© Columbia University Press
The Future of Multicultural Britain: Confronting the Progressive Dilemma
Paper, 192 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-7486-3545-0
$37.50
October, 2008
Cloth, 192 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-7486-3544-3
Edinburgh University Press
$110.00
Global politics are deeply affected by issues surrounding cultural identity. Profound cultural diversity has made national majorities increasingly anxious and democratic governments are under pressure to address those anxieties. Multiculturalism - once heralded as the insignia of a tolerant society—is now blamed for encouraging segregation and harbouring extremism.
Pathik Pathak makes a convincing case for a new progressive politics that confronts these concerns. Drawing on fascinating comparisons between Britain and India, he shows how the global Left has been hamstrung by a compulsion for insular identity politics and a stubborn attachment to cultural indifference. He argues that to combat this, cultural identity must be placed at the centre of the political system.
Written in a lively style, this book will engage anyone with an interest in the future of our multicultural society.
Key Features
* Takes Britain and India as comparative case studies of two multicultural democracies
* Surveys new directions for the progressive Left following the demise of multiculturalism
* Challenges what the progressive position on cultural identity should entail