Identity and liberal politics: the problem of minorities within minorities

The Right to Culture, the Right to Dispute, and the Right to Exclude. A New Perspective on Minorities within Minorities

“…Such analysis is also prevalent among political theorists. It is called the “dominant” or “judicial” framework, and is associated with Susan Okin, Martha Nussbaum, Chandran Kukathas, and Jeff Spinner‐Halev (Eisenberg , 251–6; Phillips , 113, 115). In the remainder of this section, I will explain why I think this analysis is incorrect.…”

“…I would like to suggest here some guidelines that should be considered in order to evaluate the strength of the majority‐within‐the‐minority's claim to have a right to exclude the minority‐within‐the‐minority. As other scholars have pointed out, the central task that should be performed in this regard is examining the genuineness of the majority‐within‐the‐minority's claim to exclude the minority‐within‐the‐minority (Ben‐Shemesh , 304–8; Eisenberg ). The act of exclusion is usually justified in the name of values and norms that are allegedly central to the minority culture.…”

“…Existing approaches analyse most minorities‐within‐minorities' cases in terms of two incommensurable rights: the right to culture of the majority within the minority versus individual rights to equality or freedom of the minority‐within‐the‐minority members (Eisenberg , 251–6; Raday ). Some liberal scholars think that this analysis leads to a dead end, and contend that the rights discourse should be abandoned or at least complemented by considerations that are external to the rights discourse (Benhabib , chap.…”

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“…As opposed to the women caregivers, the men were more prone to ask questions about my political allegiance. When the participants wanted to know whether or not I was a 'separatist' (a term used by some participants to designate members of the Parti Québécois), I answered that I was torn by my multiple identities as a member of a minority group within a majority (as a Canadian) and as a member of a majority group [55] (as a Quebecer). As a researcher, I found that my political location influenced the participants' willingness to share their lived experiences.…”

Examining the conflation of multiculturalism, sexism, and religious fundamentalism through Taylor and Bakhtin: expanding post‐colonial feminist epistemology

“…, 1998; Montreuil & Bourhis, 2001; Maclure, 2003; Racine, 2003, 2004; Baker, 2007). Eisenberg (2005) points out that immigrants and refugees represent minorities within a minority, adding a layer of complexity to the politics of immigration in the Canadian province of Quebec.…”