Dr. Oliver Schmidtke

Dr. Oliver Schmidtke
Position
Professor
History and Political Science
Contact
Office: SSM A345
250-721-7490
Credentials

Diplom (Philipps Univistaet Marburg), PhD (European University Institute)

Area of expertise

Modern European History, Germany History, Migration and Identity

Office Hours

Fall 2023: No office hours

Bio

As a so-called UVic European Studies Scholar I have a cross-listed appointment in the Departments of History and Political Science. I also hold the Jean Monnet Chair in European History and Politics. After receiving my PhD from the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence I worked at the Humboldt University in Berlin in the late 1990s before being J.F. Kennedy fellow at the Center for European Studies at Harvard. I joined UVic in 1999 and have recently been a Fernand Braudel Senior Scholar at the EUI (2007) and in 2011 a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Hamburg. In addition I am currently a leader of the domain ‘Citizenship and Social, Cultural and Civic Integration’ for Metropolis BC. My research interests are in the fields of post-war Germany, citizenship, immigration and ethnic conflict, the role of identities and the transformation of the nation-state.

Selected publications

Work in Transition Europe's Last Frontier Rethinking the Public Sphere Collective Identities

Books (Monographs and co-written)

  • Nohl, A., Schittenhelm, K., Schmidtke, O., and Weiss, A. Work in Transition. Cultural Capital and Highly Skilled Migrants’ Passages into the Labour Market. University of Toronto Press (in press), 2014.
  • Falge, C., Ruzza, C. and Schmidtke, O. Giving New Subjects a Voice. Political and Institutional Responses to Cultural Diversity in the Health Care System. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2012.
  • Eder, K., Rauer, V., and Schmidtke, O. Die Einhegung des Anderen. Türkische, polnische und russlanddeutsche Einwanderer in Deutschland. Opladen: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2004.
  • Eder, K., Giesen, G., Schmidtke, O. and Tambini, D. Collective Identities in Action. A Sociological Approach. London: Ashgate, March 2002, 2001.
  • Schmidtke, O. Politics of Identity. Ethnicity, Territory and the Political Opportunity Structure in Modern Italian Society. Sinzheim: Pro Universitate, 1996.

 Edited Books (since 2005)

  • Salvatore, A., Schmidtke, O.  and Trenz, H.J. (eds.). Rethinking the Public Sphere Through Transnationalizing Processes: Europe and Beyond. New York: Palgrave (Series in Political Sociology), 2013.
  • Nohl, A., Schittenhelm, K., Schmidtke, O., and Weiss, W. (eds.) (2011). Göcte kültürel sermaye; Istanbul: Kitapyayinevi in press; translation of revised book: Kulturelles Kapital and Migration), 2011.
  • Nohl, A., Schittenhelm, K., Schmidtke, O., and Weiss, A. (eds.). Kulturelles Kapital und Migration. Opladen: Verlag Sozialwissenschaft, 2009.
  • Schmidtke, O. and Ozcurumez, S. (eds.). Of States, Rights, and Social Closure: Governing Migration and Citizenship. New York: Palgrave/ MacMillan, 2008.
  • Schmidtke, O. and Yekelchyk, S. (eds.). Europe’s Last Frontier. Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova between Russia and the European Union. New York: Palgrave/ MacMillan, 2008.
Journal Articles (since 2005)
  • Schmidtke, O.  and A. Zaslove. Why Regions Matter in Immigrant Integration Policies: North-Rhine Westphalia and Emilia-Romagna in Comparative Perspective Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 2 (1): 2014: 271-293. 
  • Schmidtke, O.  Managing migration and diversity in Canada and Germany: Beyond national models. Comparative Migration Studies 2(1). 2014: 77-99. 
  • Schmidtke, O. “Commodifying Migration: Excluding Migrants in Europe’s Emerging Social Model”. The British Journal of Sociology 2012 Volume 63, pp. 31-38.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Kanadas Republikanischer Multikulturalismus“. WeltTrends, Zeitschrift für Internationale Politik, 2 (77), 2011: pp. 61-70.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Borders, Migration and Human Rights” (review essay). Journal Of Borderlands Studies,26 (1), 2011.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Konservativer Duchmarsch in Kanada?“ (Commentary) In: Blätter für Deutsche und Internationale Politik. No. 6, 2011: pp. 27-29.
  • Schmidtke, O. and Chira, C. “Contested Neighbourhood: Toward the “Europeanization” of Moldova?” Comparative European Politics. 9, 2011: pp. 467–485.
  • Schittenhelm, K. and Schmidtke, O. „Integrating Highly Skilled Migrants into the Economy: Transatlantic perspectives”. International Journal 66 (1), 2011: pp. 127-143.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Einwanderer als Ware“. In: Blätter für Deutsche und Internationale Politik, No. 10, October 2010, pp. 51-57.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Kanada als Einwanderungsland, - ein Beispiel für Deutschland?“. In: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschehen. 44, Oktober 2009, pp. 25-32.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Kanadischer Interkulturalismus“.  Blätter für Deutsche und Internationale Politik, No. 8, August 2008, pp. 20-25.
  • Schmidtke, O. “In Search of a European Identity: Towards a Genuine Political Community?”. In: Behind the Headlines, Vol 64 (2), 2007, pp. 9-15.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Bound by national categories? The promises and limitations of Kymlicka’s Multicultural Odysseys”. In: Ethnopolitics Vol. 6, No. 4, 2007, pp. 613-617.
  • Schmidtke, O. (Dis-) Empowering immigrants: Cultural diversity in the health care sector and political advocacy in Canada. In: International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care. Vol. 3 (3), 2007, pp. 20-28.
  • Nohl, A., Schittenhelm, K., Schmidtke, O., and Weiss, W. „Cultural Capital during Migration—A Multi-level Approach for the Empirical Analysis of the Labor Market Integration of Highly Skilled Migrants”. In: Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 7(3), Art. 14.  [54 Absätze]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 7(3), Art. 14. 2006
  • Schmidtke, O.“Kultur der Einwanderung oder Krise der Integration. Nordamerika und Europa im Vergleich”. In: Blätter für Deutsche und Internationale Politik, No. 7, June 2006, pp. 837 – 844
  • Schmidtke, O. “Re-mapping Europe: Collective memory and identity in an enlarged European Union. In: EUROSTUDIA. Transatlantic Journal for European Studies. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2005

