Multiculturalism in the light of Raymond Boudon's sociology

Contemporary ethnocultural pluralism calls for new responses and public policies. Multiculturalism is both a social philosophy and a public policy, aimed at addressing the integration of immigrants into developed societies. However, it is also a sociological reality that brings about new challenges for social cohesion. Do these policies lead groups to isolate themselves in their cultural differences? The sociology of Raymond Boudon enables us to explain many dificulties involved in the process of immigrant integration, such as conlicting values, cultural relativism, the effects of non-deliberate coordination, and the aggregation of preferences. These dificulties allow us to grasp the philosophical limits of the Anglo-American liberal tradition and also draw attention to the social processes of cultural diversity coexisting in the same public spaces.