Empowerment et diversité culturelle : quelques prolégomènes

• Main Authors: Alain G. Gagnon, Paul May
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Métropoles 2010-07-01
• Series: Métropoles
• Subjects: asymetrical federalism; Bernard Jouve; Charles Taylor; Demoi; demos; diversity
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/metropoles/4230

This article explores linkages between empowerment and cultural diversity largely defined, and at times a promising convergence between the two notions. Charles Taylor’s contribution to current theories of federalism allows us to cast a rejuvenated  look on cultural claims in urban centers and to sketch institutional avenues to face the dual challenge posed by cultural pluralism and the new socio-political configuration underlying globalization. In spite of some very positive aspects, and following Bernard Jouve’s intellectual insights, this text illustrates the extent to which the notion of empowerment can also be deceiving as it might add limitations for weaker communities, and create new hurdles as the undermining of the welfare state has showned. In addition, empowerment does not always provide guarantees to counter discrimation as the case of «Minorities witin Minorities» reveal.