Ethnic, gender and cultural differences represent, for western society, not only a challenge for its social unity and identity but also an opportunity to debate and to cultural enrichment. Feminism and multiculturalism picked up this challenge producing new contributions on behalf on cultural differences. But if in the Seventies these two movements were allied in the struggle for recognition of diversity, now they are like enemies for several reasons. Western feminism was accused of ethnocentrism by asian and african women movements: the effect was a weakening of struggle for equal rights as men. In addition Multiculturalism has forgotten the specific topic of gender and defended some culture that are internally patriarchal. Now the relationship between feminism and multiculturalism is more complicated by the strong presence of immigrant women in western societies. The article shows the critical stages of this debate, pointing out the likely and positive opportunity included in the recognition of social and cultural differences
Lunghi, C., Donne e multiculturalismo: il valore della differenza, <<STUDI DI SOCIOLOGIA>>, 2003; XLI (1): 41-66 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/22341]
Donne e multiculturalismo: il valore della differenza
Lunghi, Carla
2003
Abstract
Ethnic, gender and cultural differences represent, for western society, not only a challenge for its social unity and identity but also an opportunity to debate and to cultural enrichment. Feminism and multiculturalism picked up this challenge producing new contributions on behalf on cultural differences. But if in the Seventies these two movements were allied in the struggle for recognition of diversity, now they are like enemies for several reasons. Western feminism was accused of ethnocentrism by asian and african women movements: the effect was a weakening of struggle for equal rights as men. In addition Multiculturalism has forgotten the specific topic of gender and defended some culture that are internally patriarchal. Now the relationship between feminism and multiculturalism is more complicated by the strong presence of immigrant women in western societies. The article shows the critical stages of this debate, pointing out the likely and positive opportunity included in the recognition of social and cultural differencesI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.