SOCS209 - Multiculturalism: Examining Success & Critiques in Society

This essay examines the extent to which multiculturalism serves as a successful model for managing difference in contemporary society. It delves into various theoretical perspectives, including communitarian views, Kantian ethics, and postcolonial theories, while also addressing counterarguments such as cosmopolitanism, tolerance critiques, and universalist ideas of equality. The analysis considers the importance of individual beliefs, acculturation, and cultural interaction in shaping a multicultural society. It acknowledges potential challenges in managing a society with diverse cultural interactions and emphasizes the need for understanding individual perspectives and behaviors. Ultimately, the essay argues that a nuanced understanding of multiculturalism, informed by various theoretical frameworks, is crucial for fostering cultural harmony and addressing the complexities of modern societies. Desklib offers a platform for students to access this essay and a wealth of other academic resources to aid in their studies.

Running head: MULTICULTURALISM
Multiculturalism
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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To what extent is multiculturalism a successful model of dealing with difference? Make
sure to engage with critiques of multiculturalism in your response.
In the modern society, with the advent of globalisation and shared culture
multiculturalism is an upcoming ideology. As transport and communication channels have
become easier, the movement of the communities from one place to another have also improve
drastically. Compared to earlier times there are more number of countries which have a
multicultural environment and people from multiple ethnicity is living in them than ever in the
history of mankind. The development of search shared economy and society which have people
from different ethnicities living in them makes it relatively easier for the general understanding
of shared culture. The theory is based on multiculturalism and focus on development of society
in which people with multiple ethnicities and from various cultural backgrounds can live in
harmony (Crowder 2013). The ethnographic study based on various cultural attributes that an
individual has while living in the society compared to their own ethnic norms have to make a
mutual understanding in this context. In this essay, the importance of multiculturalism in the
understanding of the differences in the society are studied in detail. The various theories that
are related to multiculturalism and the implication of the theories in the daily life are to be put
into perspective for the in-depth understanding of the multiculturalism in the present society.
Firstly to understand the multiculturalism theory and its implications the various theories
which include the Communitarian view, Kantian Ethics of multiculturalism and Postcolonial
theories of multiculturalism. Secondly it takes into account the counterarguments of the theories
in including The Cosmopolitan View, Tolerance Critique, Diversion from Politics, The
Universalist Ideas Of Equality and The Postcolonial Critique. To conclude it has been found that

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the individual beliefs and acculturation hold an important place in the understanding of a
multicultural society.
The multiculturalism in the society will lead to major issues the management of the
society due to the rise in the amount cultural interaction in the society. The interaction among the
different individuals in the society have to be focussed on the individual aspects of development
of the people in the society. The multicultural approach to the understanding of different aspects
have to be previewed in the light of different theories that have been put forward to understand
multiculturalism in the society in the light of cultural ideologies of the area. The rise in the
amount of cultural harmony in the society due to the understanding of the cultural society due to
understanding of the various aspects relating to overall, understanding of the individuals in the
society and their behavioural patterns (Crowder 2013). There are a number of theories to
understand the development of multiculturalism.
The Communitarian View of the perceptions of the philosophy of life takes into account
the individualistic views of the people focussing on the overall understanding views of the
people in pursuing their goals in life. The individual perspectives their understandings regarding
the various aspects that can be used in the overall understanding of the facets that help in the
governing of the human behaviour in communitarian society. However, they focus on the
development of the society or the community as a prime motive rather than the individual growth
of the people in the society. As the theory goes on to explain the individual cannot define oneself
different from the society. On the contrary, they have to be in constant discourse with the society
to understand the aspects of society that affect them in detail (Andreotti 2011). As the identities
of the people are formed by individual perspectives focussing on the gradual acculturation which
develops with social and cultural development. The identities of people being affected by the

