Sociology 433

“What is Multiculturalism?” by: Bhikhu Parekh

1.      “A culture cannot be at ease with differences outside it unless it is at ease with its own internal differences.” Considering this statement, can it be said that those who immigrate are not completely at ease with their own culture? If true, then how do these people manage to become at ease and settle with outside cultures, in which they must live among?

2.      The article mentions political doctrines and how just like culture, there are always attempts to homogenize it and declare only one correct when really not all are completely coherent. Considering that political doctrines can also be a part of culture, which do you feel is imposed on you most in Canada? And considering Canada’s claim to a “multicultural” state do you think this is correct? Is it also necessary to be “multi-political” in order to be multicultural?

3.      “A multicultural society should not repeat the mistake of its monocultural counterpart by requiring that all its communities should become multicultural.” Do you agree with this statement? Or do you think imposing and requiring the acceptance of multiculturalism-for the sake of having a multicultural society in perfect harmony- should be an exception to this rule?

Summary (provided by Morvarid Rohani Eftekhari)

This short and rather informative piece of writing tackles the importance of multiculturalism not merely from a social point of view, but also from a political doctrine point of view as well, which I found especially interesting. The author begins by explaining a multiculturalists’ perspective, which is composed of the interplay of three complimentary insights: the inescapability and desirability of cultural plurality, the cultural embeddedness of human beings, and the plural and multicultural constitution of each culture. Understanding these three important elements is crucial to understanding why one particular institution, culture, or way of thinking/living cannot possibly be perfect or correct for everyone. This article does not only tackle the dangers of a monocultural society, but also the dangers of the potentials of a multicultural society in making the same mistakes as a monocultural society as well. Indeed, forcing someone to be multicultural is rather hypocritical and monocultural; in these circumstances the multicultural society is imposing monoculturalism itself.

The article also mentions countries such as U.S.A., U.K., India, and France in their failures of developing a common sense of belonging among its citizens, and emphasizes the importance in doing this in a multicultural society. It explains that while providing equal economic opportunities for minorities, there still exists a rather justified negative attitude toward certain minority groups in these countries that leave them alienated from any social opportunities, which can potentially also alienate them economically.

As mentioned before, what I found most interesting was the discussion of political doctrines. As a Political Science student, it is surprising that I have rarely come across a piece of writing that advocates the harmony and the need for the existence of many different political doctrines. There has always been the tendency to believe there is only one correct doctrine, and this article disproves this assertion. The article mentions that every doctrine is not wholly correct, and just like there is a need for different cultures (although political ideas derive from culture in some sense) in order to efficiently grow, learn, and move forward while enriching our lives, there is a need for differing political opinions and ideas.

Another important aspect that stood out to me was the fact that the author mentions that no culture in itself is purely sui generis, and that every culture itself derives from a mixture of differing historical cultures depending on its history and geography. Overall, the author tackles some ideas and issues that have rarely come up before. People have the tendency to think of multiculturalism as a last solution to an immigration and globalization problem. Nationalist attitudes have always tended to override any ideas that multiculturalism is a necessity to human life rather than a last resort.