Exploring Religious
& Ethnic Coexistence

We face what is often diagnosed as a crisis of multiculturalism. 
The dominant liberal discourses of multiculturalism and tolerance are frequently not only resisted by populist majorities, but puzzlingly are also resisted by those they are intended to protect who do not accept the terms of their inclusion - whether it be expectations of cultural change or the rejection of demands for legal pluralism and self-determination. 

 

This seeks to address this paradox head on with this research project by taking an inductive and empirical approach to the question of coexistence.  Doing this will allow us to reverse the direction of normative intervention- that is to start with the expectations and values of people and move towards theory and policy, as opposed to starting with a predetermined one-size-fits-all set of best practices. 

 

Understanding how communities manage religious and ethnic difference spontaneously based on their moral frameworks and traditions will tell us what they expect and what they want from coexistence.