About the project: PLURISPACE aims to provide new insights into the relationship between citizens’ engagement and multilevel European public spaces.

In Europe, an important issue pertains to the settlement of post-immigrant ethno-religious groups, along with the expression and organization of collective identities; claims for participation/representation and recognition; the role of religion in public space; and the increasing influence of diaspora and transnational politics.

PLURISPACE’s point of departure is that these questions cannot be properly addressed without at the same time taking into account the multilevel character of the European public space they unfold within, the multiple characters of the groups (some identified by national origins, others by religion etc.) and the multiple modes of integration. Within such a complex European space, we identify four policy and theoretical approaches to diversity management and understanding of public space: multiculturalism, interculturalism, transnationalism and cosmopolitanism.

The project uses the four theoretical perspectives to understand how the multilevel European public space manages diversity. PLURISPACE’s main aim is to contribute to the theory and practice of integration and diversity management in Europe. Empirically evaluating post-immigrant ethno-religious minorities’ perceptions and adoptions of these different normative approaches will allow us to clarify the nature and relations among multiple conceptions of integration in the European public space that both overlap and diverge. PLURISPACE’s focus on European public space encompasses the EU, affiliated non-members (Norway), a new category of ex-EU-member (UK), and the transnational dimension.

Financing: This Project is funded by HERA Joint Research Programme European Public Space, Culture and Integration (HERA JRP PS).

Project period: 1 May 2019 - 30 April 2022

Partner Institutions:

  • Riva Kastoryano - Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, France  (Project Coordinator)
  • John Erik Fossum - ARENA, University of Oslo, Norway
  • Tariq Modood - University of Bristol, UK
  • Ricard Zapata-Barrero - Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

More details can be found on HERA´s website.