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cross cultural perspectives have to be reconsidered in the light of the sociological constructs of
the society.
The view that focusses on the Kantian Ethics of the ways of life in the persuasion of the
norms of living the life in the society focusses on Liberal egalitarian views of the social balance.
The Kantian views of the society based on multiculturalism focusses on the development of the
ideals that the cultural membership of an individual is a primary good. To have an adequate
amount of autonomy in the society one has to focus on providing adequate amount of option that
one can choose from in the society. The identification of the self and their belonging in the
society has major role to play in the understanding of the individual perspectives of the self in
the society other that the development of ideals for the growth and development of an egalitarian
society (Kubota 2014). It simply means that there is a deep link between the identification of the
self by an individual and becoming the part of the cultural group of which they are a part. This
proves to be ill for the minority groups due to the limitations in the number of the cultural groups
of which one can be a part in the society. The overall rise in the number of social discrepancy
due to the lack in the cultural interaction among their own communities makes them liable to
have a number of benefits for themselves in the society. One of the important factors in this
context in the individual perspectives of minority communities is that they have to be given
special consideration to mitigate the discrepancy that creeps in. the theory that focusses on the
fact that an individual can be born in a culture in the society that is dominant is a matter of luck
(Habermas 2018). The importance of taking the luck factor into account needs to focus on the
individual identities and self-determination of the people in such social scenarios. The rise in
amount of people who are migrants and immigrants in the society are often subdued by the lack
of the cultural correlation in the society (Kubota 2014). The understanding of the cultural

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correlation between individual and social perspectives of people in the society is one of the
important aspects in understanding of Kantian ethics in human society.
There are other theories contradicting the understanding of the individualistic
perspectives of the social situations such as the Freedom Theory of multiculturalism. The theory
poses that domination is one of the major threats in the development of the society. The major
issues of contention based on the theory and its overall understanding in the society focusses on
not interference in the human actions in the dominant society. Importance of the freedom from
the domination in the society is one of the important human goods in the society. The rise in the
amount of social practices that involve domination are few of the important factors that are to be
considered in this context (Kymlicka 2014). The practices in the society should focus on the
reduction of domination that is present in the society. For example, the practice of wearing
headscarves should be reduced to improve the individual perspectives of patriarchal involvement
of the individuals in the society. It has been pointed out in this connection by Levitt that
individual connection to certain practices may make them subjected to a number of individual
attachment to certain practices in the society. This makes them be subject to exploitation in the
hands of different entities. The practices that do not focus on subjecting domination on
individuals, accommodation is permissible but is not necessary. As it takes into account the
broader structures of power domination in the society it is often seen as the extension of the
liberal egalitarian theories of multiculturalism (Hoffman, Granger and Mansilla 2016). However,
it takes into account special accommodation for the understanding of the individual perspectives
of the people in the society to focus on the minorities that exist in the society. The
accommodation is provided based on the perspectives of the balance of the society to make the
opportunities equal to everyone.

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The Postcolonial Perspective of the multiculturalism is based on the individualistic
perspectives of the society based on the atrocities and the bias that the different cultures have
faced in the times of colonization. The authority of the domination over the aboriginal societies
are issues that establish a dominance in the society. The theories of post colonialism focus on the
development of sovereignty among the different states in the society (Dirlik 2018). This focusses
on the understanding of the individual claims of the people for personal understanding of social
behavior in the society. In the post-colonial societies the cultural understanding of the society is
based on socio-cultural dialogue and political understanding of the society. The multicultural
societies consist of people in the society consisting of numerous religious cultural and moral
outlooks (Cuyjet, Howard-Hamilton and Cooper 2012). The liberalism is the society based on
post-colonial theory is therefore not free of culture but rather has a culture of their own. The
post-colonial view also focuses on the growth in the society taking into account the different
perspectives based on which the people in the society are increasingly affected by social and
cultural mingling. The modern views of multiculturalism has to take into account the interaction
patterns that the various cultures have with each other. The understanding of different cultures
through discourse will help in the understanding of the social and cultural values of the society
focusing on individualistic perspectives.
The theories face a number of criticism in the wake of developing globalization and
shared cultural values. There are a number of theories that oppose the thought of
multiculturalism the society as they go on to focus on completely different outlooks of the
individual perspectives in the society.
The Cosmopolitan View takes into account that the modern view of the culture in the
society is not dependent on singular perspectives and variable understanding of the different

