Pleased to share that my article “Democratic Equality in a Populist Anti-Multicultural Era” has been published in Nations & Nationalism. I wrote it in late 2023, following the most recent Dutch parliamentary elections.
The article is agnostic about the desirability of multiculturalism. Instead, it highlights how anti-multiculturalism has had far greater political impact in the Netherlands than multiculturalism ever did—especially as the latter was never truly implemented in its academic form. Drawing on Baukje Prins’ concept of “new realism,” a Dutch form of anti-multiculturalism she described as early as 2002, the article explores how these discourses gained traction.
I believe it will be of interest to readers engaged with the political shifts in the Netherlands during the 1990s and 2000s, particularly the rise of populism rooted in the idea of a corrupt leftist elite promoting cultural relativism against the will of ordinary citizens.
On a deeper level, the article argues that anti-movements—for example, anti-woke—should be understood as political forces in their own right. It’s not necessary to defend “woke” (whatever that may mean) to recognize that anti-woke rhetoric is often used to push illiberal, anti-democratic agendas and jeopardize equal citizenship.
Though academic, the article is (I hope) written in a relatively accessible style—so if you’re curious to read a scholarly piece, this one might be worth a look.
