Multiculturalism without Culture [Kindle Edition]

Anne Phillips (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

In this illuminating and intelligently written book, Anne Phillips stresses the need to revise holistic and determinist notions of 'culture' that have played a role in perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes within multiethnic and multicultural societies....Drawing from an impressive breadth of literature, ranging from feminism, law, anthropology to philosophy and political theory, Phillips provides numerous case studies to highlight how women in particular, are disadvantaged by multicultural policies and cultural labeling....This is a superb and deeply relevant contribution to current debates and various fields of study.

Review

Much of the debate about the politics of diversity both within and between nations starts with an exaggerated view of the extent of cultural difference. In this sane and intelligent book, Anne Phillips offers a more realistic--and a more helpful--picture of the scale and significance of our disagreements.
(Kwame Anthony Appiah, Princeton University )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1517 KB
• Print Length: 215 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0691129444
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (February 17, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002WJM59G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #549,743 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A subtle argument, December 15, 2007

By 

Michael (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multiculturalism without Culture (Hardcover)

Anne Phillips is a feminist theorist with some quite strong views (I previously read her book "Which Equalities Matter?"). In "Multiculturalism Without Culture", she wrestles with a basic contradiction. On the one hand, "culture" matters. This is the central insight of multiculturalism: people's views of themselves and their societies are filtered through culturally specific lenses, and to ignore this when making policy as to ignore people as they are. On the other hand, "culture" doesn't even exist. No culture is internally homogeneous, and no person resides in only one culture. For example, a person can participate in British culture, university culture, gay culture, Muslim culture, Pakistani culture, and sports culture in a single day. To situate such a person in a single culture obscures more than it identifies. Her ideas on how to reconcile these two insights are very sophisticated, but mercifully jargon-free. She also draws primarily on legal examples so there are lots of vivid, real-life stories (and lots of nasty murders, too!) as she tries to build a "multiculturalism without culture."

It would be ridiculous to call this a general interest book, but it should get a wider audience than history and social science grad students. Anyone interested by life in diverse societies would be well-served by the book.