Multiculturalism in Asia - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 019927763X ISBN 13: 9780199277636

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 2005

Synopsis

Highlights the central issues regarding the accommodation of ethnic and religious diversity in Asia

About this title

Review

...a timely contribution to debates on minority rights and democratization..The coverage and treatment of the book make it useful reading for both the serious academic reader as well as non-academic audiences interested in specific country cases. (Nations and Nationalism)

...an articulate, thought-provoking look at one of the most ethnoculturally diverse regions of the world as it struggles to come to terms with ideas of socio-cultural identity, pre- and post-colonial legacies, and the necessities of economic and political survival in increasingly global contexts. (Ethnic Conflict)

Synopsis

This volume explores the different ways that ethnic and religious diversity is conceptualized and debated in South and East Asia. In the first few decades following decolonization, talk of multiculturalism and pluralism was discouraged, as states attempted to consolidate themselves as unitary and homogenizing nation-states. Today, however, it is widely recognized that states in the region must come to terms with the enduring reality of ethnic and religious cleavages, and find new ways of accommodating and respecting diversity. As a result, many countries are now debating policies to accommodate minorities, including recognition of indigenous rights, minority language rights, consociational power-sharing, regional autonomy, and multination federalism. This is often described as a key ingredient in any process of democratization in the region. One manifestation of this new ethos is the growing rhetoric of 'multiculturalism', often imported from the West. And indeed Western models of minority rights have had an influence in many Asian countries, often promoted by international organizations.

However, Asian societies also have their own traditions of peaceful coexistence amongst linguistic and religious groups. All of the major ethical and religious traditions in the region - from Confucian and Buddhist to Islamic and Hindu - have their own conceptions of tolerance, and their own recipes for sustaining unity amidst diversity. These traditions continue to shape people's beliefs and practices in the region. Even the distinctive conception of Marxism developed in the region provides an influential perspective on these issues not found in the West. The rhetoric of 'multiculturalism' may be ubiquitous around the world, but it is being used to express quite different ideas and norms. Using both case studies and thematic essays, this volume examines the pre-colonial traditions, colonial legacies, and post-colonial ideologies that influence contemporary debates on multiculturalism in the region. It explores the areas of convergence and divergence between these different perspectives, and the extent to which they provide viable frameworks for managing ethnic and religious diversity in the region.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 019927763X
• ISBN 13: 9780199277636
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384
• Editor: Kymlicka Will