Irena Cerović, IEPS AQCI 2

European Policy and Practice towards Ethnic Minorities

John Rex: The Concept of a Multicultural Society

1. Central Quotation: “Because of the fuzziness of the ideal of multiculturalism,

[egalitarians] gain apparent support from those who aim to ensure that minorities should receive
… the very reverse of equality. … The concept of multicultural society which is now in vogue is
too confused for [the ideal to come into being in Britain].” 1
2. Argument: Rex argues that while Great Britain has embraced multicultural society as a
clear policy goal, there is much difficulty in understanding the term properly. A particular
challenge is posed by its apparent contradiction to another accepted ideal, that of equality of
individual opportunity. Without a clear image of how the ideal multicultural society could be
structured to also allow for equal opportunity, the endorsement of both aims and their
accompanying equation leads to confusion and indeed to a distortion of the term
‘multiculturalism’ to signify a society in which members of different social groups coexist and
diversity is encouraged, but where equality is wanting. In order to understand well what kind of
ideal society we should strive for, Rex proposes looking at the distinction between the public and
private realms, and pursuing a different policy towards the two – while institutions should foster
unity and equality in public matters, they should encourage diversity in the private domain.
3. Question: Rex gives a very useful and thorough analysis of where the differences between
the public and private domain should lie in his ideal multicultural society, and also correctly
addresses some of the possible sources of tension and areas of ambiguity (like education).
However, while he does acknowledge the differences that may exist in the definitions of “public”
and “private” across different cultures and ethnic communities (e.g. Asian communities with
respect to family matters), he does not mention that these categories have also varied in time and
will continue to change even within single communities. This complicates matters further, as for
instance changes in the structure of the economy over time make family relations more or less of
a private issue. Adding to this the differences in patterns of economic development, a possible
result is that (even equally efficient) economic structures are confused with degrees of ‘social
development’ and thus the extent of the private versus the public domain is taken as an indicator
of the relative superiority of a given community and prejudice is reinforced.
4. Experiential Connection: My own experience of living in culturally diverse environments
seems to confirm Rex’s claim that the current concept of multiculturalism is too often confused
and manipulated to exclude the complementary aspect of equality. Particularly in the case of the
Roma, majority views often distort the notion so as to rationalize blatant injustice as “diversity”
and “multiculturalism”.
5. Textual Connection: Malik confirms the confusions related to the concept of
multiculturalism: “The idea of a plural or multicultural society is … deeply ambiguous… It
represents not a means to an equal society, but an alternative to one, where equality has given
way to the toleration of difference and indeed of inequality.” 2 He elaborates on how
multiculturalism has come for many to be a useful way to continue the old racial discourse by
simply amending the language and notions used so that they are acceptable from the standpoint of
political correctness of today.
6. Implications: The most essential implication of Rex’s argument is that a truly multicultural
society, which nurtures equality in the public and diversity in the private realm, is not possible
without deepening the understanding of this important distinction in modern society. Institutional
arrangements would then be made to support such a society and to create a “balance of control” 3
in sensitive areas such as education. However, such a positive change currently seems unlikely.

1
Rex, J. (2001) “The Concept of a Multicultural Society” in Guibernau, M. and Rex, J. (eds): The Ethnicity
Reader, Nationalism, Multiculturalism and Migration, Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, p. 207 and 219
2
Malik, K. (1996) The Meaning of Race, London, Macmillan, “The Meaning of Multiculturalism”, p. 170
3
Rex (2001), p. 215