Culture & Democracy

A new contribution to our understanding of democracy and multiculturalism, which bridges the gap between abstract accounts of public reasoning and more concrete proposals for democratic reform.

This new study unites the two central themes of contemporary political theory: multiculturalism and group-recognition, and connects them to the increasingly important theme of deliberative democracy.

Bringing together the thinking of key theorists such Rawls, Habermas, and Pettit, with that of multiculturalists such as Kymlicka and democrats, such as Young, Phillips, and Williams, Cillian McBride challenges the conventional group-based understanding of political inclusion to advance a radical new interpretation of deliberative politics. While sharing the goal of making democratic politics more sensitive to the concerns of the disadvantaged, she adopts a contestatory approach to politics and culture, instead of a politics of cultural protectionism and deference to group claims.

This book will be of great interest to all students of multiculturalism, democracy, political theory and political philosophy.