{{short description|Social group, often immigrant, living with reduced contact with the wider society}} {{Expand Swedish|date=June 2024}} '''Parallel society''' is a 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.<ref>[https://www.bpb.de/publikationen/URZDVA Parallelgesellschaften?], ''Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte'', No. 1–2 (2006)</ref>
The term was introduced into the debate about migration and integration in the early 1990s by the German sociologist Wilhelm Heitmeyer.<ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225076880_Integration_Social_Networks_and_Economic_Success_of_Immigrants_A_Case_Study_of_the_Turkish_Community_in_Berlin Integration, Social Networks and Economic Success of Immigrants: A Case Study of the Turkish Community in Berlin]</ref> It rose to prominence in the European public discourse following the murder of Dutch director and critic of Islam Theo van Gogh.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}} In 2004, the Association for the German Language ranked the term second in their Word of the year list.<ref>[https://gfds.de/aktionen/wort-des-jahres/ Wort des Jahres] (expand "Wörter des Jahres 2004")</ref> Since 2021, Denmark has used the term to define social housing estates where at least half the residents are from "non-Western" countries, as well as other factors such as high crime and unemployment rates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theworld.org/stories/2025/04/07/as-denmark-tears-down-homes-in-non-western-areas-to-force-assimilation-residents-fight-back-in-court |title=As Denmark tears down homes in ‘non-Western’ areas to force assimilation, residents fight back in court |date=April 7, 2025 |last=Coe |first=Joshua |work=The World (radio show)]|access-date= 14 March 2026}}</ref>
== See also == * Parallel state * Pillarisation * Multiculturalism * Leitkultur * Auto-segregation * Ghetto * Ethnic enclave * Dhimmi * Parallel Polis, the deliberate creation of a parallel society to overcome oppressive systems * Sensitive urban zone (France) * Vulnerable residential area (Denmark) * Vulnerable area (Sweden)
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:German words and phrases Category:Identity politics Category:Multiculturalism Category:Society
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