Susan Okin is a feminist philosopher and the author of Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women. Okin’s condemnation of immigrant multiculturalism conveys an extreme form of liberal intolerance shared by liberal feminists alike. Despite raising some valid issues of inequality amongst immigrant societies, Okin’s argument is based on the worst of immigrant culture constructing a misleading narrative about multiculturalism. Here I will analyse Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women to support my argument that Okin’s portrayal of immigrant cultural is in essence liberal intolerance and that the issue faced by women within immigrant cultures is not that of a cultural issue but an issue of cruelty and inequality.
Liberal feminism supports the notion that a strong connection is present between culture and gender which unfavourably positions immigrant women within society. In addressing the matter that the assimilationists approach to immigration is now considered oppressive, Susan Okin questions what can be done when minority cultures clash with the norms of gender equality in liberal states. Raising the dilemma that within …show more content…
Her accusatory stance on multiculturalism, in regards to religious veiling, goes as far to say that “..the slope from veiling to murder is a slippery one”. Arguing that when women from patriarchal cultures migrate to the United States, they should be no less protected from male violence than any other citizen. Although, this should not mean ditching the veil and giving up religious belief or leaving behind heirloom culture, it should mean that all women despite their cultural or religious beliefs, be they of minority or majority, should be entitled and receive that same security and opportunities as every other
Liberal feminism supports the notion that a strong connection is present between culture and gender which unfavourably positions immigrant women within society. In addressing the matter that the assimilationists approach to immigration is now considered oppressive, Susan Okin questions what can be done when minority cultures clash with the norms of gender equality in liberal states. Raising the dilemma that within …show more content…
Her accusatory stance on multiculturalism, in regards to religious veiling, goes as far to say that “..the slope from veiling to murder is a slippery one”. Arguing that when women from patriarchal cultures migrate to the United States, they should be no less protected from male violence than any other citizen. Although, this should not mean ditching the veil and giving up religious belief or leaving behind heirloom culture, it should mean that all women despite their cultural or religious beliefs, be they of minority or majority, should be entitled and receive that same security and opportunities as every other