Concept of Plural Society

Concept of Plural Society

  • Definition:
    • A plural society refers to a multiethnic society in which at least one of the societal cleavages is politicized.
    • If there are multiple potential cleavages, their significance may vary.
  • Characteristics:
    • A mismatch exists between the nation and the state.
    • The state can be multinational.
    • Ethnic groups may spread across country borders, creating a situation where the nation is larger than the state.
  • Examples:
    • Germany, where the Germans as a nation may extend beyond the borders of the state.

Ethnic and Cultural Cleavages

  • Explanation of Cleavages:
    • Different cultural groups may coexist within a society, leading to divisions based on ethnicity, religion, language, or tribe.
  • Examples of Cleavages:
    • Religious Divisions:
    • Africa as a simplified example of a divide between a Muslim North and a Christian South.
    • Countries such as Iraq and Sri Lanka may also exhibit similar divides between religious groups and nonreligious individuals.
    • Linguistic Divisions:
    • Different languages spoken at home may indicate underlying ethnic or tribal cleavages.

Challenges of Building Democracy in Plural Societies

  • Problem Statement:
    • The political science literature examines the unique challenges of establishing democracy in deeply divided societies, considering that each society is distinct in its makeup.
  • Solutions Proposed:
    • A suggestion includes the division of multiethnic states into smaller nations to avoid conflict and promote peace.
    • Example: The breakup of Czechoslovakia into Czech Republic and Slovakia.
  • Secession:
    • The process of breaking apart a country due to irreconcilable differences; akin to a divorce, accompanied by division of resources.

Models of Democracy in Plural Societies

  • Majoritarian vs. Consensus Democracy:
    • Majority vision focuses on winning decisions through the majority rule.
    • Consensus democracy emphasizes collaborative decision-making and power sharing.
    • Potential downsides of fragmentation include:
    • Smaller economies may result from the division of states, decreasing overall stability and diversification.
    • A common story in multiple countries, notably Yugoslavia.
  • Impact of Common Enemies:
    • The formation of Yugoslavia was driven by the need to combat external threats (Soviet influence); ceased to exist after the common enemy was gone.
    • Ethnic migrations and violence contributed to its eventual fragmentation.

Depoliticization of Ethnic Cleavages

  • Strategies to Mitigate Cleavages:
    • One approach to eliminate tension is through depoliticizing the existing cleavages; governments have unsuccessfully tried to erase these differences.
  • Extreme measures:
    • Some suggestions for addressing pluralism involve drastic measures like genocide to achieve homogeneity; clearly undesirable solutions.

Power Sharing and Political Competition

  • Lowering Political Stakes:
    • Methods to create a less adversarial political environment; ensuring various groups have incentives to collaborate in governance.
  • Consensus Building:
    • Power-sharing arrangements compel rival groups to cooperate, minimizing winner-loser dynamics in politics.
    • If no ethnic group holds a clear majority, they will need to work together to achieve governance.
    • Example: In Israel, the largest parliamentary faction holds about 20% of the seats.
  • Political Institutions:
    • The design of political institutions must allow for representation of various communities allowing collaborative policymaking.

Bicameralism in Consociational Democracy

  • Benefits of Bicameralism:
    • Allows for differing types of representation; often facilitates power-sharing among ethnic groups.
  • Equal Representation:
    • Each chamber may have distinct mechanisms for representing ethnic groups, emphasizing their importance within governance.
  • Structure of Representation:
    • The upper house may represent ethnic segments while the lower house utilizes proportional representation. This dual structure slows down legislative processes, enhancing power-sharing.

Local Governance and Ethnic Autonomy

  • Autonomy over Local Governance:
    • Some regions allow ethnic groups to manage their educational and linguistic needs, potentially alleviating tensions—each group governs its language policies.
    • Example: Regions can implement diverse educational systems that align with ethnic or linguistic preferences, helping to reduce conflict over language politics.

Institutional Mechanisms in Plural Societies

  • Grand Coalition:
    • A political strategy where all parties in the legislature share governing power; all parties represented in the cabinet reduces the likelihood of opposition forming.
  • Mutual Veto:
    • Decision-making requires support from all recognized groups, ensuring no single group can dominate policy without collaboration.
  • International Institutional Examples:
    • The European Union exemplifies mutual veto with shared decision-making rules across member states.

Case Studies of Consociational Democracy

  • The UK,
    • Typically characterized as a majoritarian state, has gradually moved towards offering more self-governance to regions like Scotland.
  • Switzerland:
    • A federation of cantons with distinct linguistic groups; their governance structure mandates representation across multiple languages in leadership positions.
  • Lebanon:
    • Example of a complex consociational system where political positions are assigned based on demographic statistics from a 1943 census to maintain religious balance.

Conclusion

  • Overall, establishing democracy in plural societies like those described is complex and requires nuanced strategies that consider diverse cultures, languages, and political histories.