Social Unity in Britain

Abstract

Social unity is a challenge for all culturally diverse polities. Britain is no different, as the race riots of 2001 illustrated. Political theorists agree that social unity is important because it is a necessary precondition for social justice, peacefully resolving disputes and effective democratic institutions. Political theorists claim that shared identities can help to foster social unity in culturally diverse polities. Conspicuously, however, many have shied away from the one type of shared identity that has a proven track record of fostering social unity: national identity. This is because national identities are hostile to cultural diversity. I, however, argue that all alternatives to national identities are likely to be ineffective sources of social unity. I try therefore to describe a type of national identity that can foster social unity through cultural diversity. I call such a national identity a multicultural national identity, which Britain would do well to adopt.

Keywords:

• Social Unity
• Cultural Diversity
• Shared Identities
• National Identities

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Bhikhu Parekh and Michael Freeden for their comments and advice.

Notes

1. It may be argued that citizens honour their obligations because they are bound by a social contract. Further, it may be argued that citizens honour their obligations simply because they are grateful for the rights of citizenship. Yael Tamir (1993) brilliantly dismisses both notions. It may also be pertinent here to refer to David Hume (2001), who asked whether such a social contract was ever actually signed.

2. A good example of how nationhood can be harmful to minority groups is displayed in Roger Scruton's work. In his recent book, The Need for Nations, he provides an appropriate example. In a chapter dramatically entitled ‘Threats to the Nation’, he claims: ‘Those who come to the West in search of citizenship include many who respond to the gift of it with gratitude and loyalty. … Unfortunately, such immigrants are now untypical’ (Scruton 2004: 42–8).

3. In the Home Office Race Equality and Community Cohesion Strategy, we can observe that, whilst the British government believes that a national identity is important for social unity, it seeks to foster it through citizenship. See Home Office (2001b, 2004, 2005: 41–55).

4. Definitions of multiculturalism are heavily contested. Kymlicka is opposed to the term. However my concise understanding of the term is Parekhian in orientation, in that multiculturalism seems to denote a positive normative response to communal-based cultural diversity (see Parekh 2000: 6).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Varun Uberoi

Varun Uberoi is a Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol