Multiculturalism Has Failed - Essay Example

This is a term that de s the existence of communities that portray the characteristics of multiple cultures. Scholars use this term in two different ways, either in a descriptive manner, or in a normative manner. Those who use it in a descriptive manner, look at it in a perspective of cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is the demographic combination of a place, in an organizational capacity. The organizational capacity can either be in a school, government institution, a state, or even an international organization (Kelly, 2002). Depicting multiculturalism in a normative manner refers to analyzing the policies and ideologies that enhance diversity. This approach denotes multiculturalism as a society that allows different types of people to express their culture, and identity in a manner that pleases them. Ideologies depicted in the normative approach to the study of multiculturalism are centered on issues that affect the various cultures within the society under study. The normative approach also concerns itself with the study of the various policies that government institutions enact for purposes of promoting multiculturalism. It is noted that government institutions have developed a two way approach in building policies that have the capability of promoting multiculturalism. These approaches are centered on promoting communication and interaction amongst the various cultures within a society. Interaction amongst the various cultures gives people an opportunity to communicate the various aspects of their culture, and therefore creating multiculturalism. The second approach that government institutions use to create multiculturalism is promoting diversity in various organizations within the state, and isolating the unique aspects of a particular culture. The main advantage of this second approach is its ability to glorify a particular culture, as the most dominant culture. Multiculturalism as a policy has numerous disadvantages, and one of them is that it promotes ethnic identification, at the expense of creating social integration. For example, after the end of the Second World War, the United Kingdom became a diverse country, with people of different origins migrating into the country. This made the British government to develop policies meant at enhancing racial relations, with the objective of promoting multiculturalism. For instance, in 1965, the labor government introduced the race relations act. The purpose of this act was to make it illegal the discrimination of any individual from accessing social facilities, based on his or her race. This law was limited because it only prevented racialism in the social sector, but did not prevent it in the education, housing and employment arena. This kind of a policy was aimed at creating multiculturalism; however it ended up creating divisions in the United Kingdom, with conservatives vigorously opposing this policy. This is because it created ethnic identification and awareness, instead of promoting social integration. They argue that due to a multiculturalism policy, a government might engage in measures that promote a particular ethnic group that is considered a minority, at the expense of another ethnic group, that is considered a majority. On this basis, multiculturalism creates ethnic awareness, therefore eroding the values of social integration. There are instances in Britain that the society has public practiced social segregation, and there are instances, where the society has gone against (Modood, 2007). There are various laws enacted by the British legislature for purposes of promoting social integration, and therefore minimizing social segregation. For instance, in 2010, the British legislature passed the employment equality act of 2010. The purpose of this law was to make it illegal discriminating people while they are seeking employment, service from the government institutions, or access to education (Kassimeris, 2012). Areas where people might discriminate each other is if they belong to a different race as theirs, if they are of different social orientation, differences in gender or religious beliefs. The British members of parliament saw the need of enacting this legislation for purposes of regulating the behavior of people, while they are in the process of interaction and therefore limiting the level of social segregation within the society. There are numerous schools in the United Kingdom that admit students of various races, and institutions such as the London School of Economics, admit students from various parts of the world. Because of this policies, people of various cultures interact and share their values. Institutions such as the London School of Economics and other Universities such as Oxford University have managed to achieve excellence because of the diversity of their students, and workforce (Murphy, 2012). On this note therefore, they play an important role in promoting diversity. This is an example of an instance whereby institutions are used to promote social integration, and therefore minimizing the risks of the emergence of social segregation activities. There are a number of cases that depict the level of social segregation within the United Kingdom. A good example is a case involving Ghai, against the council of Newcastle city. In this case, Ghai an Hindu asked the court to compel the council to allocate an out of town crematorium facilities, so that he may be cremated when he is dead. This is for purposes of exercising his religious beliefs. However his request was denied because the courts felt that, his actions were not legally supported. This is evidence proves that there is against social segregation in United Kingdom whereby certain religions cannot openly practice their beliefs for fear of breaking the law. This brings us to another point, whereby laws are essential in regulating the manner in which individuals interact within a state. On this note therefore, the British government has laws that touch on the preservation of human rights, such as the human rights act of 1968, and the equality act of 2006 (Murphy, 2012). However, critics argue that there are other arguments against multiculturalism. The arguments that depict the failure of multiculturalism is its creates division within the British society, and this is denoted by the increase of racialism in Britain. For instance in soccer matches; it is common to find people making monkey chants when an opposing football player of black origin has a ball (Hesse, 2001). The chants are