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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Should the liberal state help its citizens maintain their voluntary ethnocultural identities, and using what measures? Jackson, Jennifer Ann
Abstract
This thesis offers a general discussion of the reasons which might be given to justify a liberal state's political affirmation of all ethnocultural identities in its jurisdiction. Although I hope my argument may be pertinent to practical debates about state recognition of ethnocultural identities, I am primarily concerned with liberal theory's ability to provide such a justification. An immigrant society that contains voluntary ethnocultural associations raises important normative considerations of the sort that political theorists address. These associations, perhaps unlike those of the colonial plural society, are to be valued by liberals because they are driven not only by fate but also by choice. In societies made up in part of immigrants from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, some people choose to express their individuality in this way. However, this choice is not always easy to make. In the historical experience of plural immigrant societies like Canada and the United States, for example, there have been certain periods when ethnocultural association and expression where not affirmed but despised by the majority of people. In circumstances of majority hostility and government indifference such choices can only be made by individuals who possess courage and determination to go against public opinion. People lacking these exceptional traits will, in effect, be denied an essential element of freedom. This seems both unreasonable and unwarranted if something can be done to change it which does not sacrifice a value of equal importance. I conclude that no such sacrifice is necessary in the case of political affirmation of ethnocultural identities. No one will be disadvantaged as a result of this kind of state intervention. In acknowledging all ethnocultural identities to be good and worthy, in no way can the liberal state inadvertently inflict indignity on any individual or group. Nor does this measure involve taking anything away from the political community as a whole. Political affirmation of ethnocultural groups in a plural immigrant society is an integrative--although not assimilative-- principle. Members of such respected and worthy groups would have a stake in the political community that adopted such measures: they would have a significant reason to obey and be loyal to that political community. In sum: the political affirmation of the dignity of all ethnocultural identities in a plural society is integrative, entails no significant costs, and is the right thing for a liberal state to do.
Item Metadata
Title |
Should the liberal state help its citizens maintain their voluntary ethnocultural identities, and using what measures?
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1992
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Description |
This thesis offers a general discussion of the reasons
which might be given to justify a liberal state's political
affirmation of all ethnocultural identities in its
jurisdiction. Although I hope my argument may be pertinent
to practical debates about state recognition of
ethnocultural identities, I am primarily concerned with
liberal theory's ability to provide such a justification.
An immigrant society that contains voluntary
ethnocultural associations raises important normative
considerations of the sort that political theorists address.
These associations, perhaps unlike those of the colonial
plural society, are to be valued by liberals because they
are driven not only by fate but also by choice. In societies
made up in part of immigrants from diverse ethnocultural
backgrounds, some people choose to express their
individuality in this way. However, this choice is not
always easy to make. In the historical experience of plural
immigrant societies like Canada and the United States, for
example, there have been certain periods when ethnocultural
association and expression where not affirmed but despised
by the majority of people. In circumstances of majority
hostility and government indifference such choices can only
be made by individuals who possess courage and determination
to go against public opinion. People lacking these
exceptional traits will, in effect, be denied an essential
element of freedom. This seems both unreasonable and
unwarranted if something can be done to change it which does
not sacrifice a value of equal importance.
I conclude that no such sacrifice is necessary in the
case of political affirmation of ethnocultural identities.
No one will be disadvantaged as a result of this kind of
state intervention. In acknowledging all ethnocultural
identities to be good and worthy, in no way can the liberal
state inadvertently inflict indignity on any individual or
group. Nor does this measure involve taking anything away
from the political community as a whole. Political
affirmation of ethnocultural groups in a plural immigrant
society is an integrative--although not assimilative--
principle. Members of such respected and worthy groups would
have a stake in the political community that adopted such
measures: they would have a significant reason to obey and
be loyal to that political community. In sum: the political
affirmation of the dignity of all ethnocultural identities
in a plural society is integrative,
entails no significant costs, and is the right thing for a
liberal state to do.
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Extent |
1687665 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-01-07
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0098962
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1992-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.