Max Weber Lecture by Tariq Modood 20 Febaruary 2013 at 17.00, Villa La Fonte

“The Strange Non-Death of Multiculturalism”

Abstract:

One of strange features of the ‘Multiculturalism is dead’ discourses is that they now define ‘multiculturalism’. It is now commonplace for even neutral commentators to define multiculturalism as a view which emphasises difference at the expense of commonality, separatism rather than mixing, group rather than national identities, relativism rather a defence of democratic values. Yet no evidence is ever offered by reference to academic texts, political speeches or actual policies that any of this has ever been promoted by multiculturalists. This rhetorical strategy has been so successful that even those who defend multiculturalism today prefer to use a vocabulary of ‘multiculture’ and ‘interculturalism’.
I challenge this strategy by arguing that multiculturalism is a mode of integration, which can be contrasted with other modes such as assimilation, individualist-integration and cosmopolitanism, and like the others it is based on the core democratic values of liberty, equality and fraternity/unity

Professor Modood will be introduced by Anna Triandafyllidou RSCAS/EUI and the session chaired by Gregorio Bettiza MWP/SPS

All are welcome to attend. Please register with Susan Garvin

About the Speaker:

Prof. Modood is Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy at the University of Bristol (1997-). He is the founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship and one of the leading authorities on ethnic minorities in Britain. His research interests include racism, racial equality, multiculturalism and secularism.