The Value of Normative Models for Understanding Pluralism

AbstractContemporary debates on nationalism, ethnicity, race, identity, and citizenship are largely shaped by the trends of the twentieth century and now wrestle with new problems that do not easily fit older models. There is a need to adapt theories to understand emerging social dynamics and new sites of power. When this is done, normative models and non-dualistic understandings of identity and citizenship best account for group dynamics such as identity politics, populism and situational identities formed in moments of crisis. Normative models also help understand the shift from permanent immigration to temporary migration and how groups relate to one another. The Canadian case can and should be used to understand shifting social dynamics and the importance of normative theories as well as opportunities for theorizing new understandings of identity and citizenship. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 E. 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Al Mallees, “Housing Crisis: Federal Government Sticks by Immigration Plan, Rethinks International Student Flows,” Globe and Mail, 2023, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-housing-crisis-federal-government-sticks-by-immigration-plan-rethinks/42 E. Winter, Us, Them and Others: Pluralism and National Identities in Diverse Societies (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011); Carlaw and Winter, “Conservatism and the Re-Communitarianization of Citizenship in Canada.”43 Statistics Canada, “Police-Reported Hate Crime, 2021,” The Daily. Statistics Canada, 2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230322/dq230322a-eng.htmAdditional informationNotes on contributorsHoward RamosHoward Ramos is a Professor of Sociology at Western University. He is a political sociologist who investigates issues of social justice and equity. He has published on race and ethnicity, social movements, perceptions of change, urban issues, human rights, Indigenous mobilization, environmental advocacy.