The rights of national majorities: Toxic discourse or democratic catharsis?

Eisenberg, Avigail

doi:10.1177/1468796819866488

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This makes the abrogation of human rights explicit. The rationale for this is the protection of majoritarian rights in Quebec, where a local majority sees itself as a vulnerable minority in the larger Canadian context, and therefore in need of protection (Eisenberg, 2019).…”

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confidence: 99%

The Politics of Diversity: Pluralism, Multiculturalism and Mental Health

Kirmayer

2019

Transcult Psychiatry

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which would aggravate mental health problems, and impede access to safe, equitable, and effective health care for minorities (Kirmayer & Guzder, 2014). While the political debate was an important opportunity to articulate competing visions of society, it also provoked an escalation of hateful speech and acts toward women wearing veils and other groups in public settings (CBC, 2013). The PQ government's rhetoric during public consultations on the Charter gave permission to some of the most reactionary regressive segments of society to voice their prejudices. The government seemed unconcerned about this debasement of public discourse, perhaps because their real interest was the deliberate mobilization of xenophobia to promote their brand of ethno-linguistic nationalism. During the debate, some Quebecois self-described ''feminists'' asserted that they were in solidarity with a group of Muslim immigrant women from the Maghreb, Middle East and France who were in favor of the Charter (e.g., Bertrand, 2013). These women viewed the Charter as a helpful constraint on Islamic fundamentalism symbolized by the veil, which they saw as a signifier of female oppression. Of course, this view did not acknowledge the wide variation in identity and motivations of women who choose to wear headscarves or coverings for personal, spiritual, or other reasons (Bilge, 2010; Eid, 2015). Indeed, many in Quebec read the veil not only in terms current anxieties about Muslims (Bakali, 2015), but also through the lens of Quebec history, in which the Catholic church was dominant until the 1960s and nuns in habit were a common sight in public space. The Quiet Revolution (La re´volution tranquille), which overthrew the dominance of the Church, made this religious dress a symbol of a bygone, ''backward'' and, at times, oppressive past (Seljak, 1996). As Joppke (2009) has noted, debates about the veil have held up a mirror to different nations' approaches to collective identity and notions of inclusion. 3 The silence of many francophone institutions and intellectuals-and outspoken support for the Charter by some celebrities and academics (Tessier & Montigny, 2016)-lent legitimacy to the Charter's perspective, leaving newcomers and minority groups increasingly vulnerable to the forces of political repression and everyday prejudice. Reported incidents of racial slurs and attacks on Muslims increased after the Charter debate began in September 2013. In this issue, Ghayda Hassan and colleagues (2019) document the intercommunity tensions following the societal debate over the Charter of Quebec Values. Their survey of young francophone adults in community colleges identified ''a shift from a predominantly positive perception of intercommunity relations to a predominantly negative one, particularly among women, immigrants, and those who self-identified as cultural or religious minorities'' (Hassan 2019, p. 1148). While their survey could not assess the magnitude of the increase in intercommunity tension before and after the debate, they found that ''more t...

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confidence: 99%

The Politics of Diversity: Pluralism, Multiculturalism and Mental Health

Kirmayer

2019

Transcult Psychiatry

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“…The topic of cultural majority rights has become the focus of academic attention, both descriptively and normatively. In Canada, under the title of interculturalism, Gerald Bouchard has made a strong case for protecting "the interests of the majority culture, whose desire to perpetuate and maintain itself is perfectly legitimate" (Bouchard 2011: 438-439; see also Eisenberg 2019;Da Silva & Weinstock, this volume). A similar view has been endorsed by Charles Taylor (2012: 420).…”

Section: A Majority-minority Shiftmentioning

confidence: 99%

Majority-Minority Constellations: Towards A Group-Differentiated Approach

Koopmans

Orgad

2020

SSRN Journal

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Discussion papers of the WZB serve to disseminate the research results of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas and academic debate. Inclusion of a paper in the discussion paper series does not constitute publication and should not limit publication in any other venue. The discussion papers published by the WZB represent the views of the respective author(s) and not of the institute as a whole.

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“…Accommodation policies, which we define as the adaptation of rules and social practices on the part of the majority to fit the wants and needs of minorities, emerge not only as a topic of public policy debates but also as a subject of recent scholarly discussion (e.g., Dikici, 2021; Eisenberg, 2020). Against this backdrop, this paper examines whether and how the accommodation of Islam policies influence people’s feeling towards Muslim immigration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A stranger at home? A multilevel analysis of anti-Muslim sentiment in Western European societies

Chedraui

Wong

2023

Ethnicities

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The capability of accommodation policies to create inclusive and cohesive societies for social integration has recently been called into question. Some people worry that accommodation may upset those who disagree about the policy and create a backlash effect. This study examines these issues using the theory of cognitive dissonance and empirically tests whether individuals’ policy preference influences the impact of accommodation of Islam policies on anti-Muslim sentiments. Using survey data from 15 Western European countries, we find that accommodation of Islam policies produce socialising effects on those whose opinions resonate with the policies. However, we do not find statistical evidence of backlash on those whose opinions dissonate with the policies. The findings suggest that accommodation of Islam policies do not radicalise dissonant opinions and are likely to reduce anti-Muslim sentiments among those whose opinions resonate with the policies.

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The rights of national majorities: Toxic discourse or democratic catharsis?

Cited by 7 publications

References 19 publications

The Politics of Diversity: Pluralism, Multiculturalism and Mental Health

The Politics of Diversity: Pluralism, Multiculturalism and Mental Health

Majority-Minority Constellations: Towards A Group-Differentiated Approach

A stranger at home? A multilevel analysis of anti-Muslim sentiment in Western European societies

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