The Governance of Cultural Diversities in Spain Linguistic, Religious and Artistic Diversity in Two Autonomous Spanish Communities

Resumen

1. Cultural differences vis-à-vis cultural diversity Nation building has effectively contributed to conceal cultural diversity and socialinequality through the establishment of anoften monolithic discourse whereby cultural homogeneity has become synonymousof socialcohesionand, conversely,cultural diversity is thought to lead tosocial conflict and bea threatto nation states. Nation states havebeen quitesuccessful in inculcating upon thenationalmasses thenotion thatothercultural practices, especially thoseperformed bysubaltern socialgroups (women,youth, ethnicizedsocial groups and immigrants), are “dangerous” for socialcohesion, especiallyif these subaltern groupsengageina social critiquethatquestionsthemarginal position thatis being ascribed to them. Indeed, nationalist logic rests on the assumption that culturally homogeneous societies positively contribute to social cohesion and, conversely, that cultural diversity may bring new forms of social conflict. However, as societies become more diverse and cultural diversity is being increasingly visibilized through global processes, this logic must be superseded. Cultural diversity refers to cultural dynamism, to the capacity of culture to change and transform practices and meanings through the social interaction among diverse social groups. In the context of the Spanish nation-state and its autonomous communities, we could identify three different sources of cultural diversity: regional territorial cultural diversity (e.g. offic