THEORIES OF MULTICULTURALISM: An Introduction

Multiculturalism is one of the most controversial ideas in contemporary politics. In this new book George Crowder examines some of the leading responses to multiculturalism, both supportive and critical, found in the work of recent political theorists.

The book provides a clear introduction to a diverse array of thinkers who have engaged with multiculturalism. These include Will Kymlicka, whose account of cultural rights is seminal, liberal critics of multiculturalism such as Brian Barry and Susan Okin, and multiculturalist critics of liberalism including Charles Taylor, Iris Marion Young, James Tully and Bhikhu Parekh. In addition, the discussion covers a wide range of perspectives on multiculturalism – libertarian, feminist, democratic, nationalist, cosmopolitan – and rival accounts of Islamic and Confucian political culture.

While offering a balanced assessment of these theories, Crowder also argues the case for a distinctive liberal–pluralist approach to multiculturalism, combining a liberal framework that emphasizes the importance of personal autonomy with the ‘value pluralism’ of thinkers such as Isaiah Berlin.

This clear and comprehensive account will be an indispensable textbook for students in politics, sociology, and political and social theory.

George Crowder is Professor in the School of Social and Policy Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide.