ABSTRACT
A multicultural society, that is, a society which includes several distinct cultural, ethnic and religious communities, needs to find ways of reconciling two equally legitimate and sometimes conflicting demands. Its minority communities generally cherish and wish to preserve and transmit their ways of life. A society, however, cannot last long without some degree of cohesion and a sense of common belonging. It also has its own way of life which it is equally anxious to preserve. This raises the question as to how it should integrate its minorities and organise its collective life so that it satisfies their legitimate aspirations without losing its unity and continuity. In this chapter I do two things. First, I outline and assess the adequacy of the various models of integration canvassed in the literature on the subject, and second, I use my theoretical analysis of these models to elucidate the manner in which Britain has sought to integrate its ethnic minorities.
