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8.14: Discussion Questions

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    293060
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    1. The Canadian School of thought argues that an individual's identity is "dialogical" and that "misrecognition" by the majority can have "deleterious effects" on a minority group's quest for fulfillment. In a liberal democracy, to what extent is the state responsible for ensuring that all cultural groups feel "recognized" rather than just "tolerated"?
    2. Countries like the United States and Britain have historically seen strong political rhetoric against multiculturalism, yet both have implemented extensive multicultural policies (MCPs) such as multi-faith media mandates or bilingual education. Why might a government choose to implement multiculturalism in practice while publicly rejecting it as a philosophy?
    3. Alternatives like "muscular liberalism" suggest that multiculturalism has encouraged cultures to live "separate lives" and that a focus on "common purpose" and national values is needed to prevent extremism. Does this model effectively address the needs of minority groups, or does it risk returning to a "mono-cultural" ideal that ignores the "politics of difference"?
    4. The sources suggest a "logical inconsistency" between ideologies of the right (which value "negative freedom" and small government) and multiculturalism (which requires state intervention to redress power imbalances). If center-right and far-right parties continue to gain influence, can multiculturalism survive as a policy, or will it be forced to retreat into the "private affair" of individuals?
    5. Modern movements like Black Lives Matter and Idle No More often avoid the word "multiculturalism," focusing instead on "decolonization" and "anti-racism". Given that even scholars like Will Kymlicka acknowledge multiculturalism's "limitations in addressing anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism," is it time to replace multiculturalism with a different "politics of diversity," and what would that look like?

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