Modernizing potential of urban multiculturalism: Beyond regionalism

• Main Author: Milošević Božo V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Sociological Association, Belgrade 2002-01-01
• Series: Sociološki Pregled
• Subjects: Regionalization; multiculturality; modernization; urbanization; sociological approach
• Online Access: http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0085-6320/2002/0085-63200201173M.pdf

The main intention of the. author is to strengthen critical sociological approach to positivistic attempts that still exist in out society and that have been trying, out of the sociological discourse, to impose themselves as 'the last novelty' which, allegedly, should help a professional adaptation of sociological profession in social (actually, political) practice. That is the reason why the modernization potential is explained as theoretical-hypothetical basis for understanding of contemporary needs for regionalization (as one of the aspects of developmental problems of contemporary societies), and, at the same time, as a knowledge need for critical reconsideration of regionalism (as etatistic mediation in distribution of power of political elites). Sociological approach to the problems of regionalization is a part of sociological research of social development. That is why this problem is one of numerous factors that influence the possibility of a concrete society to reproduce itself. Due to this reason, problems of regionalization cannot be (sociologically) explained outside of theoretical perspective of modernization. It means that the problems of regionalization cannot be reduced to (legal and political) problem of regionalism, as a problem of state and its territorial and political organization (in the inter-space of local communities and its center), but it calls for broader sociological problematization (because it reflects the characteristics of the modernization of concrete society). In this respect, real problems of legal and political regionalism are situated in less visible structural-historical and social-cultural feature of development of modern societies and their correspondent states; namely beyond regionalism. Since sociological approach to regionalization tries to find out real social-cultural links and relations that make some concrete territorial community specific within a global society, it is necessary in sociological research to establish the indicators that can show the presence or absence of the need for regionalization. These indicators are in those spheres of structural-developmental processes of society, which point to the degree of its modernization. These are a) entrepreneurial way of doing business at the world market, b) the degree of development of civil society and c) openness of the people to the values of modern urban multiculturality. The indicators in question are very complex, and they 'transcend' every regionalism and enable critical evaluation of its ability to (politically) mediates the needs of a man in modern societies. Since cultural contents diffuse in all segments of social life, the presence or absence of modern urban multiculturality can be taken as a 'value-background', of regionalization. Starting from this 'background' we can more clearly see sociological limits of regionalism and to 'situate' it where it belongs legal and political frames of state organization and struggle of political elites for distribution of power and political influence. Consequently, in the sociological research of modernization potentials of urban multiculturality, one must go beyond regionalism.