Multicultural Jurisdictions: Cultural Differences and Women's Rights (Contemporary Political Theory)

Is it possible for the state simultaneously to respect deep cultural differences and to protect the hard-won citizenship rights of vulnerable group members, particularly women? This 2001 book argues that it is not only theoretically needed, but also institutionally feasible. Rejecting prevalent normative and legal solutions to this 'paradox of multicultural vulnerability', Multicultural Jurisdictions develops a powerful argument for enhancement of the jurisdictional autonomy of religious and cultural minorities while at the same time providing viable legal-institutional solutions to the problem of sanctioned intra-group rights violation. This new 'joint governance' approach is guided by an innovative principle that strives for the reduction of injustice between minority groups and the wider society, together with the enhancement of justice within them. This book will interest students of political and social theory, law, religion, institutional design, as well as cultural and gender studies Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 11 Preface......Page 13 1 Introduction......Page 17 Accommodating differences and respecting rights: an unattainable marriage?......Page 20 An exploration of the institutional issues surrounding multicultural accommodation......Page 24 Outline of the book......Page 26 The road ahead......Page 31 2 The perils of multicultural accommodation......Page 33 Standard citizenship models......Page 36 Citizenship: the bond between the individual and the state......Page 37 Why we need a multicultural conception of citizenship......Page 38 Potential conflicts: group, state, individual......Page 41 Strong and weak versions of multiculturalism......Page 44 Full assimilation......Page 49 Limited particularism......Page 50 Reactive culturalism......Page 51 Against “non-intervention”......Page 53 The “domestic impunity” fallacy......Page 56 Summary......Page 58 3 Family law and the construction of collective identity......Page 61 Incidental vs. systemic in-group violation......Page 63 The anatomy of family law......Page 65 Family law’s demarcating function......Page 67 Family law’s distributive function......Page 70 Women’s heightened responsibility and heightened vulnerability......Page 71 The agunah test case......Page 73 Reactive culturalism and multicultural accommodation......Page 76 Summary......Page 77 4 State vs. nomos: lessons from contemporary law and normative theory......Page 79 Two theoretical responses to the paradox of multicultural vulnerability......Page 80 The re-universalized citizenship option......Page 81 The unavoidable costs approach......Page 84 Transcending the either/or framework......Page 86 A critique of current legal approaches......Page 87 The secular absolutist model......Page 88 The religious particularist model......Page 94 The insufficiency of current theoretical and applied legal models......Page 101 The joint governance approach......Page 104 Mutually re-enforcing rights and nomos......Page 105 The plurality of joint governance......Page 106 Jurisdictional solutions......Page 107 Federal-style accommodation......Page 108 Temporal accommodation......Page 112 Consensual accommodation......Page 119 Contingent accommodation......Page 125 Summary......Page 129 6 Transformative accommodation: utilizing external protections to reduce internal restrictions......Page 133 Principles of transformative accommodation......Page 134 Allocating jurisdiction along “sub-matter” lines......Page 135 The “no monopoly” rule......Page 136 The establishment of clearly delineated choice options......Page 138 Transformative accommodation vs. other variants of joint governance......Page 142 Decision-making across jurisdictional boundaries: tensions and possibilities......Page 144 Family law revisited: fostering change “from within”......Page 147 Dividing demarcation from distribution......Page 148 Breaking the property–status extortion cycle......Page 151 Empowering the once vulnerable......Page 154 Harnessing group survival instincts......Page 156 Summary......Page 159 7 Conclusion......Page 162 IMMIGRATION LAW......Page 167 EDUCATION......Page 170 CRIMINAL JUSTICE......Page 176 BOOKS AND JOURNALS......Page 182 CANADA......Page 200 ISRAEL......Page 201 UNITED NATIONS (HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE)......Page 202 Index......Page 203 "Is it possible for the state simultaneously to respect deep cultural differences and to protect the hard-won citizenship rights of vulnerable group members, in particular women? This book argues that this is not only theoretically needed, but also institutionally feasible. Shachar's fresh approach proceeds from an acknowledgment of the potentially negative effects of well-intentioned multicultural accommodation, which often forces the most vulnerable constituents of cultural groups into an impossible choice: either an allegiance to their culture, or an exercise of their rights. Rejecting prevalent normative and legal solutions to this "paradox of multicultural vulnerability," Multicultural Jurisdictions develops a powerful argument for enhancing the jurisdictional autonomy of religious and cultural minorities while at the same time providing viable legal-institutional solutions to the problem of sanctioned intra-group rights violation. This new "joint governance" approach is guided by an ambitiously innovative principle: one that strives for the reduction of injustice between minority groups and the wider society, together with the enhancement of justice within them. Shachar applies this new approach to contested social arenas, such as family law, immigration policy, and criminal justice. She shows how individuals who view themselves as simultaneously belonging to more than one membership community and subject to more than one legal authority can be empowered by their multiple affiliations. Unique in its interdisciplinary and comparative approach, this book makes a timely intervention in current multiculturalist and feminist debates by offering an in-depth exploration of practical legal-institutional solutions to vital normative dilemmas that beset diverse societies around the globe. It will interest students of political and social theory, law, religion, institutional design, as well as cultural and gender studies."--Jacket Can the state respect cultural differences while protecting the rights of vulnerable group members, in particular women? Shachar argues that it is both theoretically needed and institutionally feasible. Rejecting prevalent solutions to this "paradox of multicultural vulnerability", Multicultural Jurisdictions argues for enhancing minorities' autonomy, while providing viable legal-institutional solutions to intra-group rights violation. This new "joint governance" approach reduces the injustice between minority groups and society, while enhancing justice within them. This book will interest students of political and social theory, law, religion, institutional design, and cultural and gender studies. Can the state respect cultural differences while protecting group members' rights? Schachar argues that the jurisdictional autonomy of minorities must be enhanced while providing viable legal-institutional solutions to intra-group rights violation. This will interest students of political and social theory, law, religion, institutional design, and cultural and gender studies