Dilemmas of multiculturalism

IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2015

Today, discusing about multiculturalism is a topic often abused and perhaps not sufficiently analysed. Debates never resolved have been brought to the centre of attention from religious fundamentalism to the problem of security, the relations with the sphere of individual freedom, privacy and freedom of movement and opinion as well as the theme of multi-ethnic society, integration, the coexistence of different religions and cultures. Which spaces of coexistence, such as prospects in which nodes must be solved in order to discuse about a society that is both democratic and multicultural? This paper aims at analysing how in global world societies become more heterogeneous and diverse, from the social point of view as well as from the ethnic, religious, and cultural point of view. Confusing Islam with terrorism, condemn a religion, to oppose the construction of its places of worship, would be to put in tol crisis the freedom of religion and that would make us equal to our -enemies‖. The clash of civilization is what terrorists are striving for. Another important aspect in which this paper is focused on, is how Europe should respond to all this. Will the EU grow to creating a real European democracy, able to guarantee development, security and solidarity, going towards a great diverse and pluralistic society? This paper aims to reflect on the essence of European civilization today under many attacks from inside and outside and understanding the challenges we are facing today. Culture and multiculturalism, must be an expression of mutual enrichment, foundation on which to build an existential path of tolerance and solidarity.

Journal of Politics and Law, 2012

In this research I will introduce the issues of multiculturalism from a European perspective, more precisely from the view of the leaders of European Union and from the legal provisions related to this topic. What started once whit a lot of enthusiasm, ended with extremely disappointing declarations of top European leaders about multiculturalism. It seems that European leaders do not understand the importance of sustainable policies in this sensitive field of multiculturalism. At the end, what is European Union? A sum of cultures, living together for hundreds of years. But, after last waves of expansion of European Union the citizens had to live together with other cultures. And maybe they are not used to live in the proximity of a different culture. So, the issue of multiculturalism is vital for the existence of the whole European Union. There are countries in which several cultures co-exist, being more or less accepted or tolerated by the whole community. The minority cultures are in different stages of acceptance or tolerances with each other or with the dominant culture.

The International Scientific Journal Cultural -Historical Psychology. , 2008

The XXI century is described as the century of globalization and multiculturalism. Mass migrations, integration processes occurring in the contemporary world, changes, and transformations of political system make the world a global village. Such a situation creates possibilities of getting to know other cultures by the means of diffusion of cultures. This article touches upon development of the theory of multiculturalism, changes in its interpreting under the influence of the factors which participate in its creation. Multiculturalism is undoubtedly a domain of democracy with its tolerance, at least theoretically, to all diversities. Multiculturalism, according to the contemporary approach to this topic, has become a domain of the modern societies which derive its modernity from the achievements of other cultures. Such a situation is possible provided that diffusion of cultures takes place. Open borders can additionally favour the occurrence of this phenomenon.

European Yearbook of Minority Issues Online, 2008

Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, can take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging. Multiculturalism is a social doctrine that distinguishes itself as a positive alternative for policies of assimilation, connoting a politics of recognition of the citizenship rights and cultural identities of ethnic minority groups and an affirmation of the value of cultural diversity. The extent of culture maintenance by ethnic minority groups and their adaptation to majority group culture are two issues central to everyday thinking about multiculturalism. Much of the recent debate about multiculturalism and minority rights in western political theory has conceptualized the issues in terms of two alternatives -states could either adopt procedural liberalism and equal rights or a politics of difference. In every society the state plays a vital role in fostering a sense of justice and common belonging.

Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, can take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging. Multiculturalism is a social doctrine that distinguishes itself as a positive alternative for policies of assimilation, connoting a politics of recognition of the citizenship rights and cultural identities of ethnic minority groups and an affirmation of the value of cultural diversity. The extent of culture maintenance by ethnic minority groups and their adaptation to majority group culture are two issues central to everyday thinking about multiculturalism. Much of the recent debate about multiculturalism and minority rights in western political theory has conceptualized the issues in terms of two alternatives -states could either adopt procedural liberalism and equal rights or a politics of difference. In every society the state plays a vital role in fostering a sense of justice and common belonging.

