TY - JOUR
T1 - From polarisation to pluralisation
T2 - A deliberative approach to illiberal cultures
AU - ERCAN, Selen
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - This article outlines the advantages of a deliberative democratic approach to ‘illiberal cultures’ and polarised debates in contemporary multicultural societies. In doing so, it draws on the insights of agonistic pluralism, and shows that a cross-fertilisation between certain variants of deliberative democracy and agonistic pluralism is both possible and desirable. Focusing particularly on the works of John Dryzek and William Connolly, the article highlights three normative criteria for polities to aspire to, if not fully achieve, to democratise the debates over illiberal cultural practices. These include: i) an expanded notion of inclusion underpinned by the principle of agonistic respect; ii) the presence of spaces that facilitate interaction and contestation among the multiple publics of a culturally contested issue; and iii) the generation of concrete outcomes based on discursive contestation among multiple publics. To illustrate how approximation to these criteria might look in practice, the article focuses on the example of the honour-killing debate in Britain.
AB - This article outlines the advantages of a deliberative democratic approach to ‘illiberal cultures’ and polarised debates in contemporary multicultural societies. In doing so, it draws on the insights of agonistic pluralism, and shows that a cross-fertilisation between certain variants of deliberative democracy and agonistic pluralism is both possible and desirable. Focusing particularly on the works of John Dryzek and William Connolly, the article highlights three normative criteria for polities to aspire to, if not fully achieve, to democratise the debates over illiberal cultural practices. These include: i) an expanded notion of inclusion underpinned by the principle of agonistic respect; ii) the presence of spaces that facilitate interaction and contestation among the multiple publics of a culturally contested issue; and iii) the generation of concrete outcomes based on discursive contestation among multiple publics. To illustrate how approximation to these criteria might look in practice, the article focuses on the example of the honour-killing debate in Britain.
KW - Agonism
KW - Britain
KW - deliberative democracy
KW - honour killing
KW - illiberal culture
KW - polarisation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011604937&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0192512115619465
DO - 10.1177/0192512115619465
M3 - Article
VL - 38
SP - 114
EP - 127
JO - International Political Science Review
JF - International Political Science Review
SN - 0192-5121
IS - 1
ER -