A comparative analysis on multi̇cultural approaches

Multiculturalism, one of the most important areas of debate in contemporary political theory, was firstly introduced in the late 1960s as a policy to promote multiculturalism, but since 1990s it has become popular with the politics of identity. Demands for the recognition of the identities and cultures of ethno-cultural groups, the main subject of multiculturalism, have intensified in this period. The aim of the thesis is to find out ans answer to questions of how possible the realisation of multiculturalism in a nation-state and how countries adopt multiculturalism, to find out the reasons fort his situation as well. After the definition and the historical development of multiculturalism is given to place, three different multiculturalism models as communist, liberal and post-colonialism, which assert that multiculturalism can take place within a nation-state, are discussed. Will Kymlicka, one of the most important names of multiculturalism, has put forward a theory of multiculturalism compatible with the idea of nation-state. Kymlicka's multiculturalism theory was used for the classification of ethno-cultural groups and the required conceptual framework in the examination of multiculturalism in the practice. Multicultural Policy Index created by Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka was used in the evaluation of multiculturalism practices for different ethno-cultural groups in the countries. According to Kymlicka, ethno-cultural groups are national minorities (sub-national minorities and indigenous peoples), immigrant groups, metics, African-Americans and ethno-religious minorities. It is difficult to say that there is a clear line between these groups. However, in different countries, such a classification was needed to examine and compare the multiculturalist policies towards the minorities. Since African-Americans are specific to the United States and cannot be compared to different countries, they are excluded from the scope of this thesis. Selected the appropriate countries for each group the comparison was done through Multiculturalism Index and as a result of this, there is no country to be a model for the full implementation of multiculturalism. At the same time, this index shows both a way to countries on how to adopt multiculturalism, and looking the examples of practice it is seen that the criteria belonging to the index can be fulfill within a nation-state. Keywords: Modern Political Theory, Multiculturalism, Culture, Identity, Nation-State, Etno-Cultural Groups, Multiculturalism Policy Index