Multiculturalism

At a time when many public commentators are turning against multiculturalism in response to fears about militant Islam, immigration or social cohesion, Tariq Modood, one of the world's leading authorities on multiculturalism, provides a distinctive contribution to these debates. He contends that the rise of Islamic terrorism has neither discredited multiculturalism nor heralded a clash of civilizations. Instead, it has highlighted a central challenge for the 21st century - the urgent need to include Muslims in contemporary conceptions of democratic citizenship. In the second edition of this popular and compelling book, Modood updates his original argument with two new chapters. He reassesses the relationship between multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism and assimilation, demonstrating that multiculturalism is crucial for successful integration. He also argues that while multiculturalism poses a significant challenge to existing forms of secularism, this challenge should not be exaggerated into a crisis. In so doing, Modood adds new vigor to the claim that multiculturalism remains a living force which is shaping our polities, even as its death is repeatedly announced. This book will appeal to students, researchers and teachers of politics, sociology and public policy, as well as to anyone interested in the prospects of multiculturalism today.

"Rich, stimulating, and helpful in the sense that it allows the reader to understand the background of current political discussions about multiculturalism." LSE Review of Books "Provides a robust defence of multiculturalism against its prominent antagonists on the left, right and centre in Britain and Europe." Magazine of the British Sociological Association "At a moment when many declare multiculturalism to be dead, Tariq Modood shows that it is actually quite alive and explains why it deserves to be so. The first edition of this book was excellent, and the second is even better. Multiculturalism is sociologically detailed, theoretically rich and highly accessible." Joseph H. Carens, University of Toronto "This important book is an authoritative and subtle analysis as well as a robust and well argued defence of multiculturalism. It cuts through much conceptual fog surrounding the subject, and shows why multiculturalism in some form is a necessary precondition of social cohesion." Lord Bhikhu Parekh, University of Westminster "Multiculturalism is, in my view, the best introduction to what has become a central concern of contemporary liberal politics. More than that, it is a significant contribution to the ongoing debate on the acceptable limits of cultural difference in a democracy. Well-informed on questions of crucial fact, skilled in the deployment of relevant social theory, Modood has given us an important book that should be read carefully by everyone who wants to think sanely about our plural societies." Talal Asad, CUNY Graduate Center, New York Modood’s important and challenging book is a much needed voice of caution in the headlong rush to abandon multiculturalism and all it stands for. There is much that critics of multiculturalism can and must learn from this book. It should also be compulsory reading for all engaged in British political life. Paul Kelly, London School of Economics and Political Science