Feminism in Multicultural Societies
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CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by CLoK Feminism in Multicultural Societies An analysis of Dutch Multicultural and Postsecular Developments and their Implications for Feminist Debates Eva Midden A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirements of the degree of PhD at the University of Central Lancashire May 2010 Student Declaration Concurrent registration for two or more academic awards I declare that while registered as a candidate for the research degree, I have not been registered candidate or enrolled student for another award of the University or other academic or professional institution Material submitted for another award I declare that no material contained in the thesis has been used in any other submission for an academic award and is solely my own work Signature of Candidate Type of Award ___PhD_________________________________ School ___Centre for Professional Ethics___________ 1 Abstract It was long assumed that both multiculturalism and feminism are connected to progressive movements and hence have comparable and compatible goals. However, both in academia and in popular media the critique on multiculturalism has grown and is often accompanied with arguments related to gender equality and/or feminism. According to political scientist Susan Moller Okin for example there are fundamental conflicts between our commitment to gender equality and the desire to respect the customs of minority cultures or religions. If we agree that women should not be disadvantaged because of their sex, she argues, we should not accept group rights that permit oppressive practices. Okin’s claims led to a complex and highly important debate both in academia and in public debates. The main aim of this thesis is to explore in depth the different discourses about multiculturalism and feminism and develop a more inclusive and nuanced redefinition of the relationship between multiculturalism and feminism. The focus of the analysis will be on the Netherlands, where the debate has been intense and paradigmatic of similar debates in most countries. The first part of the thesis explores the literature on multiculturalism and feminism, and discusses the importance of for instance intersectionality, the politics of location and situated knowledges for a better understanding of the debates. The second part of the thesis is dedicated to fieldwork. A preliminary media analysis is undertaken to analyse the main aspects of the public debate as they appear in the feminist magazine Opzij. On the basis of this analysis, a series of focus groups with women belonging to organisations that are considered stakeholders in the debate (e.g. feminist, religious, cultural or sub-cultural) is organised. The thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between the concepts of multiculturalism and feminism. It argues that gender equality is often misused in islamophobic and anti-migration discussions, which also harms the position of minority women. Furthermore, it demonstrates that a more nuanced and inclusive interpretation of multiculturalism and feminism acknowledges the multiple layers of this debate, starts from intersectionality and includes critical accounts of secularism and religion, colonial history and subjectivity. 2 Table of Content Abstract .........................................................................................................................................2 Table of Content.........................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................8 Introduction Challenging the Relationship between Multiculturalism and Feminism ............................................................................................................. 10 Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?............................................................................. 11 Rethinking Multiculturalism and Feminism............................................................... 12 Approaching Multiculturalism and Feminism........................................................... 15 Thesis Outline.......................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 1 Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Discourses on Multiculturalism and Feminism in Academia and the Dutch public Sphere ................................................................................................................... 20 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 20 Gender equality and Cultural Diversity: Susan Moller Okin’s Earlier Work 21 Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?............................................................................. 23 Okin on Multiculturalism, Feminism and Liberalism............................................. 25 The Debate Widens: Direct Responses to the Essay............................................... 27 The Debate Crystallizes: Okin’s Reply........................................................................... 29 The Debate Revisited............................................................................................................ 31 To whom Okin was Responding ...................................................................................... 33 Some Remarks on the ‘Is Multiculturalism Bad For Women?’ Debate ........... 36 Feminism versus Multiculturalism?............................................................................... 36 Beyond Innocence: Neo-Realism in the Dutch Discourse on Multiculturalism ........................................................................................................................................................ 38 Neo-realism in Practice: Beginning to Challenge Multiculturalism ................. 39 A New Phase: Multiculturalism, both Drama and Illusion ................................... 40 A Feminist enters the Debate............................................................................................ 43 From September 11, to Pim Fortuyn............................................................................. 44 3 Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Debating the Relationship between Gender Equality and Islam ............................................................................................................................................ 46 An Alternative Voice? ........................................................................................................... 47 Struggling on Behalf of Muslim Women....................................................................... 48 Islam versus the West .......................................................................................................... 49 Doomed to Vulnerability: Critique of the Dutch Debate on Multiculturalism ........................................................................................................................................................ 51 Conclusions............................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 2 Conceptualising Multiculturalism, Culture, Religion and the Acknowledgement of Difference ............................................................... 54 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 54 Conceptualising Multiculturalism................................................................................... 55 Multiculturalism: the Politics of Recognition............................................................. 56 Different Forms of Multiculturalism.............................................................................. 58 Equality: Sameness or Difference? ................................................................................. 61 Towards the Recognition of Difference........................................................................ 62 Critics of the Politics of Difference ................................................................................. 64 Defining Culture within Multiculturalism ................................................................... 67 Defining Religion within Multiculturalism.................................................................. 70 Beyond Multiculturalism .................................................................................................... 72 Conclusions............................................................................................................................... 74 Chapter 3 Feminism and its Different Axes of Analysis: From Sexual Difference to Intersectionality.................................................................... 76 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 76 Feminism and Difference.................................................................................................... 78 Revisiting Difference ............................................................................................................ 79 Unveiling the Oriental Woman......................................................................................... 82 Against the Production of