate on the revision of immigration law in October 2000 in order to establish necessary rules for immigration and integration as a liberal democratic German culture. He argues against multiculturalism and parallel societies. Friedrich Merz, as well as interior minister of Brandenburg Brandenburg, demanded that immigrants must respect the " German culture". They would have to make its own contribution to integration by annäherten on the grown in Germany basic cultural ideas. Merz demanded further immigration system with the aim to include only about 200,000 foreigners annually. In the more "integration capacity" of the local population would overwhelmed. " Culture" to 2004 was a polemical formula that turned against the federal government, but also competing against the New Right.

In consequence was, according to the publicity front between the opposition and ruling coalition criticism especially from the coalition parties. Cem Özdemir ( Alliance 90/The Greens ) commented that in immigration policy, it needed to go to the integration, but not to the assimilation of immigrants. Özdemir stressed who attempt understand under the term " German culture" to assimilate people, so to speak, at all costs their adaptation to local conditions of life demand that ignores the social intercultural reality in Germany.

Dominant culture was elected in the election for the word of the year in 2000 to 8th place, German leading culture in the same year of the pons editorial to the " word of the year ".

2007 attacked the CDU Secretary General Ronald Pofalla the term again to take him in the party program. Since the 4th of December is the basic program of the CDU, however, of a "dominant culture in Germany " the talk while since September 28, 2007, a commitment to " German culture" is the basic program of the CSU.