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Chapter 1: Introduction
The late twentieth century and the early twenty-first century have witnessed a rise in ethnocultural conflict and a phenomenon known today as “tribalism.” This term, though widely used, is not always clearly defined. It has been variously used to denote exclusionary affiliations based on race, ethnicity, language, religion and ideology or any combination of these. Historically, nation-states have been formed based on these criteria. Membership of a nation and membership of a state were seen as co-terminous and unproblematic. Yet the term ‘tribalism,’ with its negative connotations, was never used to describe classical nationalism. The term was coined in the late nineteenth century to characterize Celtic nationalism as opposed to nationalism, which in turn meant being “British.”1 The implication of this usage was that loyalty to a nation based on ethnicity was in conflict with loyalty to the British state, in this case the Crown. And yet, being English was never seen as being in conflict with being British.
Contemporary use of the term tends to be metaphorical. Nonetheless, whether in the Celtic case, or in today’s conflicts, what is at stake is social identity. There is little doubt that the phenomenon in question is widespread. In liberal democratic societies, it has taken the form of increased struggles for recognition on the part of ethnocultural groups. In the countries of the former Soviet Union and the East Bloc, there has been a rise of ethnonationalism with demands for secession and statehood, in the power vacuum created by the end of the Cold War. Both
Object Description
| Title | Negotiating pluralism and tribalism in liberal democratic societies |
| Author | Sadagopan, Shoba |
| Author email | sadagopa@usc.edu; shobasadagopan@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Philosophy |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2008-08-22 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2008-10-15 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Lloyd, Sharon |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Dreher, John Keating, Gregory |
| Abstract | My aim in this dissertation is to enquire whether toleration as a practice is achievable. It is prior to the question of how it can be grounded as a virtue. I argue that in liberal democratic societies where there are struggles for recognition on the part of ethnocultural groups, it is possible to negotiate pluralism and tribalism in a way that a stable pluralist society can be maintained. My core thesis rests on a theory of interdependence based both on a theory of human nature and on the material fact of globalization. Insofar as we affirm our nature as human beings engaged in productive activity with other human beings, insofar as we value a world that facilitates that activity, toleration is desirable. It is achievable because with globalization there is a tendency towards homogenization that erodes cultural differences. There is less reason for conflict because what we have in common, our interdependence, goes far deeper than culture. A further sufficient condition may be found in well thought-out policies that are executed through education and dialogue. |
| Keyword | toleration; value pluralism; liberalism; cultural homogenization; globalization; common citizenship |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1658 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Sadagopan, Shoba |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Sadagopan-2395 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume26/etd-Sadagopan-2395.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 4 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 1 Chapter 1: Introduction The late twentieth century and the early twenty-first century have witnessed a rise in ethnocultural conflict and a phenomenon known today as “tribalism.” This term, though widely used, is not always clearly defined. It has been variously used to denote exclusionary affiliations based on race, ethnicity, language, religion and ideology or any combination of these. Historically, nation-states have been formed based on these criteria. Membership of a nation and membership of a state were seen as co-terminous and unproblematic. Yet the term ‘tribalism,’ with its negative connotations, was never used to describe classical nationalism. The term was coined in the late nineteenth century to characterize Celtic nationalism as opposed to nationalism, which in turn meant being “British.”1 The implication of this usage was that loyalty to a nation based on ethnicity was in conflict with loyalty to the British state, in this case the Crown. And yet, being English was never seen as being in conflict with being British. Contemporary use of the term tends to be metaphorical. Nonetheless, whether in the Celtic case, or in today’s conflicts, what is at stake is social identity. There is little doubt that the phenomenon in question is widespread. In liberal democratic societies, it has taken the form of increased struggles for recognition on the part of ethnocultural groups. In the countries of the former Soviet Union and the East Bloc, there has been a rise of ethnonationalism with demands for secession and statehood, in the power vacuum created by the end of the Cold War. Both |
