Unit 4

Multiculturalism, Identity, and Politics

27 October 2004

Lesson structure

• Presentation (AQCI) on Birch- cont.• presentation on Cornell (race+ethnicity)• Quiz• Multiculturalism – context• Multicultiralism - definitions and concepts• Identity politics incl. negative connotations

• Activity 1: Readings (Malik, Rex, Kuper)

• Activity 2: ICARE text on UK (PC + gypsies, race)

QUIZ

Just one question to torture your memory…

Referring to the reader what is the difference

between multicultural and plural societies?

Furnivall in all three texts

MC- Context

V. Parrillo: three models of minority integration:

• Assimilation (majority- comformity)• Amalgamation (melting pot) • Accommodation (pluralism) (multiculturalism)

Multiculturalism = diversity + cooperation

Parrillo, 1997

Assimilation

• cultural (acculturation)

• marital

• structural (entrance into host society at all levels)

Milton Gordon in Parrillo, 1997

• Voluntary vs forced

• assimilation trap, double bind (Baubeck)

Melting Pot (MP) Theory

1782 de Crevecoeur: „new breed of humanity“

1893 Fred. Turner- frontier thesis „…merging… new product which held the promise of world brotherhood“

1952 triple melting pot: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish

Etc.

MP = Anglocomformity (Parrillo 1997: 59)

context – cont.

Eva Sobotka: policies twds the Roma in CEE:• Exclusion• Assimilation• Co-existence• Multiculturalism

Sobotka, 2003

Segregation vs separation

Assimilationist model

DIFFERENCE DEFICIT

ASSIMILATION   

COMPENSATORY PROGRAMMESDoes the individual fit

into the System or ‘Institution’?  

ASSIMILATIONASSIMILATION

Curriculum (Multiculturalism) model

Cultural Effects

 CULTURES

LIFESTYLES ATTITUDES

PLURALIST

TOLERANCE AND HARMONY Does the organisation of this ‘institution’

recognise Diversity ?

PLURALISTPLURALIST

Equity/Rights Model

Social and Political Effects

 EQUITY PARTICIPATION

ANTIDISCRIMINATORY

LIFE CHANCESAre people enabled in this ‘institution’?

Do the structures allow for

achievement, growth and opportunities?

ANTIDISCRIMINATORYANTIDISCRIMINATORY

Multiculturalism

• Descriptive

• Normative- see bellow

• Government policy

(Canada, Australia)

• Institutional policies (UK – racial equality,e.g. CERES)

Forms of MC (Parekh, 2001)

degree & content of minority claims re. diversity or culturally embedded difference

• Subcultural diversity: e.g. Gays and Lesbians (share dominant values, want to pluralise existing cultures and lifestyles)

• Perspectival diversity: e.g. feminists (criticize main principles or values of dominant culture)

• Communal diversity: e.g. national minorities, immigrants, indigenous people (their own different systems of beliefs and practices)

MC and/or MC society displays: either 1+2+3 + other diversity or 2+3, or only 3

Cont.

• The term “multicultural” refers to the fact of cultural diversity,

• the term “multi-culturalist” to a normative response to that fact.

Parekh 2001: 6

Concepts and approaches to MC• Conservative (diversity as a deficit, communit., value of

family, performance). Schlessinger,1992, Disuniting America or Heider, Pim Fortuin

• Left essentialist (Afrocentrism, also comm., rigidity, denies the social construction of race, af. heritage, authenticity, romanticising, separation autonomy,quotas, collective rights, clash of civilisations)

• Liberal (natural equality, lack of opportunities, mtdl. individualism not structural problems and issues of power, decontextualisation, depolitisation)

but procedural liberalism vs communitarian liber. – Kis, Taylor, Kymlicka (see also politics of recognition)

• Pluralist - salad bowl (exoticism, affirmation) vs melting pot, diversity is value per se, stereotypes, promises emancipation but provides only ps affirmation instead of political equality

• Critical MC (Frankfurt School, power, emancipation, soc.

justice, self reflection)

• Antiracist (life chances - CERES)

• Reflexive (Ali Ratansi – Derrida + Giddens)

• Cosmopolitan

• Ethnicity as habitus (Bourdieu)

• Hybridity (H. Bhabha, Paul Gilroy, St. Hall) rooting vs

shifting

(see S. May, P. McLaren, etc)

Will Kymlicka

(2002) Contemporary political Philosophy, An Introduction, OUP, 2nd ed. – new chapter on MC

(1995) Multicultural Citizenship: a liberal theory of minority rights, OUP

(2001) Politcs in the Vernacular, OUP(2001) with Magda Opalski (eds.) Can Liberal

Pluralism be Exported?, OUP 2000 with Wayne Norman (eds) Citizenship in

Diverse Societies, OUP

Kymlicka

1.MC and concept of Citizenship - group differentiated rights (I.M.Young). Politics of redistribution& of recognition (Frazer) –politics of equal dignity (Autonomy) &politics of difference (Authenticity) (Taylor)

2.MC and minority rights

3.MC and political philosophy - Stages : • communitarian• liberal • nation building – whom to include?

Multicultural Policy target groups/requirements

• Indigenous (Nunavat, Sami)- polit. autonomy

• National minorities (Canada, Europe)- cult.&ling. aut.• Legal immigrants (USA, Australia) – domin. inst. and lang

– fair treatment

• Irregular & illegal immigrants – denizens/metics• AfroAmericans• Roma, Ch. Jews, Amish, etc

See Unit 3

Multiculturalism – cont.Integration, inclusion (inclusive education, AE,

MCAE), equity/ rights, ethnocultural justice

Intercultural vs multiculrural / crosscultural

Separate but equal

Equality - diversity

Affirmative action

Identity politics

• Mobilisation

• Ethnobusiness

• Abuse of political power?

• Heterogenous groups

• Essentialist & primordial identity

• Identity politics – G. Schopflin (2000) Nations, Identity, Power

Activity 1

• In groups of four discuss the reading assignement (Malik, Rex, Kuper):

• Which text is most relevant to the current political situation in the world/ in Europe?

• Have you learned anything new about the concept of „the Other“ ?

Activity 2

Read the ICARE text on UK CRE and discuss the PC context

• the Roma vs Gypses, gypsies, gipsies

• issue of race