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Multiculturalism without Culture
Public opinion in recent years has soured on multiculturalism, due in large part to fears of radical Islam. In Multiculturalism without Culture , Anne Phillips contends that critics misrepresent culture as the explanation of everything individuals from minority and non-Western groups do. She puts forward a defense of multiculturalism that dispenses with notions of culture, instead placing individuals themselves at its core.
Multiculturalism has been blamed for encouraging the oppression of women--forced marriages, female genital cutting, school girls wearing the hijab. Many critics opportunistically deploy gender equality to justify the retreat from multiculturalism, hijacking the equality agenda to perpetuate cultural stereotypes. Phillips informs her argument with the feminist insistence on recognizing women as agents, and defends her position using an unusually broad range of literature, including political theory, philosophy, feminist theory, law, and anthropology. She argues that critics and proponents alike exaggerate the unity, distinctness, and intractability of cultures, thereby encouraging a perception of men and women as dupes constrained by cultural dictates.
Opponents of multiculturalism may think the argument against accommodating cultural difference is over and won, but they are wrong. Phillips believes multiculturalism still has an important role to play in achieving greater social equality. In this book, she offers a new way of addressing dilemmas of justice and equality in multiethnic, multicultural societies, intervening at this critical moment when so many Western countries are poised to abandon multiculturalism.
Multiculturalism has been blamed for encouraging the oppression of women--forced marriages, female genital cutting, school girls wearing the hijab. Many critics opportunistically deploy gender equality to justify the retreat from multiculturalism, hijacking the equality agenda to perpetuate cultural stereotypes. Phillips informs her argument with the feminist insistence on recognizing women as agents, and defends her position using an unusually broad range of literature, including political theory, philosophy, feminist theory, law, and anthropology. She argues that critics and proponents alike exaggerate the unity, distinctness, and intractability of cultures, thereby encouraging a perception of men and women as dupes constrained by cultural dictates.
Opponents of multiculturalism may think the argument against accommodating cultural difference is over and won, but they are wrong. Phillips believes multiculturalism still has an important role to play in achieving greater social equality. In this book, she offers a new way of addressing dilemmas of justice and equality in multiethnic, multicultural societies, intervening at this critical moment when so many Western countries are poised to abandon multiculturalism.
Hardcover
First published June 1, 2007
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About the author
Anne Phillips
60 books15 followersAnne Phillips is a professor in the department of government at London School of Economics and Political Science. Her areas of research include gender, democracy, culture, and economics.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 24, 2009
We used this book in the second half of my Philosophy and Gender course (the first book we discussed was
Feminism: Issues and Arguments
, by Jennifer Saul). It's probably one of the best discussions of multiculturalism I will ever read. Anne Phillips provides a marvellous survey of contemporary political and philosophical attitudes toward multiculturalism while simultaneously advocating her approach.
Phillips' thesis is clear: she wants to keep multiculturalism but change how we understand the entire concept of culture, which she argues has become too rooted in narrowly-perceived groups. Instead, we should focus on the cultural rights of individuals. Current efforts to promote multiculturalism often result in treating individuals, especially individuals from minority groups, like cultural robots at the mercy of the tenets of their "cultural group." Phillips argues that these groups are harder to define than most people think, and that individuals should be regarded as autonomous generators of culture instead of robots.
To support her thesis, Phillips shows how current multicultural policies leave the door open to political and social inequality of women and other minority groups; furthermore, she cites examples of civil and criminal cases where a mistaken definition of culture has allowed individuals to commit heinous crimes with mitigated or even no punishment. Finally, she emphasizes the disadvantage to shifting motivations for action from the individual to culture, and notes that our reliance on the idea of cultural groups creates problems when people want to leave those groups and find a lack of willing support services on the "outside." In the book's final chapter, Phillips reiterates her solution to all of these problems: a multiculturalism without groups. While not a panacea, she admits, she believes it will establish an atmosphere better equipped to deal with the types of problems that arise in the application of multiculturalism. Whether or not Phillips is correct remains to be seen; personally, I found her argument convincing.
