Debating Multiculturalism - Should There be Minority Rights?

Multiculturalism has been subject to backlashes across democratic states. These voices argue that after years of accommodation, minorities have failed to integrate and ought to be encouraged more forcefully to abandon norms and values that are in tension with those of their broader society. In this context, Debating Multiculturalism brings together two prominent scholars of the political theory of multiculturalism. Both agree with the need for minority accommodation in liberal democracies, but disagree on the pathway forward. Patti Tamara Lenard argues that because of the importance of political inclusion, minorities should almost always be granted the rights they seek. In contrast, Peter Balint argues that there is no need for minority rights as liberal neutrality is a dynamic and fair method of accommodating all ways of life, including those of minorities.