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Theories of Multiculturalism: An Introduction Paperback – 30 August 2013

by George Crowder (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
Edition: 1st
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Multiculturalism is one of the most controversial ideas in contemporary politics. In this new book George Crowder examines some of the leading responses to multiculturalism, both supportive and critical, found in the work of recent political theorists.

The book provides a clear and accessible introduction to a diverse array of thinkers who have engaged with multiculturalism. These include Will Kymlicka, whose account of cultural rights is seminal, liberal critics of multiculturalism such as Brian Barry and Susan Okin, and multiculturalist critics of liberalism including Charles Taylor, Iris Marion Young, James Tully, and Bhikhu Parekh. In addition the discussion covers a wide range of other perspectives on multiculturalism - libertarian, feminist, democratic, nationalist, cosmopolitan - and rival accounts of Islamic and Confucian political culture.

While offering a balanced assessment of these theories, Crowder also argues the case for a distinctive liberal-pluralist approach to multiculturalism, combining a liberal framework that emphasises the importance of personal autonomy with the value pluralism of thinkers such as Isaiah Berlin.

This clear and comprehensive account will be an indispensable textbook for students in politics, sociology and political and social theory.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780745636269
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0745636269
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Polity
  5. Publication date
    30 August 2013
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    15.24 x 2.03 x 22.86 cm
  8. Print length
    256 pages
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Review

"Crowder’s book is an excellent overview of the multicultural literature: it is well written, fair minded and even tempered, and thoughtful. While this book reviews the multicultural literature, Crowder does not shy away from offering his own measured views of the many arguments he appraises. This is a state of the art book."
Jeff Spinner-Halev, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Crowder pulls off the difficult task of providing a clear, fair and balanced account of the main approaches to multiculturalism while providing a distinctive liberal–pluralist view of his own. A real tour de force that manages to combine accessibility for the student and originality for the expert."
Richard Bellamy, University College London

"A magnificent achievement and doubtless will become a key text for some while to come."
Bob Stillwell, University of East Anglia

Review

"Crowder?s book is an excellent overview of the multicultural literature: it is well written, fair minded and even tempered, and thoughtful. While this book reviews the multicultural literature, Crowder does not shy away from offering his own measured views of the many arguments he appraises. This is a state of the art book."
Jeff Spinner-Halev, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Crowder pulls off the difficult task of providing a clear, fair and balanced account of the main approaches to multiculturalism while providing a distinctive liberal?pluralist view of his own. A real tour de force that manages to combine accessibility for the student and originality for the expert."
Richard Bellamy, University College London

"A magnificent achievement and doubtless will become a key text for some while to come."
Bob Stillwell, University of East Anglia

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0745636268
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polity; 1st edition (30 August 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780745636269
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0745636269
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.03 x 22.86 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

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4.6 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on 7 February 2017
    Verified Purchase
    looks good
    Report
  • Goran Lausic
    5.0 out of 5 stars I haven't found nothing more interesting than this
    Reviewed in the United States on 5 February 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The subtitle can be a little misleading... Yes, it is an introduction, but not to the theories of Multiculturalism, instead to Crowder's theory of Multiculturalism. He does an amazing job reviewing a lot of authors without falling in the common mistake of judging, but without being critical about it (in a historian way to do it); so the book can be read as a History of multicultural thinking as well, in the most Blochian way to doing it.
    Fantastic book
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  • *
    2.0 out of 5 stars Consider alternative introductions to the field
    Reviewed in Canada on 18 November 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Crowder's introduction is definitely an acceptable one on the broader subject. However, the book has the dual purpose not only of surveying the field but also of proposing his own theory of multiculturalism. As such, the discussion is often shaped by his own particular critique of each of the theories examined, with his own in mind. As one academic reviewer noted, throughout the book Crowder seems preoccupied with relativism. But the version of cultural relativism he discusses is not defended by any of serious political theorists. As such, Crowder seems to be fighting a straw man. (See here: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9332471&next=true&jid=JSP&volumeId=43&issueId=04). Crowder also seems to have been quite selective in the authors he engaged with; Anne Phillips ("Multiculturalism without Culture"), for example, is mentioned only a couple times, in passing.

