Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Multicultural conflicts pervade our world and have sparked considerable debate about their possible resolution.We argue that how culture is conceptualized is crucial to the continued dialogue about multicultural conflicts.Specifically, we argue that approaches that argue for the protection of cultures run into significant problems if they do not employ a conception of cultures as delineated entities.However, we also hold that the notion that cultures cannot be distinct in any way, does very little to contribute to dialogue.From the very beginning, it excludes the notion of a culture that is to be protected and thus stops the dialogue there and then.To be true to the principle of audi ad alteram partem, approaches to multicultural conflicts must conceive of an alternative model, provided that such a model is logically possible.This may provide the dialogue with a much needed point of common understanding from which to proceed.Accordingly, we develop a model of culture whereby it is possible to delineate cultures.In this model, a culture can be delineable in a manner analogous to how we delineate persons.Our model of personal delineation suggests a dual structure whereby a trivial personal boundary contains a unity of conflict within the person.In persons, this unity of conflict lies in the relationship between the "I" and repressed meanings.This relationship must be characterised by self-referential decisions and the capacity to make self-referential decisions is central to our definition of personal autonomy.In cultures, we argue that multicultural conflicts provide the necessary conditions that enable us to conceptualize trivial boundaries in cultures in terms of the communicative relationships between members of a particular culture.Multicultural conflicts prompt self-categorizations by individuals and such self-categorizations are made in terms of group membership.Though all members may not agree as to who belongs to the culture and who does not, the claims made about membership serve to differentiate the communicative relationships inside the culture from those outside it.Furthermore, we show that, inside this trivial boundary, a unity of conflict analogous to the one found in personal autonomy, can be exhibited by cultures.We show how a culture, through its institutions, particularly through Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za iii an institutionalised exit possibility, 1) may exhibit self-reference and 2) relate to a source of authority in the same way as a person does when making selfreferential decisions.In this regard, we argue that institutionalised exit possibilities embody adherence to the consensus vs. power criterion, according to which the dominant account of a culture is achieved through consensus, as opposed to through the exertion of power.Furthermore, we argue that with a strong analogy between cultures' and personal delineation, it becomes reasonable to extend concepts we usually apply to persons, such as fairness, attachment and viability, so that they can also apply to cultures.We show that the application of these concepts clarifies certain current multicultural issues.The application of theses concepts also leads to the development of a decision making process to deal with multicultural issues.
Author: Johannes Rust Niemand
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2111285381