Multicultural Nationalism

Multicultural Nationalism makes an important contribution to debates about national unity and diversity in Canada. Kernerman persuasively shows how the problematic logic of thinking in terms of dichotomies is not only woven into the political and public debates but can also be detected in the theories of political philosophers such as Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka. -- Avigail Eisenberg, co-editor of Painting the Maple: Race, Gender, and the Construction of Canada This book will appeal greatly to those doing work in critical race theory, multiculturalism, and the politics of difference. Kernerman not only characterizes emerging arguments against what he calls the 'Canadian school' of liberal multiculturalism but advances these arguments via some keen work within and across liberalism, continental philosophy, and feminist theory. -- Richard Day, author of Multiculturalism and the History of Canadian Diversity

Canada's national question is self-defeating: attempts to constitute a Canadian political community generate polarizing and depoliticizing deliberations.Generations of intellectuals have debated Canada’s nationalquestion. Rather than join the debate, MulticulturalNationalism challenges its logic. The national question isself-defeating: attempts to constitute a Canadian political communitygenerate polarizing and depoliticizing deliberations. Gerald Kernermanengages with leading political theorists and analyzes policy,constitutional, and media documents in order to examine proposals forminority rights, multicultural citizenship, asymmetrical federalism,multinationalism, and group-based representation. Even as othercountries consider pursuing similar paths, Kernerman cautions againstusing Canada as a model since these proposals are themselvesmanifestations of nationalist contestation.