Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

AZERBAIJANI MULTICULTURALISM AND
WORLD MULTICULTURALISM MODELS

Section III

The previous chapters considered the Azerbaijani model of multiculturalism, substantiating in scholarly terms the progressive character of the Azerbaijani model of multiculturalism and its management of ethnocultural diversity in the country. The main indication of this is the lack of ethnic, religious and racial disagreements or conflicts in multicultural Azerbaijan.

As noted in Chapter 1, multiculturalism as a policy model for the regulation of ethnocultural diversity first emerged in Canada and then in several multicultural countries in Europe in the 1960s and 70s, and specific multiculturalism models were formed in a number of countries. Comparison of world multiculturalism models with the Azerbaijani multiculturalism model further enriches knowledge of the policy of multiculturalism. This chapter, therefore, compares the multiculturalism model of various countries with the Azerbaijani model, seeking to define the similarities and differences.

7.1. Canadian Model

The North American country of Canada consists of ten provinces covering a large area. It is the second largest country in the world after Russia. The ethnic composition of the Canadian population is also very diverse. Canada is a country with a cosmopolitan population consisting of polyethnic and polyconfessional groups, the result of waves of migration, alongside the local population – Eskimos and Indians. Canada is unique in that it is one of the

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rare countries to create the harmonious coexistence of people who have all those differences both in individual and in social life. This cosmopolitan environment created by migrants and indigenous peoples has built a multicultural society in Canada. Though the Canadian population is comprised of indigenous peoples – national minorities and migrants, the so-called ‘internal nation’, Francophones and Anglophones make up the main part of the population. Thus, the ethnic and faith composition of the population means that Canada can be called a multi-ethnic state. Europeans, who settled in the area four centuries ago, live alongside the aboriginal population who have been there for thousands of years. The long process of immigration from different countries has had a serious impact on the ethnic composition of the population of the country. Now, Canadians of British descent (13 million) and of French descent (9 million) comprise the majority of the population. Other ethnic groups account for 33 per cent of the population, while the local population accounts for just 1.3 per cent. Thus, the diverse ethno-confessional composition of the Canadian population has created the model of Canadian multiculturalism.

The idea of socialisation should be considered when studying Canadian multiculturalism. Socialisation is the process by which people become aware of belonging to a community. However, in broad debates on multiculturalism in Canada, socialisation is understood as a process of assimilation. This is the result of the activity of racist practitioners directed against the policy of immigration aimed at preserving their own cultural identity. Changing the identity of immigrants to Canada, as well as the Canadian identity given to Canadian-born children of immigrant families are considered preferable to remaining as immigrants. In this sense, the multiculturalism policy of Canada has many positive aspects. Most important is the warm welcome to non-European

or non-Christian immigrants from the European Christians who constitute the majority of the Canadian population. These positive aspects also eliminate the uncertainty that concerns ethnic Canadians. The modern life of Canada creates the idea of a new and different individual in society, irrespective of language, religion and ethnic origin. The idea of the individual has minimized ethnicity-based relations.

Current intellectual debates on the concept of multiculturalism in Canada are based on the evaluation of the political demands put forward by the Francophones with regard to the granting of national minority status to the province of Quebec. In this sense, the first thoughts about multiculturalism were expressed in Cité libre magazine, published by Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1962. The author emphasized that national minorities created the concept of one nation and that it is possible to accept the legitimacy of demands of a nation for autonomy. In his turn, Charles Taylor, in his book The Pattern of Politics, published in 1970, focused on the importance of Francophones in Canadian society. Based on his research into French-speakers living in Canada, the author showed that the idea of a special political status for the province of Quebec was associated with the idea of strong asymmetric federalism.

Political issues such as ethnic minorities, cultural pluralism, multiculturalism, and the policy of differentiation first emerged in the Canadian context. In North America, two different societies (Anglo-Saxon and French) with distinctive ethnicities have long debated coexistence. Democratic discussions and initiatives put forward by the British and French aimed at coexistence have placed the Canadian model on the front line of the application of the policy of multiculturalism worldwide. It is no coincidence that the term multiculturalism has its origin in Canada. For the first time in Canada multiculturalism has become a priority in state policy directed at preserving­ and developing the diverse ethnocultural

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identities of the minority indigenous peoples alongside the two founding peoples.

In Canada multiculturalism is both a sociological reality and a political ideology. The former encompasses the diverse ethnic mosaic of the Canadian people, while the latter enshrines coexistence within this cultural pluralism through legislation. Canada has lived through extensive waves of immigration since the 19th century. In the 1980s, immigrants of British and French origin comprised 40 per cent of the population of the country. These two societies are of great significance in the history of Canada, and they are the two founding peoples of the Canadian state. Members of these two peoples of European origin already constituted the majority of the population of the country in the early 21st century.

The Federal Government officially started to implement the policy of multiculturalism in the 1970s and 80s. The Canadian people are multicultural, that is, they are composed not only of a single nation, but of English and French-speaking immigrants and ethnic minorities which is reflected in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988) and the Canadian Constitution. Accordingly, the country has two official languages: English and French. French is the official language of the autonomous province of Quebec. Though the state is officially bilingual there are no two official cultures, because, besides the English and French-speaking people, indigenous peoples are also guaranteed the right to self-government, political representation, the use of their mother tongue and the right to protect their traditional economic structures.

