Multiculturalism and American Democracy
The points of view expressed here will prove helpful to those who are trying to frame their own opinions about multiculturalism--and they are guaranteed to spark new debate among those who have already chosen sides
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Format: | eBook |
Language: | English |
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Lawrence, Kan., Baltimore, Md.
University Press of Kansas, Project MUSE
1998, 199800001998
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Collection: | JSTOR Open Access Books - Collection details see MPG.ReNa |
Summary: | The points of view expressed here will prove helpful to those who are trying to frame their own opinions about multiculturalism--and they are guaranteed to spark new debate among those who have already chosen sides Choice Outstanding TitleMulticulturalism: is it the face of twentyfirst century America or merely a passing intellectual fad? With its celebration of ethnic diversity and strong advocacy of tolerance, this contemporary movement provides philosophical justification for many who seek to correct social inequities. But while its proponents see it as a means of promoting selfesteem among marginalized groups, its critics see it as a dangerous form of relativism that culminates, paradoxically, in a new form of intolerance.The fourteen essays in this volume address the pros and cons of multiculturalism and explore its relationship with liberal democracy. A team of stellar contributors--C. Vann Woodward, Linda Chavez, Stanley Fish, and others--offers viewpoints on multiculturalism from the perspectives of political theory, history, philosophy, and fiction.The editors first help explain multiculturalism by contrasting it with the Sixties counterculture. How is it, they ask, that yesterday's radicals, so concerned with economic justice, have given way to the multiculturalist preoccupation with identity politics? The contributors then explore different facets of the multiculturalism issue: they present disparate views of the stakes involved as older notions of pluralism and assimilation give way to multiculturalism; examine it in its relation to the principles of liberal democracy; and assess its place in public education. In a final section, the role of the arts in the multiculturalism debate is addressed by celebrated novelists J. M. Coetzee and Mario Vargas Llosa.Because multiculturalism is a movement without a leader or guiding document, its tenets remain difficult to define. This book not only tells what the controversy is about but also clarifies the concerns it should raise for thoughtful citizens. |
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Item Description: | Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002 |
Physical Description: | 1 online resource viii, 237 pages |
ISBN: | 0700608826 9780700608826 0700631127 9780700608812 0700608818 9780700631124 9780700608829 |