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

Kamal Abdulla,


Etibar Najafov

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SEC_ITION

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1


AZERBAIJANI MULTICULTURALISM: METHODOLOGIES, FUNCTIONS AND IMPORTANCE
1.1. The Essence of Multiculturalism

	he term ‘multiculturalism’ appeared in academic literature
	in the 1960s and 70s, encompassing a range of ideas.
	TThese different ideas make it harder to understand the
	essential meaning of the term multiculturalism and to teach it as a
	subject.
	The term multiculturalism may be used in both a broad and
	narrow sense. The broad sense of the term proceeds from its
	etymology and is the notion of polyculturalism. In translation from
	Latin multiculturalism refers to ‘the existence of many cultures
	simultaneously in one place and time’. Multiculturalism includes
	ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity and the values that
	underpin it.
	Today, ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity exists in
16	most countries. This objective diversity is the result of historical

development. The diversity is apparent in ethnocultural values and cultures, and shapes outlook and behaviour. A society in which the representatives of different ethnic, racial, religious and cultural groups live is called a multicultural society. Therefore, most countries are multicultural in the broad sense of the word.

But in the narrow sense of the word the notion of multiculturalism reflects the concrete policy pursued by a state in relation to ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity, i.e. the protection of diversity.

The Canadian scholar Paul Dumouchel in his article ‘Comparative Multiculturalism’ notes at least three different meanings of multiculturalism as a term in scholarly literature. In the first meaning multiculturalism refers to a socio-historical situation in which members of different ethnocultural groups live in the same territory. He considers this use of the term multiculturalism to be descriptive in nature. It is also similar to multiculturalism in the broad sense mentioned above.

Dumouchel connects the second meaning of multiculturalism with the concrete policy pursued by a state in relation to the ethnocultural diversity in society. The second meaning of multiculturalism as a term derives from its first meaning. So the state uses a number of policies, of which multiculturalism is one, to manage the multicultural situation in society. The term multiculturalism used in this sense encompasses the reaction of the state to the ethnocultural diversity within society; it expresses the policy of multiculturalism which ensures the protection and development of diversity. Paul Dumouchel’s second meaning of multiculturalism coincides with the narrow meaning of multiculturalism that we noted above.

And finally, Paul Dumouchel notes that multiculturalism has a third meaning, which is normative in nature; that is, it shows how multicultural society should be organized from the point of view of justice. He writes that multiculturalism has been used in this sense by Charles Taylor, Will Kymlicka, James Tully and other distinguished

Section I

Chapter 1

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18

scholars of the phenomenon of multiculturalism. These authors think that if ethnocultural diversity is present in society, it should be protected and developed. This is the normative demand of multicultural justice.

Dumouchel is right to note that the first meaning of the term multiculturalism emerged long before the subsequent meanings, since multiculturalism has featured in state policy only in the past 35-40 years. But it should be noted that Dumouchel’s third meaning of multiculturalism gives tangible expression to the second meaning of the term. It is, therefore, not right to think of it as an independent meaning of this term. We shall use this term in its broad and narrow meanings.

Some definitions of multiculturalism reflect both its narrow and broad meanings. For example, this is the definition of multiculturalism given by The Harper Collins Dictionary of Sociology

(1991):

‘Multiculturalism as a feature of many societies is the acknowledgment of the existence and development of pluralism. Multiculturalism aims to protect cultural diversity, for instance, the defense of the language of minorities. At the same time it caters for the unequal relations of the culture of minorities with the culture of majorities’.

As we noted above, the notion of multiculturalism as a synonym of polyculturalism expresses ethnic, racial, religious and cultural differences and the values which form the basis of these diversities. In connection with this the Stanford Encyclopedia writes that,

‘Multiculturalism has been used as an umbrella term to characterize the moral and political claims of a wide range of marginalized groups, including African Americans, women, LGBT people, and people with disabilities… Contemporary theories of multiculturalism, which originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, tend to focus their arguments on immigrants who are ethnic

and religious minorities (e.g. Latinos in the U.S., Muslims in western Europe), minority nations (e.g. Catalans, Basque, Welsh, Québécois), and indigenous peoples (e.g. Native peoples in North America, Australia, and New Zealand).’

Comparison of the notions of tolerance and interculturalism helps to define the idea of multiculturalism. The idea of multiculturalism is close to tolerance in content. To be more specific, tolerance forms the basis of the policy of multiculturalism. We noted above that at present there are ethnic, racial, religious and cultural differences in the majority of countries. These differences find their reflection in ethnocultural values. Some ethnocultural values belong to ethnic and religious ethnicities. Multiculturalism as a policy envisages tolerance on the part of the majority people towards the minorities and their ethnocultural values. But the scope of multiculturalism as an idea is not limited to the scope of tolerance and is much broader. This Euler diagram shows the relationship of these two ideas:

A – Multiculturalism B – Tolerance

Alongside tolerance of ethnic and religious minorities multiculturalism includes respect for their ethnocultural values. In this regard, the well-known British scholar Lord Parekh notes that in multiculturalism, demands for recognition go beyond the plea for tolerance and include ‘acceptance, respect and even public affirmation of their differences’.

It should be said in passing that some of the literature confuses the ideas of multiculturalism and interculturalism or even considers them to be the same. This is not right, because there are

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specific differences between the notions of multiculturalism and interculturalism.

Multiculturalism envisages the coexistence of diverse ethnocultural groups and the development of tolerance, even mutual respect among them. When in parallel with multiculturalism the differences between these groups are inflated, this can in some societies give rise to social fragmentation and disintegration. As a result, the ethnocultural groups become isolated from each other. To prevent this, dialogue and cooperation should be developed among the various ethnic, racial, religious and cultural groups. And this is connected with interculturalism. In intercultural society each ethnocultural group preserves its own identity but at the same time cooperates with other ethnocultural groups through dialogue in order to create a common socio-cultural environment. The common socio-cultural environment ensures the consolidation of integration and creates favourable conditions for the protection and development of ethnocultural diversity. This strengthens the mutual relations of cooperation and friendship among the ethnocultural groups. In other words, an intercultural society is at a qualitatively new stage in development. At this stage ethnic, racial, religious and cultural groups are respectful of each other’s ethnocultural values and cooperate with each other, which strengthens aspirations for integration within society.