The idea that diverse cultural and ethnic groups should co-exist within a country and that
assimilation should not be forced upon immigrant groups - multiculturalism - was orthodoxy 20
years ago. Today it's coming under pressure. In this introduction to the political theory of
multiculturalism Andrew Shorten surveys the leading theories of multiculturalism the
critiques that have been levelled against the idea and the debates surrounding cohesion
integration and diversity. He then goes on to demonstrate how multicultural political theory
can be renewed arguing that a single monolithic vision of multiculturalism must be replaced
by a multiculturalism made up of different strands responding to distinctive but interrelated
issues and inspired by real-world policy debates about how political communities should
respond to differences of religion language and nationality. After tracing the influence of
earlier multicultural ideas on these debates Shorten reveals some new and surprising
possibilities for mutual learning. Containing an up-to-date overview of multicultural political
theory and its various offshoots this book is essential reading for students and scholars
interested in the politics of cultural religious linguistic and national diversity.
