From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain
Although Britain had advertised a change of colonial identity with its multicultural policies, the Windrush Scandal shed light on ongoing racial and ethnic determinisms, questioning the possibility of still adhering to a shared national identity. If Sam Selvon, Caryl Phillips, Andrea Levy and Zadie...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ebc, |
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprache: | Anglais |
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Études britanniques contemporaines
2026
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| Online Zugang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:ebc_18901 |
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openedition |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:ebc_18901 https://doi.org/10.4000/16b34 urn:doi:10.4000/16b34 en https://journals.openedition.org/ebc/18901 2026-06-01T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/16b34 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain Études britanniques contemporaines Presses universitaires de la Méditerranée info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2271-5444 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/1168-4917 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ebc Pinzaru, Anne-Élise Zadie Smith diaspora multiculturalisme Andrea Levy Caryl Phillips Sam Selvon transculturalisme littérature caribéenne Windrush roman réaliste Zadie Smith diaspora multiculturalism Andrea Levy Caryl Phillips Sam Selvon transculturalism Caribbean literature Windrush realist novel Although Britain had advertised a change of colonial identity with its multicultural policies, the Windrush Scandal shed light on ongoing racial and ethnic determinisms, questioning the possibility of still adhering to a shared national identity. If Sam Selvon, Caryl Phillips, Andrea Levy and Zadie Smith, members or descendants of the Windrush generation, foreground the paradoxical static nature of the multicultural transition in Britain and its dire consequences for minorities, they also seem to portray cultural unity as achievable in Moses Ascending (1975), Crossing the River (1993), Small Island (2004), White Teeth (2000) and NW (2012). This paper analyses how, through their deconstruction of the fixed nature of ‘racial purity’ as a criterion for national belonging, their appropriation of the ideals of the British realist novel to renegotiate minority selfhoods, and their showcasing of how migration revitalises British culture, these novelists point to transculturalism as a possible national way forward. Du multiculturalisme au transculturalisme : la transition vers une ‘déconstruction constructive’ dans plusieurs romans britanniques de la diaspora caribéenneBien que le Royaume-Uni ait revendiqué un changement d’identité coloniale à travers sa politique multiculturelle, le scandale Windrush a révélé la perpétuation de déterminismes raciaux et ethniques qui interrogent la possibilité de continuer à adhérer à une identité nationale partagée. Si Sam Selvon, Caryl Phillips, Andrea Levy et Zadie Smith, membres ou descendants de la génération Windrush, soulignent le paradoxe du caractère statique de la transition multiculturelle en Grande-Bretagne et ses effets négatifs sur les minorités, ils semblent aussi suggérer la possibilité d’une unité culturelle dans Moses Ascending (1975), Crossing the River (1993), Small Island (2004), White Teeth (2000) et NW (2012). Cet article analyse la façon dont ces romanciers, par leur déconstruction de la pureté raciale en tant que critère identitaire fixe, leur appropriation des idéaux du roman réaliste britannique pour renégocier des identités minoritaires, et leur représentation de la migration comme revitalisant culturel, présentent le transculturalisme comme voie possible de renouveau national. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
Zadie Smith diaspora multiculturalisme Andrea Levy Caryl Phillips Sam Selvon transculturalisme littérature caribéenne Windrush roman réaliste Zadie Smith diaspora multiculturalism Andrea Levy Caryl Phillips Sam Selvon transculturalism Caribbean literature Windrush realist novel |
| spellingShingle |
Zadie Smith diaspora multiculturalisme Andrea Levy Caryl Phillips Sam Selvon transculturalisme littérature caribéenne Windrush roman réaliste Zadie Smith diaspora multiculturalism Andrea Levy Caryl Phillips Sam Selvon transculturalism Caribbean literature Windrush realist novel Pinzaru, Anne-Élise From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain |
| description |
Although Britain had advertised a change of colonial identity with its multicultural policies, the Windrush Scandal shed light on ongoing racial and ethnic determinisms, questioning the possibility of still adhering to a shared national identity. If Sam Selvon, Caryl Phillips, Andrea Levy and Zadie Smith, members or descendants of the Windrush generation, foreground the paradoxical static nature of the multicultural transition in Britain and its dire consequences for minorities, they also seem to portray cultural unity as achievable in Moses Ascending (1975), Crossing the River (1993), Small Island (2004), White Teeth (2000) and NW (2012). This paper analyses how, through their deconstruction of the fixed nature of ‘racial purity’ as a criterion for national belonging, their appropriation of the ideals of the British realist novel to renegotiate minority selfhoods, and their showcasing of how migration revitalises British culture, these novelists point to transculturalism as a possible national way forward. |
| author |
Pinzaru, Anne-Élise |
| author_facet |
Pinzaru, Anne-Élise |
| author_sort |
Pinzaru, Anne-Élise |
| title |
From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain |
| title_short |
From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain |
| title_full |
From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain |
| title_fullStr |
From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain |
| title_full_unstemmed |
From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: the Case for a Transition to ‘Constructive Deconstruction’ in Caribbean Diasporic Novels in Britain |
| title_sort |
from multiculturalism to transculturalism: the case for a transition to ‘constructive deconstruction’ in caribbean diasporic novels in britain |
| publisher |
Études britanniques contemporaines |
| publishDate |
2026 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ebc |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/16b34 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/ebc/18901 |
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1877291684564303872 |