Why Is Multiculturalism Bad For Women
The question “Is multiculturalism bad for women?” looks confusing at first glance, as both multiculturalism and feminism concern and attempt to protect minorities suffering in the society. However, there actually is a huge tension between multiculturalism claims and those who attempt to assure women’s rights. This paper will argue that not multiculturalism but certain claims of multiculturalists are contradicted to defenders of women.
Multiculturalism
Will Kymlicka (2007), the liberal multiculturalist, explained the wide acceptance of multiculturalism today as one of the form of social and political liberalization.
Group Rights
Multiculturalists typically support group rights, which are the rights entitled to groups collectively, not the …show more content…
This tension between group rights and individual rights applies to the tension between cultural/ religious groups and women as minority individuals within those groups.
Susan Okin, as a liberal feminist, expressed her strong concern over feminism and multiculturalism in her book Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? (1999). The author defined feminism as “the belief that women should not be disadvantaged by their, that they should be recognized as having human dignity equal to that of men, and that they should have the opportunity to live as fulfilling and as freely chosen lives as men can” (ibid, p.10), and insisted that the multiculturalist claims which admit group rights contradict to this feminism …show more content…
The important thing is, “the real change…in people’s consciousness”, as Kymlicka (2007, p.91) ironically stated about minority group rights.
Brian Barry, on the other hand, criticised the argument of some liberalism, such as Michael Walzer and Kymlicka, from not a feminist, but a ‘true’ liberal point of view. For Barry, liberalism fundamentally and equally concerns people, and therefore “equal respect for people cannot…entail respect for their cultures when these cultures systematically give priority to, say, the interests of men over the interests of women” (Barry, 2001, p.127).
Hence, certain multiculturalist claims for group rights have attracted criticism from not only feminists, but also liberals who regard liberalism as a respect for all human beings regardless of sex, culture, religion, and so on. However, it is important to note that not the multiculturalism itself but such their claims are contradicted to those who concerns women as minority within minority
Multiculturalism
Will Kymlicka (2007), the liberal multiculturalist, explained the wide acceptance of multiculturalism today as one of the form of social and political liberalization.
Group Rights
Multiculturalists typically support group rights, which are the rights entitled to groups collectively, not the …show more content…
This tension between group rights and individual rights applies to the tension between cultural/ religious groups and women as minority individuals within those groups.
Susan Okin, as a liberal feminist, expressed her strong concern over feminism and multiculturalism in her book Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? (1999). The author defined feminism as “the belief that women should not be disadvantaged by their, that they should be recognized as having human dignity equal to that of men, and that they should have the opportunity to live as fulfilling and as freely chosen lives as men can” (ibid, p.10), and insisted that the multiculturalist claims which admit group rights contradict to this feminism …show more content…
The important thing is, “the real change…in people’s consciousness”, as Kymlicka (2007, p.91) ironically stated about minority group rights.
Brian Barry, on the other hand, criticised the argument of some liberalism, such as Michael Walzer and Kymlicka, from not a feminist, but a ‘true’ liberal point of view. For Barry, liberalism fundamentally and equally concerns people, and therefore “equal respect for people cannot…entail respect for their cultures when these cultures systematically give priority to, say, the interests of men over the interests of women” (Barry, 2001, p.127).
Hence, certain multiculturalist claims for group rights have attracted criticism from not only feminists, but also liberals who regard liberalism as a respect for all human beings regardless of sex, culture, religion, and so on. However, it is important to note that not the multiculturalism itself but such their claims are contradicted to those who concerns women as minority within minority