How useful, if at all , is hall's concept of multicultural drift - Essay Example

of the Sociology of the Concerned 5 May How Useful, if at all, is Hall’s concept of Multicultural Drift? There is no denying the fact that the sociological ideas need to be tested and verified in the light of the existent socio-economic realities and the things as they exist at the grass root level in real time. Hall’s concept of multicultural drift bent on resting on the notion that accepting the mere fact that a society is ethnically diverse will readily lead to a multicultural society is of scarce use when it comes about understanding things in the light of the imminent socio-economic and cultural phenomenon.

The conventional notions affiliated to the acceptance of a multicultural society, adhering to “multicultural diversity that is an affirmation that each of us has a sacred face as a manifestation of the deepest of sacred sources (Abalos 2007, p. 7)”, is derailed to a large extent by the impediments and phenomenon that have their origins in both the arriving ethnicities and the native elements that though not being a majority, happen to be more dominant and vociferous when it comes to enunciating their singular agenda.

The limitations of multicultural drift needs to be understood in the light of the very impediments that scuttle the harmonization of the society along multicultural lines. There is no denying the fact that the black and Asian faces are today more visible in the manifestations of popular culture like cinema, sports, media, etc. However, this is also a fact that there is no dearth of elements that question the very need for existence of these faces in the mainstream culture (Procter 2006, p. 135).

Right from the presence of disgruntled elements rooted in economic grievances to the abjectly right wing elements, the resistance to multicultural diversity and hence the emergence of a multicultural society is a fact that is debilitating the acceptance of the premise that ethnic diversity will on its own lead to a multicultural society. Though, “in the past, most resistance to immigration and multiculturalism came from the right (Banting & Kymlicka 2006, p. 5),” yet, one simply cannot ignore the role played by the relatively moderate native elements that are averse to sharing resources with the ethnic minorities.

Ethnic minorities simply could not hope of automatically getting their share in the mainstream pool of resources, unless they are not more proactive and assertive about their intentions (Pia 2008, p. 54). In that context, Hall’s concept of multicultural drift is a yearning that though being benign and positively laudable is scarcely backed by commensurate intentions and trends. Multiculturalism could not be expected to be a socio-political reality unless, “it is an element of a political strategy by the central state to forge a strong commitment, by its citizens (Maiz & Requejo 2005, p. 38)”, towards the sharing of resources in a population that is ethnically diverse.

Though ethnic diversity could not be automatically expected to lead to a multicultural society and it will be naive to assume that the immigrants could be expected to remain true to their conscience and traditions while being able to adapt to the demands made by the host culture and country, in the recent times, the influx of Islamic radicalism has grossly hampered a possible melting of the ethnic aspirations into a multicultural society. In fact the rise of Islamic fundamentalism has in a way nudged certain segments of the native elements to proactively impede the overall process of multiculturalism, because the emergence of radicalism has to some extent made them view some if not all of the immigrant elements as a viable threat to the way of life they cherish.

Consequently the rise of social insecurities, suspicions and apprehension is automatically acting as a natural spanner that is a big impediment to the possible emergence of a multicultural society, if not bolstered by proactive attempts towards understanding, commitment and acceptance, which don’t come naturally as Hall expects. Besides, the other thing that needs to be noted is that going by the fact that society did not care to address the issue of isolation faced by many ethnicities and it is not something that would ensue naturally as Hall says, many young people in these ethnicities have begun to recognize religious radicalism as a glue that holds together their identity (Abbas 2007, p. 10). Hence, it goes without saying that Hall’s concept of multicultural drift is more of a noble sentiment and expectation than a possibility that could not be achieved sans state commitment, social acceptance and an assertive approach on the part of immigrating ethnicities.

Reference List Abalos, DT 2007, Strategies of Transformation toward a Multicultural Society, Praeger Publishers, London. Abbas, T 2007, Islamic Political Radicalism, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Banting, K & Kymlicka, W 2006, Multiculturalism and the Welfare State, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Maiz, R & Requejo, F 2005, Democracy, Nationalism and Multiculturalism, Routledge New York. Pia, E 2008, Citizenship in Contemporary Europe, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Procter, J 2006, Stuart Hall, Routledge, London.