First Draft- Comments Welcome

Multiculturalism has been developed as a response to the shortcomings of liberalism in accommodating cultural diversity. As a specific form of ‘politics of recognition’, multiculturalism has meant recognising ethnic and cultural differences on policy terms in the name of greater equality and inclusion. Yet, despite this inclusive tendency, under certain circumstances multiculturalism fails to provide a fertile ground for inclusive politics in culturally diverse societies. This paper seeks to highlight two interrelated reasons for this failure. The first is related to the notion of culture upon which multiculturalism is based. When culture is understood as given and pre-politically existent, multicultural policies might lead to a fixation and homogenisation of the identities in question. The second reason is related to the way politics of recognition is understood and implemented. A politics of recognition in the context of multiculturalism is usually confined in the formal sphere and understood as the existence of group-specific rights. It is, though, possible to sketch an alternative, a differentiated account of the politics of recognition from a perspective of deliberative democracy. This account emphasizes the “constructed ” nature of culture and the ‘negotiable ’ character of identity formation. Accordingly, a deliberative accommodation of cultural diversity requires, above all, the existence of formal rights and opportunities enabling public deliberation. However, equally important in this model is the informal types of recognition implying citizens ’ attitudes towards one other in the wider public sphere