Book Chapters (since 2005)

  • Schmidtke, O. and Zaslove, A. Multilevel Party Politics of Immigration in Germany and Italy. In: Hepburn, E. (ed.). The Politics of Immigration in Multi-level States: Governance and Political Parties. Edinburgh University Press, 2014 (in press).
  • Schmidtke, O. Die Herausforderung kultureller Differenz für liberale Demokratien – eine praxisorientierte Annäherung. In: U. Hunger, R. Pioch and S. Rother (eds). Migration und Demokratie. Wiesbaden:  Springer VS Verlag, 2014 (in press).
  • Schmidtke, O. “Towards a cosmopolitan and inclusive European identity? Negotiating immigrants’ inclusion and exclusion in the new Europe”. In: Salvatore, A., Schmidtke, O. and Trenz, H.J. (eds.) . Rethinking the Public Sphere Through Transnationalizing Processes: Europe and Beyond. New York: Palgrave, 2013, pp. 132-155.
  • Salvatore, A., Schmidtke, O. and Trenz, H.J. “Introduction: Rethinking the Public Sphere Through Transnationalizing Processes”. In: Salvatore, A., Schmidtke, O. and Trenz, H.J. (eds.). Rethinking the Public Sphere Through Transnationalizing Processes: Europe and Beyond. New York: Palgrave, 2013, pp. 1-19.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Wasting the cultural capital of newcomers? Integrating skilled migrants into the British and German labour market.” In: P. Triadafilopoulos (ed.). Wanted and Welcome? Highly Skilled Immigration Policies in Comparative Perspective. Springer Press, 2013, pp. 86-104.
  • Schmidtke, O. Multikulturalismus als zivilgesellschaftliche Gestaltungsaufgabe: eine demokratietheoretische Interpretation. In: “. In: Ariëns, E., Richter, E. and M. Sicking (ed.). Multikulturalität in Europa - Teilhabe in der Einwanderungsgesellschaft. Series: Europäische Horizonte. transcript-Verlag, 2012, pp. 36-57.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Integrating Migrants Beyond the Nation-State? The Paradoxical Effects of Including Newcomers in a European Social and Cultural Community”. In: DeBardeleben (ed.) Transnational Europe: Promise, Paradox, Limits. New York: Palgrave, 2012, pp. 189-204.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Eine republikanische Lesart der kanadischen Multikulturalismus“. In: Heinz Kleger (ed.) Umstrittene Bürgerschaft. Grenzen, Identitäten und Konflikte, 2010, Potsdam: Universitätsverlag Potsdam, pp.87-96.
  • Schmidtke, O. Canadian Multiculturalism as an Ethos, Policy and Conceptual Lens for Immigration Research”. In: D. Thraenhardt (ed.) National Paradigms in Immigration Research. IMIS Jahrbuch, 2009, pp. 95-118.
  • Nohl, A., Schittenhelm, K., Schmidtke, O., and Weiss, A. „Zur Einführung: Migration, kulturelles Kapital und Statuspassagen in den Arbeitsmarkt”. In: Kulturelles Kapital und Migration (eds. Nohl, A., Schittenhelm, K., Schmidtke, O. and Weiss, A.). Frankfurt: Verlag Sozialwissenschaft, 2009, pp. 9-37.
