Multiculturalism and the Politics of Recognition Book

Can a democratic society treat all its members as equals and also recognize their specific cultural identities? Should it try to ensure the survival of specific cultural groups? Is political recognition of ethnicity or gender essential to a person's dignity? These are some of the questions at the heart of the political controversy over multiculturalism and recognition - a debate that has raged across academic departments, university campuses, ethnic and feminist associations, and governments throughout the world. In this book, Charles Taylor offers a historically informed, philosophical perspective on what is at stake in the demand made by many people for recognition of their particular group identities by public institutions. His thoughts serve as a point of departure for commentaries which further relate the demand for recognition to issues of multicultural education, feminism and cultural separatism.Read More