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cultures. With mass migration a number of cultures have learnt to interact and live with each
other in harmony in the present globalised society (Pedersen 2013). This is one of the views that
the Cosmopolitan view of culture presents. In the present society the culture is and ever changing
entity which involves and changes according to the needs of the social situations and interference
of customs of different cultural values (Delanty and Harris 2018). There may be a number of
individual entities in different societal cultures but there is an overlapping of various cultural
values which make it tough to define minor population in cultural groups.
One of the important critiques that is present to the multicultural theory is the Tolerance
Critique, which explains that toleration in the society requires Indifference rather than
accommodation. Indifference in interaction between different cultures and the values focusing on
each other’s individual rights is one of the tenets of forging a society which is indifferent in
attitude and behaviour (Weiner 2018). This presents individuals from mingling or pointing into
each other’s cultural values as a Taboo and Indifference towards each other's cultural behaviours
would make a society or multicultural one. The toleration also takes into account the tolerance
towards intermingling of the cultures and movement from one culture to another via without
being judged for the same.
Diversion From Politics of redistribution is another important factor governing the
growth of multiculturalism in different societies around the world. The political distribution is
not a social a psychological change but a rather change in economic redistribution of wealth and
opportunities for the people to get the things they want to achieve based on their individual
talents and proficiencies. For a society to be truly multicultural it also has to be unbiased towards
growth and development in the society (Mohanty 2013). The collaboration of different economic
policies along with governmental Outlook towards cultural divide should focus on bringing the

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individual groups together based on providing equal opportunities depending on individual
proficiencies rather than cultural groups.
The Universalist Ideas Of Equality takes into account that people of different cultural
and religious belief should be held responsible for their minority status. There are different
opportunities which are available in the society but people who do not take up due to religious or
ethnic reasons as it might hurt their cultural sentiments (McLaren 2018). In this case the
multicultural society does not fail itself but is failed by the beliefs of the people to whom it
caters.
On the other hand The Postcolonial Critique of multicultural theory focuses on the
reinforcement of the ideas rather than transforming old structures to build a better infrastructure
for indigenous communities (McLaren 2018). Rather than making plans to give them more
facilities for free government should focus on educating them and a culturing them into the
mainstream society.
To conclude it can be said that there are a number of theories of multiculturalism which
focus on the growth and development of the globalised society in the modern world. However
the functioning of the society cultural values and beliefs of the people hold an important
undertone in determining the multiculturalism. The critics point out that there are many flaws in
the overall planning of different governmental policies economic reinforcements and individual
cultural values which is a hindrance towards creating a truly multicultural society in the present
world. However multicultural overlapping there are people who still strictly adhere to their own
beliefs and rights rather than understanding other cultures.

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References
Andreotti, V., 2011. Actionable postcolonial theory in education. Springer.
Crowder, G., 2013. Theories of multiculturalism: An introduction. Polity.
Cuyjet, M.J., Howard-Hamilton, M.F. and Cooper, D.L. eds., 2012. Multiculturalism on campus:
Theory, models, and practices for understanding diversity and creating inclusion. Stylus
Publishing, LLC..
Delanty, G. and Harris, N., 2018. The idea of critical cosmopolitanism. In Routledge
International Handbook of Cosmopolitanism Studies (pp. 113-122). Routledge.
Dirlik, A., 2018. The postcolonial aura: Third World criticism in the age of global capitalism.
Routledge.
Habermas, J., 2018. Inclusion of the other: Studies in political theory. John Wiley & Sons.
Hoffman, L., Granger, N. and Mansilla, M., 2016. Multiculturalism and meaning in existential
and positive psychology. In Clinical Perspectives on Meaning (pp. 111-130). Springer, Cham.
Kubota, R., 2014. The multi/plural turn, postcolonial theory, and neoliberal multiculturalism:
Complicities and implications for applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 37(4), pp.474-494.
Kymlicka, W., 2014. The essentialist critique of multiculturalism: theories, policies, ethos.
McLaren, P., 2018. Revolutionary multiculturalism: Pedagogies of dissent for the new
millennium. Routledge.

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Mohanty, C.T., 2013. Transnational feminist crossings: On neoliberalism and radical
critique. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 38(4), pp.967-991.
Pedersen, P., 2013. Multiculturalism as a fourth force. Routledge.
Weiner, M.F., 2018. Curricular Alienation: Multiculturalism, Tolerance, and Immigrants in
Dutch Primary School History Textbooks. Humanity & Society, 42(2), pp.147-170.