Identity Politics in the Public Realm: Bringing Institutions Back In (Ethnicity and Democratic Governance Series)

In an age of multiculturalism and identity politics, many minority
groups seek some form of official recognition or public accommodation
of their identity. But can public institutions accurately recognize or
accommodate something as subjective and dynamic as
"identity?" Are there coherent standards and fair procedures
for responding to identity claims?



In this book, Avigail Eisenberg and Will Kymlicka lead a distinguished
team of scholars who explore state responses to identity claims
worldwide. Their case studies focus on key issues where identity is
central to public policy - such as the construction of census
categories, interpretation of antidiscrimination norms, and assessment
of indigenous rights - and assess the influence of
democratization on the capacity of institutions to respond to group
claims. By illuminating both the risks and opportunities of
institutional responses to diversity, this volume shows that public
institutions can either enhance or distort the benefits of identity
politics. Much depends on the agency of citizens and the ability of
institutions to adapt to success and failure.

Avigail Eisenberg is a professor of political
science at the University of Victoria. Will Kymlicka
is the Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy at Queen's
University.

Contributors: Victor Armony, Lori G. Beaman, Bruce
J. Berman, Juliet Hooker, Villia Jefremovas, André Laliberté, Eléonore
Lépinard, Jocelyn Maclure, Melissa Nobles, Padmapani L. Perez