Pluralistic Country Research Articles

Equal Opportunity in a Pluralistic Society

The United States has never been culturally or religiously homogeneous, but its diversity has greatly increased over the last century. Although the U.S. was first a multicultural nation through conquest and enslavement, its present diversity is due equally to immigration. In this paper I try to explain the difference it makes for one area of thought and policy – equal opportunity – if we incorporate cultural and religious pluralism into our national self-image. Formulating and implementing a policy of equal opportunity is more difficult in diverse, pluralistic countries than it is in homogeneous ones. My focus is cultural and religious diversity in the United States, but my conclusions will apply to many other countries – including ones whose pluralism is found more in religion than in culture.

Trends in the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Recurrent Cost Budget, 1980-88

The Harvard Institute for International Development provided consulting to government ministries in Kenya during the Daniel Arap Moi regime. This report was one of several that were prepared during that multi-year consultancy. It should be understood in the context of Kenya's development as a pluralistic country, and reveals the struggle to provide government services while attending to the pressures of regional constituencies.

DIE KONINGSKAP VAN CHRISTUS EN DIE STAAT IN ‘N GODSDIENSTIG-PLURALISTIESE LAND - RESPONS: W P Esterhuyse, Departement Filosofie, Universiteit van Stellenbosch

THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST AND THE STATE IN A RELIGIOUSLY PLURALISTIC COUNTRY Referring to the argument that the granting of more political rights to the so-called Coloured and Asian population groups will jeopardize the Christian character of the South African state, as these groups include many adherent of non-Christian religions, the author examines the question whether the ideal of a Christian state must necessarily lead to such a conclusion. He contends that those who use this argument are probably influenced by a type of theocratic thinking of Dutch origin in which the corpus Christianum ideal still plays a large role. In doing so, they too easily identify the White South African society (or even Afrikanerdom) with Christianity, resulting in their defense of a form of political discrimination against these population groups on religious grounds. The author argues that the necessity to distinguish clearly between the character of the Church and state, makes this view untenable. He contends that the Christian character of the state cannot be upheld by discriminatory political measures.

Naḥwa al-Tafattuḥi al-Islāmī: I’ādat binā’ al-Fikr al-Islāmī bi Indūnīsīyā

This article discusses about Islamic thinking on religious diversity in Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the most pluralist countries in the world because of its diverse ethnic groups and religions. Although the majority of its population are Muslim, the country has become neither a religious nor a secular state. In this country, every citizen regardless of his or her religious background has the freedom to express their belief and faith as long as they abide to the religious tolerance established by the state (kerukunan hidup beragama), and does not impinge on other religious institutions.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v17i2.464

Education and National Integration in Nigeria

The new nations of the world hold many expectations for their education systems. They expect that schools will produce the labour force for their manpower requirements, the leadership for their bureaucracies, and the citizenry for an enlightened social order. In pluralistic countries, governments expect also that schools will assist in integrating sub-populations fragmented by religious, linguistic, or ethnic differences. This article will examine the theme, ‘education and national integration’, in Nigeria, whose federal form of government was erected in recognition of profound cultural disparities.