Feminism vs. Multiculturalism

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Feminism vs. Multiculturalism
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Structure of the lecture

• 1. Summarize Okins argument.
• 2. That gave rise to a storm of critique gt
  discuss some of the most interesting critiques.
  Including the reactions of some of the accused
  advocates of multiculturalism (Kymlicka, Parekh)
  and Okins reply.
• 3. Yet, most people recognise that there can
  exist a tension between multiculturalist en
  feminist concerns gt how should the problem be
  addressed? Basically 2 possible strategies
• a. The liberal answer (3 variants pros and
  cons)
• b. The democrats answer (1 example pros and
  cons) Here Okin herself on second thought

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• Most cultures are deeply illiberal and
  patriarchal
• Central aim control of women by men
• All cultures have patriarchal pasts, but some
  have left this past more behind them then others
• Most cultures are patriarchal and many cultural
  minorities that claim group rights are more
  patriarchal than the surrounding cultures
• Group rights to preserve the culture is not,
  therefore, in the interest of the female members

• Susan Moller Okin

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3 possible options

• multiculturalism at the expense of women (worst
  option)
• assimilation a culture would become extinct if
  the members would assimilate into the dominant
  culture (better)
• minority cultures reform themselves along
  feminist lines (preferred option).

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The critiques

• You misrepresent other cultures and religions
  (Al-Hibri)
• You mix up culture with religion (also Al-Hibri)
• You wrongly have a universalist perspective on
  feminism in which Western culture is the best
  (Honig) What constitutes male violence, what
  counts as sexual inequality and what exactly have
  culture and its extinction to do with either of
  these things?

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The men speak back

• Will Kymlicka we are allies in a joint struggle
  for a more inclusive conception of justice.
• Bhikhu Parekh lets engage in a dialogue between
  liberal and non-liberal cultures

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Okin speaks back

• Contra Aziza Al-Hibri in theory Islam may be
  great, but look at its practice
• Contra the argument that she silences the
  authentic voices of other women is it me, or my
  critics?
• Contra Bonnie Honig Okin basically disputes with
  the examples, but not with central argument that
  she wrongly claims that western culture is less
  patriarchal
• Contra Honig and Parekh odd that you strike out
  at liberal values e.g free speech while at same
  time enjoying them
• Contra Parekhopen-minded dialogue with illiberal
  cultures? Who do you expect to speak with?

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How to deal with tension feminism/multiculturalism
?

• 2 strategies
• liberal approach weigh the practice against
  liberal principles
• democratic approach lets talk it out
• liberal approach liberal, but not necessarily
  democratic
• democratic approach democratic, but not
  necessarily liberal

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The liberal approach

• Variant Will Kymlicka I have defended the right
  of national minorities to maintain themselves as
  culturally distinct societies, but only if, and
  in so far as, they are themselves governed by
  liberal principles.
• Kymlicka balances a cultural practice against the
  basic rights of individuals, i.c. autonomy
• Despite his remark that liberals have a right,
  and a responsibility, to speak out against gender
  injustices, in the end he chooses for the group

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• Variant Chandran Kukathas

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• Core concepts
• Toleration
• Freedom of association
• No group rights
• Protection of women
• . Exit
• . If group wants to stay connected to wider
  society, they have to abide by societys laws
• Realistic exit rights?

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• Variant Marilyn Friedman
• Central concept personal autonomy
• wants to prevent that women are forced to lead
  oppressive lives
• yet does not want to impose liberalism on
  non-liberal groups
• if women consent to a practice that violates
  their rights, we should accept that

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• How do we establish that women really consent? gt
  3 conditions
• there must be something to choose between
• free of coercion, manipulation and deception
  right of autonomy
• mental capacities needed to reflect on their
  situation and make decisions capacity of autonomy

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• Autonomy in illiberal cultures?
• Substantive autonomy content of a choice
• Content-neutral autonomy how is the choice made?
  Under conditions of autonomy?
• The guarantee that a woman is not deprived of her
  rights against her will, is to establish that she
  freely consents to the practice. Free consent
  means that the conditions of content-neutral
  autonomy are met.

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• Critique
• Oppressive practices on children not allowed
• How many women must consent?
• So strict conditions, that no one can meet them
• What should happen to those who fail to meet
  Friedmans standards of autonomy?
• Not be listened too? Odd, given her ambition to
  pay more respect to choices of women.

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The democrat let the women speak for themselves

• Monique Deveaux

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• The basic idea who are the ones that suffer most
  from sexist traditions? It is very important, if
  we are to decide on the toleration of oppressive
  practices that those whose lives are most
  directly touched by it, are consulted
• Expectation democratic solution to conflicts of
  culture yields more beneficial reform and has
  greater legitimacy.
• No guarantee that this sort of procedure will
  lead to liberal, non-discriminatory outcome

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Conditions to guarantee all will be heard

• the principle of non-coercion
• the political equality principle
• the principle of revisability.

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• Case south African customary Marriage Act
• apartheid had oppressed the South African peoples
  and their customary laws.
• the patriarchy of most of the customary laws
  oppressed women, e.g. Lobolo bride price must
  be repaid if bride leaves marriage

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• a wide range of groups were consulted
• open discussion, chiefs persuaded to accept
  reform
• partial reform
• - women have formal equal status with husbands
  (joint property rights)
• - women can initiate divorce
• - both parents are equally guardians of their
  children
• - only family courts and not tribal courts may
  handle important matters of family law.
• But there were also concessions to the chiefs
  made
• - the customary bride price was not abolished
• - polygyny (one husband, more wives) was
  preserved

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• Compromise accepted as fair and legitimate
  outcome of deliberation.
• Price bride price and polygyny continue to exist
• Goes with the approach open-endedness of
  outcomes necessary part of giving centrality to
  democratic participatory norms

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Reaction Okin

• Were the criteria for the democracy of the
  process met in this case? Chiefs not elected
  heavily overrepresented.
• Chiefs against idea of speaking with women on an
  equal footing open dialogue?
• Again how can we ensure that women dare to speak
  freely? Achilles heel of the democratic approach.
• Yet Okin prefers the democratic solution over the
  liberal one. Better guarantee young women heard
  attention for context

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Conclusion

• If a liberal state has to decide whether or not
  to tolerate the internal practices of a minority
  group that harm the rights of women, what should
  it do?
• The liberal answer is to balance the various
  rights, principles and interests at stake.
• The answer of the democrat is to democratically
  discuss the matter and than accept the compromise
  that comes out of this discussion.

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• agree that we need to listen to minority women
  themselves
• they often have an interest in remaining within
  their culture
• agree that a better understanding of cultural
  context is very necessary
• disagree that only the democratic solution can
  pay attention to context
• there are reasons to favour and not to favour
  both kind of solution
• last publication Susan Moller Okin
  multiculturalism and feminism no simple
  question,no simple answers