European Quarterly of Political Attitudes and Mentalities, 2012

AbstractIn this paper the main issue of analysis is the prosperity of the multicultural model and its sustainability in course of the practice and debates. The reality showed that it is difficult to bit the nation-state and the liberal model of democracy and what are reasons for that. Also, can multicultural democracy be viable? And if not, where the multicultural model can be streamlined? Current trends show that the multicultural democracy is hard to build and sustain. The arguments of the paper are that the multicultural model is not sustainable visa- vis the nation-state and the ruling majority within society and that the ideal model of multiculturalism is usually transforming itself into an ethnic democracy. Macedonian example shows that when different cultural groups cannot commonly agree on power-sharing arrangements the model lean towards ethnic democracy.Keywords: model of multiculturalism, ethnic group, ethnic democracy, Republic of Macedonia1. IntroductionMore than a deca...

Just, Reasonable Multiculturalism, 2021

The book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofold: to examine whether liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable, and what are the limits of liberal democratic interventions in illiberal affairs of minority cultures within democracy when minorities engage in practices that inflict physical harm on group members (e.g. Female Genital Mutilation) or non-physical harm (e.g. denying members property or education). In the process, the book addresses three questions: whether multiculturalism is bad for democracy; whether multiculturalism is bad for women, and whether multiculturalism contributes to terrorism. The main thesis is that liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable provided that a fair balance is struck between individual rights and group rights. It is argued that reasonable multiculturalism can be achieved via mechanisms of deliberate democracy, compromise and, when necessary, coercion. Placing necessary checks on groups that discriminate against vulnerable third parties, commonly women and children, the approach insists on the protection of basic human rights as well as on exit rights for individuals if and when they wish to leave their cultural groups.

Culture and Religion, 2007

Although the term multiculturalism is often understood on the public level as an ideology or as a social programme (to be ‘for’ or ‘against’), I argue in this paper that the term should also be understood to refer to the complex range of issues associated with cultural and religious diversity in society, and the social management of the challenges and opportunities such diversity offers. Understood in this sense, multiculturalism is not an optional extra, it is not something that a society can choose to have or avoid. For any country without closed borders then multiculturalism is a fact of today—it is present within the society. What is important are the social and political responses to the cultural and religious diversity that results from transnational flows and settlement of people. This introduction to the collection of papers highlights the need to understand multiculturalism as a process which is always contextual, and the role that state management of difference in the successful development of diversity plays.

This paper strives to discuss multiculturalism which often resulted from the concentration of people of different cultures initiated by geo-political actions of the people or colonialism and it is common in nations and continents. The paper stressed the process through which multiculturalism enriches cultural enterprises for national development as well as took a swirl on each constituent of culture and its economic embodiment that swells national development. It x-rayed the collective strength of multiculturalism and the bountiful enterprises bequeathed on the people of any nation that is multiculturalised. It further substantiated the need for nations to take advantage of enterprise potentials of multiculturalism for national development. It posit that, rather than mirror multiculturalism as differences and allow it inform negative political views, its enterprise advantages should be exploited. This is because it is capable of creating employment as well as enhances choices of cultural products and services. It further held that multiculturally influenced enterprises culminate into multi-economic values for a nation. Therefore, it suggested the exploitation of multicultural enterprises benefits which enriches national development. The paper concluded that the benefits of multiculturalism should be of utmost consideration rather than the differences within the component cultures. It however, insisted on the political management of multiculturalism through a cultural policy mechanism that provides for equality to avoid violence which often stems from violation of cultural rights. It added that multiculturalism goes with multicultural alternatives in resolving cultural conflicts in the event of mutual coexistence.