Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a pattern of social organization that has increased in the global era. It refers to a way of incorporating diverse ethnic groups into the mainstream societies of liberal democratic nations, one that seeks to find unity in diversity. Thus, it can be viewed as an alternative to assimilation, which refers to the emergence of unity via the reduction or elimination of diversity.

Multiculturalism represents a philosophical position that underpins a political project, one that begins with a specific answer to the question, “Can people with diverse cultural identities be viewed as equal if in the public sphere they are only considered in terms of universal values, and that which makes them distinctive is ignored?” The answer is, “No.” The question is relevant insofar as most of the world's liberal democracies are composed of a multiplicity of ethnic groups—including immigrants, indigenous peoples, and ethnonational minorities—and globalization has resulted in an increase in diversity.

Multiculturalism as practice manifests itself in two ways—from minority groups making demands and from the state seeking to manage diversity—that are inherently interdependent. Philosophical arguments on behalf of multiculturalism begin with the former, concentrating on articulating the rationale for such claims. As such, multiculturalism should be seen as an arena for claims making. More specifically, multiculturalist claims are political claims articulated by subjects on behalf of a collective identity and reinforced by the efforts of intergovernmental organizations to codify a complex array of legal and quasi-legal normative standards designed to protect vulnerable minorities. The claims involved are of a particular type, one that constitutes a “politics of recognition” or what more commonly has become known as “identity politics.”

Recognition refers to the ways that others respond to the individual. On the one hand, recognition entails a call for equal dignity. The politics of recognition calls for seeing beyond that which makes us different—race, gender, religion, and so forth—in order to grasp the significance of a shared humanity. Multiculturalists see this as one aspect of a politics of recognition. In itself, it does not move us past traditional liberal perspectives, which see the goal as arriving at a state of colorblindness, gender-blindness, and so on. What does distinguish multiculturalism from traditional liberalism is that the call for equal dignity is complemented by a call for equal respect, which is predicated on an appreciation of difference.

The signal difference between national minorities and indigenous peoples on the one hand and immigrants on the other is that only the former are appropriate candidates for group representation in the political system and thus for some semblance of self-government. Immigrants have no claim to territorial rights; thus, policies providing for regional autonomy, self-rule, and the like are inapplicable. What then are the rights that immigrants can reasonably lay claim to? Noting that very few voluntary immigrants seek to avoid integration into the host society's societal culture (the Amish being a classic example of a group that has consciously and assertively opted to avoid inclusion), immigrant multiculturalism concerns what are fair terms of integration.

Some of the policies that have been enacted that are intended to promote integration of all three types of groups in ways that reveal a respect for cultural diversity include antiracist and affirmative action programs designed to combat prejudice and discrimination that lead to marginalization. Multicultural policies are closely linked to educational campaigns, which can include curricular changes in schools to include units on an appreciation of cultural diversity, funding ethnic festivals, cultural sensitivity seminars in the workplace, and so forth. Yet another aspect of fair terms involves being prepared in various ways to accommodate different cultural practices in public life, in schools, and in the workplace. This can entail offering religious minorities days off from work on important religious holidays or revising dress codes. Finally, minority groups can demand and obtain certain group-specific policies aimed at ensuring that they have genuine political voice. This can include special sections in political parties or the design of electoral districts in a manner designed to enhance minority representation in legislative bodies.

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