Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism has a great significance in the present times when migration,

globalization and information revolution are the order of the day. There is
enormous interaction between individuals of different cultures owing to the
abovementioned factors. Here culture means the system of values, norms and
etiquettes shared by people of common religion, race, language or region.
Multiculturalism can be said to have two denotations – Descriptive and Normative.
Descriptive meaning just implies the existence of different cultures within a
territory simultaneously. Normative or Philosophical meaning is the one with
which we are concerned here.
Multiculturalism, as a philosophy, advocates for the recognition of different

cultures and their associated value systems in their own right without having any
normative bias towards them. Lord Bhikhu Parekh is the central figure amongst the
proponents of multiculturalism. According to him, distinct cultures provide distinct
frame of references towards the world to their members {cultural
embeddedness}. Each culture creates its own meaning of the world through the
continuous interplay of various strands of thought prevalent within itself. {plural
constitution} The norms, values, etiquettes thus generated enable an individual to
judge the extraneous situations, things, behavior as good or bad and thereafter
decide his own reaction to them. This process of synthesis also highlights the
limitation of a single culture in grasping the totality of reality existing out there.
Since each culture will have a limited experience, it cannot have a system of
meanings and values created for the totality of the human existence. In this
scenario, it takes help from other cultures and derive a system of meaning and
becomes more rich in the process.{inescapability and desirability of plurality of
cultures}{Jaina Theory of Syadavada}
The gamut of ideas of multiculturalism in the social and political arena follows
from the above account. First of all, no single culture should be considered
superior to others since every culture is specific in its own way. Every culture
should be given due respect since no culture is perfect in itself. There should not be
efforts to impose one culture on the members of different culture. It is natural to
have different viewpoints about the same thing by the members of different
cultures. One cannot term the other inferior or wrong since their frame of reference
to see the thing is different. The due recognition of cultural rights of minorities is
thus especially desired.
Multiculturalism is criticized on many grounds, like Amartya Sen argues that

Multiculturalism holds a solitarist approach in understanding the human identity.
According to him, a human being holds multiple identities. He can at the same
time be a manager, a black, a tall person, a poet, a feminist, a good piano player, a
good swimmer, a Muslim and a Tamil. Compartmentalizing his identity into one of
these groups is not a wise choice. This solitarist approach inbreeds hatred,
intolerance and violence in society. Liberals accuse multiculturalism of
encouraging the deprivation of an individual of its autonomy. With great emphasis
being put on following the cultural values and norms, an individual is unable to
exercise his own will. One another major criticism is that Multiculturalism act as a
hindrance in the way of inclusion of minority communities into the mainstream of
society. Recent remarks by German chancellor Angela Merkel that ‘Multikulti i.e.
Multiculturalism has been failed in Germany’ highlights this viewpoint. Owing to
recognition of their culture separate from the majority culture of a nation, minority
community may either not try to learn the widespread national culture or majority
community may not encourage them to do so. This leads to a vicious circle of
paranoia and skepticism in minority and majority community respectively which is
detrimental to the social health of a nation ultimately. This phenomenon is
observed in the recent events in the European continent from banning of turban in
schools in France to that of minarets in Switzerland.
From one vantage point, multiculturalism seems to be losing its ground

but when we take a holistic view this is not the case. All of the above criticisms
exaggerated the first postulate of multiculturalism i.e. cultural embeddedness. The
critics who charge Multiculturalism as being anti-liberal forget the second
principle of plural constitution. According to it, different strand of thought or
opinions within a culture interact with each other and emerge out with the
prevalent norms and values. This picture of multiculturalism is a dynamic one not
the static one as assumed by critics. Multiculturalism does not mean solitarism
either; rather it advocates mutual symbiosis, like the third principle says that the
mutual interaction of two cultures leads to richness of experience of both.
Multiculturalism doesn’t mean creation of separate shells of their own by different
cultures as in the case of European countries. In such case, mutual tensions are
bound to arise. It doesn’t mean complete takeover by one culture of another also,
as is aspired by rightist groups of those countries. Rather, it is a mutually
reinforcing, harmonic, peaceful and participatory co-existence and consequent
evolution towards new heights by each of the cultures. The characteristic ‘unity in
diversity’ in Indian culture which is a result of process of synthesis epitomizes this
sense of Multiculturalism. The 21st century world which is ‘flattening’ more and
more every next day can’t afford to shun Multiculturalism.
Prince Kadyan

Multiculturalism

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What are the main principles of multiculturalism according to Bhikhu Parekh?

What are some of the criticisms of multiculturalism?

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism has a great significance in the present times when migration,

Multiculturalism, as a philosophy, advocates for the recognition of different

Multiculturalism is criticized on many grounds, like Amartya Sen argues that

From one vantage point, multiculturalism seems to be losing its ground

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