What should intercultural public policies be?

Abstract

Frequently, intercultural policies are confused with affirmative actions of multicultural stamp. However, both conceptions have different assumptions and effects. This research establishes the differences between both views from a normative perspective. The main proposal is that affirmative action allows achieving greater equity between cultural groups, but is insufficient to achieve the ideals of interculturalism, which includes: dialogue, respect, coexistence, mutual learning between cultures, and the elimination of the structural causes that produces inequality between them. Therefore it is necessary to advance to a different conception of intercultural policies.