Human Rights and Wrongs

Remaking multiculturalism after 7/7

Last week Tariq Modood wrote about multiculturalism in the light of the recent London bombings. It’s quite a long, academic essay but brings some fascinating considerations to light about what is needed to make a multicultural society function.

One thing I think that’s worth highlighting, which I admit I hadn’t properly considered before is the fact that a nation without a strong national identity faces additional problems for ‘pluralistic integration’. How can a member of a minority experience a feeling of belonging, when nationals themselves have a weak identity?

I have on occasion thought that defining myself in terms of Britishness, as Modood writes, could be considered ‘racist, imperialist, militaristic and elitist’ but as he points out, ‘if the goal of wanting to become British, to be accepted as British and to belong to Britain is not a worthwhile goal…what then are they supposed to integrate into? And if there is nothing strong, purposive and inspiring to integrate into, why bother with integration at all?’ Good point.

posted by Becca @ 9:34 am