The relation between multiculturalism, interculturalism and cosmopolitanism in UK diversity politics

Abstract

This article assesses whether multiculturalism, interculturalism and cosmopolitanism find themselves in tension or, rather, coexist in UK politics. This is done through the analysis of recent policy and civil society documents, complemented with semi-structured interviews with race equality organizations. Results suggest a complementary relationship between these normative perspectives, with interculturalism and multiculturalism jointly shaping the central government’s policy as well as the discourse of civil society organizations. As for cosmopolitanism, it manifests itself primarily in civil society’s support for a more humane system for asylum seekers, as well as in the endorsement of EU intervention in the governance of cultural diversity.