    One very important note: this book is extremely cheaply bound. It is extremely frustrating to read because of how tightly bound it is, and no matter how much you try to crease the pages/spine, the book always flips shut with the force of a mousetrap. This may seem trivial, but in an academic book when one is constantly flipping to the endnotes to check a reference, it becomes an increasing annoyance. Polity, you must be able to do better than this.

    Given Crowder's obvious bias and therefore skewed presentation of the field, I would recommend an alternative such as Michael Murphy's "Multiculturalism: A Critical Introduction".
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  • nino
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easily understandable. Quality - 100% new
    Reviewed in the United States on 24 August 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Really interesting book for those who are intrtested in the themes of multiculturalism. Easily understandable.
    Quality - 100% new! Thanks to the seller
    Report
  • Kevin Currie-Knight
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good, Thorough, and Neutral Exploration of Multiculturalist Literature + Author's Own VIew!
    Reviewed in the United States on 8 May 2014
    Verified Purchase
    George Crowder does an excellent job here delving into the literature(s) of multiculturalism. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of multiculturalism - value monism versus relativism, whether cultures have rights, whether the state should foster nationalism, cosmopolitanism, of deliberative democracy, and the like. Crowder does an outstanding job creating a sort of dialogue between very different theorists and theories, as well as quite neutrally surveying a wide array of theorists, from laissez-faire libertarians like Chandran Kukathas to high liberals like Brian Barry and everyone in between.

    Crowder starts, probably as he should, with the respected theories of Will Kymlicka, and his attempt to sketch out a sort of liberalism that grants cultures within a liberal state significant latitude to live in ways they'd like, albeit with a strong state to ensure that groups are not oppressive toward members and otherwise egregiously illiberal. (For Kymlicka, minority groups that are native to a particular area are to be afforded more latitude here than immigrant groups, for the latter chose to be where they are.) From there, Crowder gets into the critics of Kymlicka's group rights, and into discussions about whether we should talk of cultural groups in essentialistic terms (group x has traits y and z; group c has traits b and a), or whether group identity is more fluid and nuanced.

    A great deal of these chapters have an overriding theme: the tension between allowing groups to live as they'd like and the desire of a liberal state to ensure that groups maintain some sort of liberal approach toward members (and liberal methods of resolving disputes between cultural groups). On one side, we have strong liberals like Brian Barry and other cosmopolitans and nationalists who believe that the polis is best served by ensuring that everyone is part of the liberal state (afforded liberal rights and exercising liberal attitudes like cosmopolitan tolerance for others). Others, like Chandran Kukathas or John Gray take an approach that gives much more latitude to cultural groups to live as they choose. (Kukathas's liberalism requires only that groups allow formal exit rights to members; Gray sees liberalism as a way of life that is not itself value neutral, such that imposing it is imposing a way of life.)

    While Crowder is quite neutral and fair throughout the book, he does provide his own views on these issues in the final chapter. His is a type of Isaiah Berlin-inspired value pluralistic liberalism that is similar to that of William Galston. Because individuals must choose between different ways of life, the liberal state should promote (through things like mandatory (?) liberal education) the kind of autonomy that allows individuals to intelligently choose and revise their choices periodically. Yet, because there are many different ways of life that are all equally valid, groups should be left quite free to live as "they" choose; as long as individuals can intelligently choose into and out of group identities and cultures, groups can be afforded a pretty wide latitude to create their own rules. I have a few qualms about this approach (what reason do we have to suppose that a liberal state will educate for autonomy rather than compliance with a liberal way of life? how do groups have latitude to choose how to live if they are forced into liberal education?). Crowder's views, of course, are relegated to one fairly brief chapter; those who want further elaboration should see his book Liberalism and Value Pluralism (Political Theory and Contemporary Politics).

    All in all, a really helpful book for understanding the philosophic literature on multiculturalism.
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