  • Schmidtke, O. „Ethnisches kulturelles Kapital in der Arbeitsmarktintegration: Zwischen ethnischer Nischenökonomie und Übergang in den allgemeinen Arbeitsmarkt“. In: Kulturelles Kapital und Migration (eds. Arnd Nohl, Karin Schittenhelm, Oliver Schmidtke, Anja Weiss). Frankfurt: Verlag Sozialwissenschaft, 2009, pp. 240-261.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Introduction: National Closure and Beyond”. In: Governing Migration in the Age of Globalization (O. Schmidtke & S. Ozcurumez), New York: Palgrave, 2008 pp.1-14.
  • Schmidtke, O “Borders in a ‘Post-national’ Age: Changing Modes of Inclusion and Exclusion in European Societies”. In: Governing Migration in the Age of Globalization (eds. O. Schmidtke & S. Ozcurumez), New York: Palgrave, 2008, pp. 91-111.
  • Schmidtke, O. and Yekelchyk, S. “Introduction”. In: Europe’s Last Frontier? Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova between Russia and the European Union (eds. O. Schmidtke & S. Yekelchyk), New York: Palgrave, 2008, pp. 1-9.
  • Schmidtke, O. and Chira, C. “The Promise of Europe: Moldova and the Process of Europeanization” (together with C. Chira). In: Europe’s Last Frontier? Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova between Russia and the European Union (eds. O. Schmidtke & S. Yekelchyk), New York: Palgrave, 2008, pp.133-156.
  • Schmidtke, O. "The Threatening Other in the East: Continuities and Discontinuities in modern German- Polish relations”. In: R. Nelson (ed.) Europe’s East-West Divide: A Legacy of Colonialism?, Series on Europe Cultural History, New York: Palgrave, 2008, pp. 165-184.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Politicising EMU: the ‘legitimacy gap’ and the populist challenge to the EU”. In: Torres, F., Verdun, A. & Zimmermann, H. (Eds.) EMU Rules: The Political and Economic Consequences of European Monetary Integration, Nomos, 2007, pp. 34-53. (revised and updated reprint of article published in 2004).
  • Schmidtke, O. “Immigration Policy in Europe: A Challenge to Established Forms of Multi-Level Governance”. In: Walzenbach, G. (Ed.), European Governance: Policy Making Between Politicization and Control, Ashgate, 2006, pp. 127-146.
  • Schmidtke, O.  “Das Ende des multikulturellen Experiements? Einige Beobachtungen zur “Krise der Integration” aus nordamerikanischer Sicht”. In: Baringhorst, S., Hollifield, J. & Hunger, U. (Eds.). Herausforderung Migration - Perspektiven der vergleichenden Politikwissenschaft. LIT Verlag, 2006, pp. 283-305.
  • Schmidtke, O. “Re-modeling the boundaries in the new Europe: historical memories and contemporary identities in German- Polish relations”. In: Eder, K. & Spohn, W. (Eds.), Europe, National Identity and Collective Memory: Cultural Impacts on the Integration between Western and Eastern Europe. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005, pp. 52-66.

Grad students

Tara Douglas, MA, 2005 - 2008

Cameron Whitehead, MA, 2005 - 2007

Grant Burns, MA, 2006 - 2008

Sebastian Huebel, MA, 2007 - 2009

Bruce Lyth, MA, 2009 - 2010

Meghan Bowen, MA, 2009 - 2011

Katrina Gower, MA, 2010 - present

Constantin Chira-Pascnut, PhD, 2005 - present