The coproduction of national models of integration: a view from France and the Netherlands

The notion of national models of integration is a very popular one in comparative migration studies as well as in the making of integration policy. A key trait of such national models is that they assume policies to be formulated and coordinated in a strongly state-centred way, reflecting national institutional legacies, national politics and public perceptions of national identity. In this respect, the literature distinguishes, for instance, the French republican model, the British race-relations model and the Dutch multicultural model. In this chapter two such models, those of France and the Netherlands, are described, analysed and critically assessed. The conclusion is that national models of integration are an inappropriate tool for the comparative study of integration inasmuch as the objective of such research is to assess the success or failure of a national approach to integrating migrants. The notion of national models is tainted by normative (if not moral) connotations that hinder the ability of social scientists to address empirical reality.