The concept of "people" in the context of interculturality and social heterogeneity

Abstract

The heterogeneity that comes with modernization forces the dissolution or weakening of collective identities. But doesn't a democracy also need the idea of community? This could consist in the idea of the people, which populist movements worldwide rely on, but which, in their view, implies a homogeneity that does not exist. Would it be possible, however, to conceive of a heterogeneous concept of people that is related to a collective identity pattern? One answer could be linked to the concept of interculturality as a regulatory idea. Another answer refers to the concept of popular sovereignty and unfolds its legal space. Thirdly, reference can be made to the solidarity component, which was developed within the framework of the welfare state and is also contained in the “theology of the people”. On the basis of the conceptual clarification of the people and heterogeneity, the three response strategies are tested for their usefulness and appropriateness.