Od narodu do interkulturowości. Współczesne wyobrażenia na temat zasad życia zbiorowego w społeczeństwie hiszpańskim

Abstract

For the past three decades, i.e. since Spanish universities managed to plunge the ideological and systemic burden of Francoism and verged towards academic autonomy, sociologists have been concurring in the collective effort to reconstruct the public discourse in Spain. The article exhibits discourse dynamics with a focus on major qualitative changes in collective representations. Undesirable evocations are rendered around notions such as domination and confrontation, likewise assimilation is conceived to be a knavish term. The external image of contemporary Spain is efficiently constructed on the grounds of dismissing its own exceptionality for the sake of accountability in the European environment which requires cultural pluralism and constant dialogue. Orientation towards the society combined with massive immigration and prolificating ethnic diversity have necessitated multicultural policy. The rhetoric of Spanish politics is replete with expedient notions used to gain legitimacy for the execution of power. Politics of difference is among the terms which are meticulously used in order to achieve symbolic success. Sufficient concordance with the standards of exchange partners has solicited symbolic and pragmatic anchorage provided until recently by multiculturalism. A currently observed and a critical shift of this politically languishing notion is towards interculturality.