Some of my findings on multiculturalism

Some of my prep work towards the presentation:

• Brief outline of what our aims of this presentation are.

The aim of our presentation is to objectively look at the theory and doctrine (past, present and future) of multiculturalism ,and as a group example of multiculturalism in ourselves - to draw a conclusion on its legitimacy.


• What is multiculturalism?

Is a term associated in principle with the values of equality, tolerance, and inclusiveness toward migrants of ethnically different backgrounds. Outside of its principle meaning, multiculturalism is interpreted today as “the doctrine of the state to actively encourage its citizens to retain the values of the culture from which they came; as a positive, in, and of, itself” (Johann Hari, columnist for The Independent).

While the precise meaning of the word is never clear, multiculturalism refers generally to the dilemmas and difficulties of the politics of difference.

• Where did multiculturalism come from?

Multiculturalism is a product of liberalism and democracy.

A direct adjective of the term multicultural (‘of, or, pertaining to a society consisting of varied cultural groups’), multiculturalism first came into wide circulation in the 1970s in Canada and Australia as the name for a strategic dogma of government policy to help in the management of ethnic pluralism within the national polity. A reaction to a world (and localized) issue to the mounting comprehension of the unintended social and cultural consequences of large-scale immigration. The first doctrine of multiculturalism was by the Canadian Royal Commission in 1965 as an endorsement as an article of faith and important political advancement.

Multiculturalism is commonplace in Western liberal democracies today, promote it’s guiding principle as a positive alternative for policies of assimilation - instead implying a politics of recognition of the rights of a citizen, thus identifying with ethnic minorities and promoting cultural diversity.

In reality multiculturalism has been put into practice evoked as a response to the need to address real or potential ethnic tension and racial conflict and often not embraced by the majority of the society of which it is placed. Multiculturalism is widely debated as to it relevance and success in the world in which we live today.

Peace
Chris