aimed at the players for purposes of mocking the origin of the player in question. The multicultural policies in Britain are laid on the principles of monitoring the special treatment of minority races such as the Asians and the Africans. This is relevant in the current century and amongst the young British policy. On this basis, multiculturalism is a threat to the British identity, as it is creating a division between different communities by the special treatment in which the minority groups receive. Tensions that arose in Britain because of this policy is depicted by the 2001 riots in Northern England, which was racial in nature, pitting Asians against the White people. Multiculturalism makes people to go back to their ethnic identities, while the ethnicity of the dominant race, that is the British is denied some aspects of cultural associations for purposes of protecting the minority race (Cannon, 2006). On this note therefore, the term minority is an out of date concept, which denotes that there exists a powerful race that is of the whites, and it was surrounded by weak races (Gilroy, 1993). To protect their identity, it was important to enact laws that allow them to manifest their cultures, at the expense of the majority/ dominant race. Multiculturalism also promotes terrorism. A case in point is the 2005 July 7th London bombings by four Islamists (Modood, 2005). Evidence suggests that these people grew in England, and they were raised up as extremist Islamists, and this was thanks to the multi-cultural policies of UK. Due to this event, a British conservative legislature, David Davis the shadow minister for Home affairs called for an end to the policy of multiculturalism, because it had failed to unite the country, and instead it contributed to the promotion of ethnic awareness, and dangerous religious beliefs (Murphy, 2012). In 2011, the government of David Cameron stopped pursuing the policy of multiculturalism, denoting its failure to create a strong national identity. Despite these arguments against the policy of multiculturalism, there are other arguments that favor the enactment and practice of this policy. Despite these weaknesses, multiculturalism promotes the creation of a cosmopolitan culture. This is because it encourages interactions amongst members of various cultures, promoting the need of cohesion. It also achieves this by creating a sense of cultural plurality in the modern community. It regulates this senses of cultural plurality by creating measures that will ensure all people, irrespective of race and gender are treated on an equal measure. For instance, members of different cultures are allowed to manifest their religious beliefs without discrimination, and as a result of this, the society accepts them the way they are (Gilroy, 1987). Cosmopolitanism is denoted in this aspect in the sense that no one cares the manner in which these people exercise their culture, as long as they do not interfere with the constitutional rights of their neighbors. This also leads to individuals within the community to accept the advantages that a diverse cultural practices within a society presents. People are able to learn the cultural values of their neighbors, and how they solve conflicts, maintain a belief, and practice a religious belief. They would practice cultures that appeal to them, but ones that are irrelevant, they would discard (Brown, 2001). On this basis, multiculturalism promotes diversity, and social integration. Multiculturalism aims at creating permeability, and it does this by ensuring the participation of all members of a community into the economic, political, and social aspects of the community. By doing this, it creates a sense of narrow nationalism. Though critics blame multiculturalism as an aspect that promotes social segregation, there are other factors that contribute to this vice, and they include religious intolerance, political and social differences. For instance, critics argue that the 2001 violence in Northern England was as a result of the failure of the multiculturalism policies followed by the British government (Malik, 1996). However, the real reasons behind it, was the failure by the communities around the region to embrace each other, and promote peaceful relations. The government only issues the multiculturalism policies and it requires the support of the communities living within the state for its effective implementation. However if the communities refuse to cooperate, it is difficult for the government to rectify the racial problems facing it (Blackstone, 1998). Another example is in Northern Ireland where people are socially segregated in terms of religion. The British identify themselves as Protestants, while the Irish as Catholics. Economic inequality is also a cause to social segregation (Chung and Bemark, 2012). Disparity in employment opportunities and wages can lead to class conflicts within the society, with one group denoting that is more superior to the other group. The British government realized this, and that the reason as to why they enacted the employment act of 2010, to guide against these disparities. On this note, Multiculturalism has not failed as a policy, but other factors such as racialism, religious intolerance, and economic disparities has contributed to the rise of social segregation in Britain, frustrating the attempts of multiculturalism policies to create social harmony. Bibliography: Blackstone, T. (1998). Editors of Race Relations in Britain. London: Routledge. Brown, A. (2001). Who Do We Think We Are?. London: Penguin. Cannon, B. (2006). ‘Britishness, multiculturalism and globalisation. Rising East Online, 4, 1. Chung, R. C., & Bemak, F. (2012). Social justice counseling: the next steps beyond multiculturalism. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. Gilroy, P. (1987). There Aint No Black in the Union Jack. Basingkock: Macmillan. Gilroy, P. (1993). The Black Atlantic. London: Verso. Hesse, B. (2001). Un/Settled Multiculturalisms. London: Zed Books. Kassimeris, C. (2012). The politics of education: challenging multiculturalism. New York: Routledge. Kelly, P. (2002). Multiculturalism Reconsidered (ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Polity Press. Malik, K. (1996). The Meaning of Race. London: Macmillan. Modood, T. (2005). Multicultural Politics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Modood, T. (2007). Multiculturalism. Cambridge: Polity Press. Murphy, M. (2012). Multiculturalism: a critical introduction. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Read More