From multiculturalism to post-multiculturalism: Trends and paradoxes

Abstract

In recent years, multiculturalism has been declared a failure both in Europe and the Anglophone West. This diagnosis went hand in hand with an excessive focus on gendered cultural practices in culturally diverse societies, such as forced marriages or 'honour killings'; the raise of anti-immigration political movements and the adoption of stricter legal rules in the areas of immigration and citizenship. This article aims to capture the legal, social and political responses to 'failed' multiculturalism under the banner of post-multiculturalism. In doing so, it identifies the major shifts that characterises post-multiculturalism and discusses their implications particularly for the citizens of Europe and various 'others'. A close analysis of the recent shifts in the areas of rights, migration law and policy debates in various culturally diverse societies reveal that postmulticulturalism reinforces rather than counteracts the problematic features of multiculturalism. Drawing on the insights suggested by the literature on neo-liberal governmentality, the article points out the paradoxes of post-multiculturalism and their implications for culturally different Others.

Co-Ethnic in Private, Multicultural in Public: Group-Making Practices and Normative Multiculturalism in a Community Sports Club

“…A third turn in the dominant multiculturalism discourse can be identified from the early 2000s onwards: post-multiculturalism. Post-multiculturalism sought to replace the 'failed' multicultural model and continues to place strict assimilation demands on newcomers (such as citizenship and language courses), but includes recognition of cultural (and other) differences that are publicly voiced and institutionally embedded (Gozdecka et al 2014;Uitermark et al 2005). This ideology tries to fuse left and right wing political ideas.…”

Medical Pluralism and the State: Regulatory Language Requirements for Traditional Acupuncturists in English-Dominant Diaspora Jurisdictions

“…Despite their divergent "official language" approaches, all three countries under study have adopted "multiculturalism" as a national policy principle (Gozdecka, Ercan, & Kmak, 2014). Kymlicka (2011) has characterized state multiculturalism policies as aiming to "recognize the legitimate interests of minorities in their identity and culture without eroding core liberal-democratic values" (p. 7).…”

Narratives of change: the role of storytelling, artefacts and children’s literature in building communities of inquiry that care

“…Concepts of identity are in flux as the world continues to change from 'a space of places to a space of flows' (Castells, 1996, p. 378). Political parties on the right have blamed declining social cohesion and growing extremism (Vertovec, 2010, p. 83) on increased diversity and have responded by publicly retreating from multicultural policy (Gozdecka, Ercan & Kmak, 2014;Kymlicka, 2012;Vertovec, 2010). Public responses, fuelled by the media, have given rise to an emerging binary of 'deserving and undeserving migrants' (Dhaliwal & Forkert, 2016).…”

“…Public responses, fuelled by the media, have given rise to an emerging binary of 'deserving and undeserving migrants' (Dhaliwal & Forkert, 2016). Scapegoating and open hostility towards a range of social groups at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum have been compounded by the economic crisis and subsequent austerity measures (Gozdecka, Ercan & Kmak, 2014), evidenced by a growing trend of good citizens positioning themselves against failed citizens (Anderson, 2013).…”