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Social Psychology and Multiculturalism
Author(s) -
Verkuyten Maykel
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
social and personality psychology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.699
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 1751-9004
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00011.x
Subject(s) - multiculturalism , ethnic group , social psychology , identity (music) , diversity (politics) , cohesion (chemistry) , social identity theory , psychology , islam , sociology , gender studies , social group , aesthetics , anthropology , pedagogy , philosophy , chemistry , theology , organic chemistry
Questions of multiculturalism give rise to lively and important debates in many countries and in many spheres of life. Diversity is considered desirable and necessary for the development of secure ethnic identities and positive intergroup relations, but is also challenged for being inequitable and a threat to social cohesion. After considering conceptions of multiculturalism and relevant country differences, the paper discusses social psychological research on multicultural attitudes and the effect of multiculturalism on intergroup relations. Subsequently, three issues are addressed that are central in debates about multiculturalism and that present additional topics for social psychological research. The first concerns the importance of intragroup processes, the second the nature of religious identity and Islam in particular, and the third issue relates to tolerance and civil liberties.