Canadian multiculturalism gives broader rights to ethnic minorities. In this sense, the Hutterites provide a good example of an ethno-religious minority group. The tradition of the communal ownership of property is still preserved by the Hutterites, as they do not attach importance to private ownership. The Hutterite church maintains a great ideological influence on its community.

Any member of the community who does not comply with the religious rules is punished by the church. The church expels them from the community and completely deprives them of their share in the common property. These punitive measures are approved as reasonable by the members of the ethno-religious group. If the church deviated from this position, the Hutterite community might be destroyed. Many of those who had been expelled from the Hutterite community and deprived of property sought redress from the Federal Court of Canada. However, in most cases, the Federal Court did not satisfy the compensation demands of those expelled from the community and defended the rights of the Hutterite community. This approach can be considered an example of the specificity of Canadian multiculturalism based on collective rights.

The Canadian politician and philosopher Will Kymlicka, a strong follower of the liberal tradition, who adhered to the traditional principles of liberalism, argues that multicultural rights can only be recognized under two conditions within the framework of liberalism. The first of them implies the exclusion of ‘internal restrictions’ within multicultural rights. In other words, while claiming to protect their cultural identity, national, ethnic or religious minorities cannot restrict the freedoms of other individuals belonging to the group. Thus, some members of minority groups may refuse to follow the traditional world view by making use of their individual liberty. In this case, the individual member of the minority group is accused of deviant behaviour by the group or is deprived of many rights. However, liberal democrats do not accept the legitimacy of such internal restrictions, and prioritize individual freedoms (freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of expression).

According to Kymlicka, the second limitation imposed by the liberal movement on multicultural rights is ‘external protection’. External protection prevents national and ethnic minorities from

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being harassed by those constituting the majority of the population in the country. On the other hand, it imposes restrictions on the creation of hegemony of minorities over other groups, as well as on the harassment of those groups as a result of the granting of privileges to minorities. Thus, there is the possibility of reconciliation between liberalism and multiculturalism policies, provided that the two restrictions are put in place, and this can be considered a model of liberal multiculturalism.

In our opinion, it is more appropriate to apply the model of liberal multiculturalism than ‘communitarian multiculturalism’ in the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has national and ethnic diversity and a unitary political structure as well, because this model preserves national-­ethnic diversity, and general integration (the idea of the unified Azerbaijani people) is the main direction of the state policy.

The policy of multiculturalism in Canada is directed at the protection of the ethnic heritage of the Canadians. It mainly seeks to promote a tolerant attitude towards the people who live in Canada and who are not ethnic Canadians. This policy causes some contradictions between the proponents of liberal multiculturalism and illiberals (communitarians). The adherents of illiberal multiculturalism relate the formation of a coherent identity of Canadians to their ethnic origin. But the proponents of liberal multiculturalism argue that the formation of a unique identity of individuals should be carried out in accordance with their own private, individual choices. However, this policy seems paradoxical in the Canadian context, because the concept of liberal policy ultimately promotes the formation of identity within the framework of a Canadian nation. According to the policy, the more ethnic origins of minority individuals are promoted, the more they consider themselves to be Canadians (i.e. the promotion of diverse ethnic identities is important for the propagation of the Canadian identity). How will this policy affect ‘the internal nations’?

There are two main internal nations in Canada. The first of them are the Anglophones (English-speaking people) and the other the Francophones (French-speaking people). The Anglophones constitute more than half of the population of the country, while the Francophones account for only one-third of the population in Canada. Besides these two, there are minorities comprising a small portion of ‘the internal nation’.

While being Canadian is an identification in the context of the national minorities in Canada, Canadianness is the policy of multiculturalism aimed at the secret integration of immigrant groups at the expense of losing their cultural heritage. In 1996, 86 per cent of the people living in Canada listed English or French as their mother tongue, and only 1.7 per cent of the population claimed to speak neither English nor French. In this regard, Evelyn Kallen said that Canada should become a multilingual as well as a multicultural society. All immigrants should be able to speak their mother tongue and at the same time the Canadian government should do as much as possible to assure that immigrants to Canada retain their ancestral language and culture.

The government should give immigrants the opportunity to preserve their languages, cultures, traditions and religions. However, Kallen’s proposal for a multilingual and multicultural society has some shortcomings. What happens if an immigrant individual or group meets another ethnic minority? According to a survey conducted in 1996, 36 per cent of the population had mixed ethnic ancestries as a result of mixed marriages with multiple ethnic ancestries.

In multiculturalism, ‘pluralism’ is the term suitable for racial harmony and tolerance. For many proponents of multiculturalism the main purpose of this policy is not only to protect pluralism but also to support its effectiveness. The idea of Canadianness in

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terms of national identity and shared values may arise through pluralism. The emergence of the concept is only possible when based on inter-group cooperation with many common experiences and fundamental principles. The concept of citizenship in Canada as well as in other countries has a wider framework than just formal rights in terms of shared values and attachment to the country. In a country where special feelings based on common values are shared, national minorities and ethnic groups will be more closely connected with each other. Social groups in many ways seem very dependent on their ethnic origins, but this is not the case in Canada, though the groups have connections with their history and ethnic origins. Marriages between individuals belonging to different groups emerged as a result of immigration. The Canadian state does not attach importance to the ethnic and religious identity of individuals closely linked with customs and traditions. Therefore, Canadian society is regarded by many as an ideal one which has the potential to solve the problem of individualism and greatly influences modern Western society.