The core ideas of multiculuralism Flashcards
What are the four core ideas of multiculturalism?
Human nature is communally embedded
Identity
Recognition
Essentialism
What is communitarianism?
Linked to Charles Taylor, this philosophy implies that individuals can make sense of who they are only with reference to the territorial communities of which they are part. These could be communities based on ‘primordial’ factors such as race or religion, or ‘material’ factors relating to the local economy (as with farming communities or mining communities).
The view of human nature is closer to which ideology than liberalism and why?
Socialism
They see human nature as plastic or ‘malleable’
Human nature is heavily influenced by what?
Its social environment, and particularly by its communities.
What does Charles Taylor say in relation to human nature being ‘communally embedded’?
‘It is impossible to understand ourselves and others… without understanding the communities in which we function’.
Why does multiculturalism’s view of human nature differ from that of liberalism’s?
Liberalism tends to see human nature as fixed at birth and developed independently of society.
What are identity politics?
Linked to multiculturalist thinkers like Bhiku Parekh, this term indicates the belief that politicians should not focus just on what individuals do or say but on what individuals are, especially in relation to primordial factors such as ethnicity, gender and sexuality.
What we believe and what we want are largely determined by what we are.
Unlike classical liberalism, which argues that self-realisation can be achieved autonomously, multiculturalists argue than an individual’s identity can only be ascertained how?
Interactively
According to Kymlicka, what is much more likely when there is a multitude of varying communities with which individuals may or may not identify?
‘self and community identification’
What did Modood say in relation to identity?
‘To be among those of very different cultures makes one aware of what one is not, and thereby sharpens our understanding of what one is’
In terms of recognition, Taylor argues that it is not enough for us to do what?
It is not enough for us simply to locate our own identity and the extend to which it has been shaped by our communities.
If we are to be self-confident enough to develop, it is also necessary for our communal identity to be recognised by those outside our community.
Individuals seeking self respect also require recognition of their community.
According to Taylor, if a community’s identity is not recognised, what are the consequences?
‘It can inflict a grievous wound, saddling its victims with a crippling self-hatred, denying their desire for self-esteem and stifling a sense of their own authenticity’
Which ideologies is essentialism linked to?
Feminism, nationalism and multiculturalism
What does essentialism argue?
Each individual’s character is subject to fixed factors (such as gender or culture) which limit variation between those affected by them.
Multiculturalists state that though there may be differences between individuals within communities, those individuals will still ultimately share what?
Essential characteristics and essentially similar attitudes and viewpoints.