The beauty of this book is that it advances Phillips' abstract argument on very practical grounds, by pointing out problems with current policies and suggesting possible solutions. She draws on a variety of sources but doesn't religiously support any of them, openly criticizing theorists whom she praised in a prior chapter. Similarly, she praises various governments when they get it right (in her opinion) and notes when they get it wrong. This non-partisan approach firmly places Multiculturalism without Culture in the academic area of arguments, making it a nice break from the politically-biased fiction that, even if entertaining, always leaves me vaguely suspicious at the end.
In terms of use, I found Multiculturalism without Culture educational and interesting. I learned a great deal about the multicultural policies of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, forced marriages, and cultural defence in courts. This book, in many ways a survey book, is not about any of those things except as they relate to Phillips' thesis; still, her coverage of them piqued my interest. Culture is more than just language, ideas, and beliefs ... it has political and social manifestations that are not as clear cut as textbooks and legislatures would like to believe.
Multiculturalism without Culture is relatively easy to read—a little long, but all of it is relevant to Phillips' argument—and very well-written. While some books will cover the more specific subjects in depth (Phillips recommends a few in her footnotes and bibliography), this is a great look at contemporary views on multiculturalism.
Phillips' thesis is clear: she wants to keep multiculturalism but change how we understand the entire concept of culture, which she argues has become too rooted in narrowly-perceived groups. Instead, we should focus on the cultural rights of individuals. Current efforts to promote multiculturalism often result in treating individuals, especially individuals from minority groups, like cultural robots at the mercy of the tenets of their "cultural group." Phillips argues that these groups are harder to define than most people think, and that individuals should be regarded as autonomous generators of culture instead of robots.
To support her thesis, Phillips shows how current multicultural policies leave the door open to political and social inequality of women and other minority groups; furthermore, she cites examples of civil and criminal cases where a mistaken definition of culture has allowed individuals to commit heinous crimes with mitigated or even no punishment. Finally, she emphasizes the disadvantage to shifting motivations for action from the individual to culture, and notes that our reliance on the idea of cultural groups creates problems when people want to leave those groups and find a lack of willing support services on the "outside." In the book's final chapter, Phillips reiterates her solution to all of these problems: a multiculturalism without groups. While not a panacea, she admits, she believes it will establish an atmosphere better equipped to deal with the types of problems that arise in the application of multiculturalism. Whether or not Phillips is correct remains to be seen; personally, I found her argument convincing.
The beauty of this book is that it advances Phillips' abstract argument on very practical grounds, by pointing out problems with current policies and suggesting possible solutions. She draws on a variety of sources but doesn't religiously support any of them, openly criticizing theorists whom she praised in a prior chapter. Similarly, she praises various governments when they get it right (in her opinion) and notes when they get it wrong. This non-partisan approach firmly places Multiculturalism without Culture in the academic area of arguments, making it a nice break from the politically-biased fiction that, even if entertaining, always leaves me vaguely suspicious at the end.
In terms of use, I found Multiculturalism without Culture educational and interesting. I learned a great deal about the multicultural policies of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, forced marriages, and cultural defence in courts. This book, in many ways a survey book, is not about any of those things except as they relate to Phillips' thesis; still, her coverage of them piqued my interest. Culture is more than just language, ideas, and beliefs ... it has political and social manifestations that are not as clear cut as textbooks and legislatures would like to believe.
Multiculturalism without Culture is relatively easy to read—a little long, but all of it is relevant to Phillips' argument—and very well-written. While some books will cover the more specific subjects in depth (Phillips recommends a few in her footnotes and bibliography), this is a great look at contemporary views on multiculturalism.
January 28, 2022
Very Interesting! If your native language isn't english I would recommend you to read it in your language. The author used a pretty advanced english! I read this book for a school project and even though I found it hard to understand everything it really helped me out and prepared me for my exam. Would really recommend it if you are interested in the different views on multiculturalism and its structure.
February 25, 2011
This is a very well-written voice of reason in the context of the current attack on multiculturalism. Phillips presents the case for what she calls "a defensible multiculturalism" which eliminates reified, totalistic conceptions of culture that paint individuals, particular non-Western minorities, as being completely determined by their culture. Definitely recommended for anyone who wants a critical & thoughtful read regarding multiculturalism.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews