Anita Dremel: THE SPECTRES OF FEMINISM AND MULTICULTURALISM
Original Paper
Anita Dremel, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek, Croatia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59014/UHSU1350
Keywords:
cultural specificity, feminism, liberalism, multiculturalism, universal ethical norms
Abstract
Through a critical analysis of feminist and multicultural discourses, this paper aims
to analyse the tensions between universal ethical demands and the recognition of
cultural specificity. Feminism and multiculturalism are here understood as belonging
to leading discourses on minority rights. However, the myriad positions that can
be taken within each of these contingent socio-political constructions contribute to
their spectre-like quality. The research method used in this study synthesizes theoretical
insights and engages with contemporary debates revolving around inter alia
postcolonial feminism and liberal arguments for and against multiculturalism, thus
contributing to a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in navigating the
realms of gender and diverse strategies to cope with cultural diversity. The empirical
material includes case studies from seminal literature on the subject (by Kymlicka,
Barry, Bhabha, Okin, Kuriyama, Hall, and others) as well as examples from the
Croatian context, which are analysed through the lens of tensions and productive
intersections between feminism and multiculturalism, which both seek recognition
of difference in the context of norms that are universal in theory but not in practice.
Gender equality namely often clashes with the interest of minority cultures and individual
rights, as the fundamental position of the feminist movement cannot be
sacrificed in the name of group rights, which can reinforce existing hierarchies. The
perspective and analytical strategy applied in this paper result in revealing a gradual
shift from an obvious conflict of interests between feminism and multiculturalism,
towards a more nuanced and complex understanding of the meaning and purpose of
the ethical norms they advocate in research, social and cultural policy, international
relations and everyday lives.
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