Place
Multiculturalism
Overview
Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ethnic or cultural pluralism in which various ethnic and cultural groups exist in a single society. It can describe a mixed ethnic community area where multiple cultural traditions exist or a single country. Groups associated with an indigenous, aboriginal or autochthonous ethnic group and settler-descended ethnic groups are often the focus.
In reference to sociology, multiculturalism is the end-state of either a natural or artificial process, such as legally controlled immigration, and occurs on either a large national scale or on a smaller scale within a nation's communities. On a smaller scale, this can occur artificially when a jurisdiction is established or expanded by amalgamating areas with two or more different cultures (e.g. French Canada and English Canada). On a large scale, it can occur as a result of either legal or illegal migration to and from different jurisdictions around the world.
In reference to political science, multiculturalism can be defined as a state's capacity to effectively and efficiently deal with cultural plurality within its sovereign borders. Multiculturalism as a political philosophy involves ideologies and policies which vary widely. It has been described as a "salad bowl" and as a cultural mosaic, in contrast to a melting pot, or cultural amalgamation.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Philosophers who discussed Multiculturalism
- Feminism
- Murray Bookchin
- Slavoj Žižek
- Thomas Sowell
- Netherlands
- Jean-François Lyotard
- Reform Judaism
- Harold Bloom
- Charles Taylor (philosopher)
- Martha Nussbaum
- Jean-Luc Nancy
- Islam
- Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
- Harvey Mansfield
- Will Kymlicka
- Peter Adamson (philosopher)
- John Russon
- Vladimir Bibikhin
Place in the tradition
Part of Analytic philosophy.