Minorities—An Expression of Diversity and an Exercise in Tolerance

Abstract

Every country in the world is confronted with minorities, and resulting problems have always to be solved in the specific context. The conventional approach to the minority issue is from a quantitative perspective (minorities seen as numerically inferior groups), but beyond this simple perspective there are other concerns, such as the access to and the exercise of power, which determine the relationships between majority and minorities. Every society is a system, composed of numerous elements, and there are usually minorities of some sort. This fact is often forgotten by the mainstream and/or dominant social group(s). Certain minorities are therefore either overlooked or persecuted, and also the political system tends to ignore them. Ethnic and cultural groups figure prominently among such minorities, but we can add others, such as the handicapped, the poor, the unemployed, or ex-convicts. However, there is also the possibility of an alternative approach: minorities can be seen positively, as a sign of diversity and a reminder of certain human duties. Diversity is desirable because it is the opposite to (sterile) uniformity and a challenge to linear thinking. It also ensures the long-term survival of a society and its development potential. The chapter addresses the minority issue by drawing on the example of Switzerland, a country composed of several overlapping minority groups. The political challenge is substantial, and the changing national and international contexts put the system to a constant test.