France for the (Naturalized) French? Multiculturalism and French National Identity

Abstract: Following the inauguration of the ministry for Immigration, Integration, Co-development and National identity (MIICNI) in May 2007, French national identity has been the focus of close scrutiny. In a pioneering governmental project France is seeking to promote national identity, but is the promotion of national identity compatible with multicultural diversity? The paper is a discussion of the governmental discourse of French national identity analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). It seeks to bring to the fore a critical account of the newly rising discourse on French national identity. A national identity discourse is not totally at odds with multicultural society, but the exclusion of foreign cultures in the paradigm is to a certain extent detrimental in a multicultural society. This paper discusses multiculturalism on a local, national and global level and seeks to critically analyse the applicability of cultural racism theory in the case of French national identity.