Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. The term was coined in Canada in the 1960s, but has since spread around the world.

Descriptive Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a term often used to describe societies with a proliferation of different cultures. Around the world wealthy countries have large numbers of immigrants with their own cultures and languages. This multicultural reality has caused problems in some nations, but also has led to cultural exchanges that have benefited both groups. For instance the introduction of the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent to the United Kingdom has revolutionized eating in that country.

The term 'multicultural' can also be used to refer to localities in cities where people of different cultures co-exist. The actions of planners and those engaged in formulating public housing policy can result in some areas remaining monocultural, often due to pressure groups active in the local political arena. This term is especially current in the UK.

Official Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism can also be a prescriptive term which describes government policy.

In dealing with immigrants groups and their cultures, there are essentially three approaches-

• Monoculturalism: In most Old World nations, culture is very closely linked to nationalism, thus government policy is to assimilate immigrants. France, for example is very concerned about immigrant groups adopting French culture.
• Melting Pot: In the United States the traditional view has been for a Melting Pot where all the world's cultures are peacefully mixed and amalgamated.
• Multiculturalism: a view that immigrants, and others, should preserve their cultures and the different cultures should interact peacefully within one nation. Today, this is the official policy of Canada and Australia.

No country, both in past or present, has fully fallen into one of these categories. For example, France has made efforts to adapt French culture to new immigrant groups, while Canada still has many policies that work to encourage assimilation.

Others, such as Diane Ravitch, use the term multiculturalism differently, describing both the Melting Pot, and Canada's Mosaic as being multicultural and refers to them as pluralistic and particularist multiculturalism. Pluralistic multiculturalism views each culture or subculture in a society as contributing unique and valuable cultural aspects to the whole culture. Particularist multiculturalism is more concerned with preserving the distinctions between cultures.

Origins

The word grew out of Biculturalism, which had long been Canada's official policy to deal with the differences between the English-speaking majority and substantial French-speaking minority. In the 1960s, the biculturalist view was challenged by groups as diverse as First Nations and Chinese immigrants and this counter opinion was termed "multiculturalist". Under Pierre Trudeau in 1971, the nation moved to an official policy geared towards multiculturalism. This policy has been supported by every subsequent government and was added to Canada's 1982 constitution.

Implementation

Around the world, important government multicultural policies can include:

• dual citizenship
• government support for newspapers, television, and radio in minority languages
• support for minority festivals, holidays, and celebrations
• acceptance of traditional and religious dress in schools, the military, and society in general
• support for arts from cultures around the world
• programs to encourage minority representation in politics, education, and the work force

While multiculturalist policies oppose cultural assimilation, countries such as Canada do support structural assimilation. Immigrant groups are still encouraged to participate in the larger society, learn the majority languages, and enter the labour force.

Official Multiculturalism Around the World

The other country to have most fully adopted Canada's view of multiculturalism is Australia where many of these policies related to multiculturalism are pursued.

In the United States multiculturalism is not an official policy. However, the government, in recent years, moved to support many multiculturalist policies. In some ways, the United States has gone even further than Canada with such policies as gerrymandered districts to guarantee minority representation in government.

Like in the United States, the United Kingdom also does not have an official policy supporting multiculturalism, but does have a number of programs with these goals.

Multiculturalism, along with other identity politics, has, in part, been so successful because it is a useful tool for politicians to win the votes of minority groups. Government money for cultural celebrations or ethnic-specific newspapers can encouage new immigrants to support the governing party.

Criticisms

There have been many criticisms of official multiculturalism from both the left and right. Criticizing the policies can be difficult, however, because they can quickly lead to accusations of racism and xenophobia.

Diane Ravitch argues that the celebration of multicultural diversity in America is used to mask hostility toward the mainstream, as multiculturalists would claim that that mainstream has ignored blacks, women, American Indians, and so on in history.

One of the dangers of pursuing multiculturist social policies is that social integration and cultural assimilation can be held back. This can potentially encourage economic disparities and an exclusion of minority groups from mainstream politics. The political commentator Matthew Parris has questioned whether the pursuit of particularist multiculturalism is not apartheid by another name.

In Canada, the most noted Canadian critics of multiculturalism are Neil Bissoondath and Reginald Bibby. In his Selling Illusions: The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada, the Trinidad born Bissoondath argues that official multiculturalism limits the freedom of minority members by confining them to cultural and geographic ghettos. He also argues that cultures are far too complex and must be transmitted through close family and kin relations. To him, the government view of cultures as being about festivals and cuisine is a crude oversimplification that leads to easy stereotyping.

Bibby, in his Mosaic Madness: Pluralism Without a Cause, argues that official multiculturalism is a divisive force that is reducing national solidarity and unity.

See also: Transculturation

Links

• Multiculturalism: E Pluribus Plures - article by Diane Ravitch on pluralistic vs. particularistic multiculturalism
• News (10-Apr-2004): British Head of Commission for Racial Equality says the term should be scrapped