Imagining Coexistence Beyond Liberal Multiculturalism with Prof Erica Weiss

This talk explores how we might move beyond the so-called "crisis of multiculturalism." Scholars have noted that dominant liberal discourses of multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerance are not only resisted by nativists, but also alienate the very populations they aim to protect—often to the confusion and frustration of their elite proponents. This failure largely stems from the fact that the liberal imagination of coexistence is both narrow and superficial, offering little in terms of accommodating deep differences, divergent worldviews, and diverse values. To address this paradox, I propose a comparative and inductive examination of real situations of coexistence, enabling us to study how coexistence is actually practiced and to “reverse engineer” questions of normative intervention. Understanding how people manage diversity in various settings will shed light on what they “expect” from living together with difference, allowing us to expand our imagination of coexistence beyond the limitations of liberal grammar.

Accessibility

An access guide to Darwin Building, Lecture Theatre B40 can be found on AccessAble.

About the speaker

Erica Weiss is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Tel Aviv University, as well as the Principle Investigator for the Praxis of Coexistence ERC research project. Her research examines the ways in which multicultural societies manage religious and ethnic difference to navigate everday ethical dilemmas, and how this has evolved in the age of populist politics. She also examines how the concepts of pluralism, tolerance, coexistence, and peace are understood by traditional and religious communities outside of the liberal tradition, and how competing and conflicting visions of 'peace' can inform our everyday behaviours and politics.

Through her research, Prof. Weiss explores how different groups in the world find ways to overcome those differences and bridge the gaps between them.

About this event series

Dreams, Desires and Aspirations: Imaginative Landscapes of Prosperity

At UCL Institute for Global Prosperity we are working towards a new model of prosperity for the 21st century, reworking the way we conceive and run our economies, our societies, and our relationship with the planet. Our social and collective imaginaries, dreams, and aspirations are at the core of that mission, not only in understanding how people strive towards ideas of prosperity, but in unearthing how and why different ideas are constructed as they are. This term, we are inviting scholars, novelists, politicians, artists, and film-makers to help us excavate some of the imaginary forces that brought ‘prosperity’ to where it is today, and where it might be taken tomorrow.

Director's Seminars are an opportunity for audiences to get an in-depth theoretical perspective on sustainable and inclusive prosperity. These Seminars are given by academics who are pushing for new ways of thinking and new ways of researching society's grand challenges.

For more events in this series visit the series page ►