Diversities and Inequalities: Multiculturalism vs Interculturalism Debate

Organizer: Julija Sardelic (SPS)

11 February 2015, 16:00-19:00
Badia, MWP Common Room

Abstract:

According to many scholars contemporary society is becoming increasingly diverse, especially in the age of global migration. People with different (often externally ascribed) identities, backgrounds and statuses are living in a common space co-creating the pluralistic society with their own experience as well as engagement. However, at the same time, many academics have argued that diversities are necessarily interrelated with certain societal hierarchies, which go hand-in-hand with the production of an individual’s social inequalities. Throughout history as well as in the present, members of pluralistic societies have developed various measures to ‘manage’ their diversities and hence also address inequalities (even in cases where this produced even deeper exclusion of certain populations, such as migrants and minorities). The question of managing diversity and addressing inequalities is also currently in the spotlight because of the on-going economic crisis and, to certain extent, the decline of the welfare state as well as growing intolerance towards marginalized populations. This workshop will compare and critically evaluate two theoretical approaches (as well as their implementation in practice) that address these challenges: multiculturalism and interculturalism.

The keynote speaker will be Professor Will Kymlicka (Queens University at Kingston), who will present his view on the multiculturalism versus interculturalism debate. His presentation will be followed by a round table with Max Weber Fellows and open discussion.