European inventory of
societal values of culture

Michael Murphy - Multiculturalism

Murphy, M. (2012). Multiculturalism: A Critical Introduction. Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-26043-5

This book was written at a time when there was growing agreement about the failure of multicultural policies in practice. Especially in the European context, one of the reasons for such judgments was the failure of multicultural policies to resolve problems associated with immigrant-driven diversity. In the author’s words, one of the primary objectives of this book was to understand different accusations levelled against multicultural policies, to ascertain their validity, and to evaluate whether they have been adequately addressed by the most influential multicultural theorists. The author has indeed managed to produce a reliable and accessible critical introduction to the political philosophy of multiculturalism that provides ‘clear answers to some very basic but fundamental questions’. The book is a good corrective to the tendency to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of multicultural approaches and policies based on limited evidence or short-term political developments.

Michael Murphy “ Multiculturalism: A Critical Introduction”