Parallel society

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Parallel society refers to the self-organization of an ethnic or religious minority, often but not always immigrant groups, with the intent of a reduced or minimal spatial, social and cultural contact with the majority society into which they immigrate. [1]

The term was introduced into the debate about migration and integration in the early 1990s by the German sociologist Wilhelm Heitmeyer. [2] It rose to prominence in the European public discourse following the murder of Dutch director and critic of Islam Theo van Gogh.[ citation needed ] In 2004, it was elected by the Association for the German Language second as Word of the year.[ citation needed ]

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