Prethodno priopćenje
Feminist Criticism of Multiculturalism
Milan Mesić
Sažetak
A distinction among three types of feminist criticism of
multiculturalism is proposed in the article. The first type warns
that insistence on cultural diversity and its recognition as the most
important issue of social justice obscures the more fundamental
questions of material deprivation, exploitation and economic
marginalisation. The second type is directed at 'identity policy',
understood in the essentialist sense, according to which race,
class, gender or culture ensures the basis of political interests and
group unity. However, most of the discussion takes place
regarding (Susan Moller Okin's) statement that multiculturalism in
its support of group rights neglects the interests of women,
moreover, that it undermines the achievements of women's
emancipation in the West. Multiculturalists renounce all three
accusations, although many generally agree that the liberal-
-egalitarian approach towards multiculturalism has to carefully
consider intergroup inequalities, especially those generic in
character, while examining the legitimacy of minority group
rights. The article determines that western women-theoreticians
of mainstream feminism have indicated with good reason the
serious dangers brought about by multiculturalism – along with
the policy of group rights and recognition of even extreme
'cultural' practices – for the social position and prospects of
racial-ethnic (minority) women, at least in western liberal
immigration societies. Therefore, on the one hand, they have
reduced very different concepts of multiculturalism, some of
which are explicitly critical of essentialist identity policy. On the
other hand, they have fallen into the enlightenment trap of
universalising their social location to all women, ignoring
different racial and cultural experiences of minority women,
which alienates the latter even more from mainstream feminism.
Ključne riječi
multiculturalism; feminism (mainstream); group rights; group autonomy; social justice; gender; culture; religion; racial-ethnic groups
Hrčak ID:
10884
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.10.2006.
Posjeta: 4.341 *