Is Multiculturalism really good for society?

[not nom]

Capabilities may not be the ideal word, but I would say that for sure - different races have different mental wiring patterns.

there isn't even such a thing as "races", dude ^^

 

[nnmartin]

What word do you choose to use then?

 

[not nom]

What word do you choose to use then?

uhm, how about "people"?

While biological scientists sometimes use the concept of race to make practical distinctions among fuzzy sets of traits, others in the scientific community suggest that the idea of race is often used by the general public in a naive or simplistic way. Among humans, race has no taxonomic significance; all people belong to the same hominid subspecies, Homo sapiens sapiens.

 

[T-Dawg]

I would say over the last 100 years or so there has been the emergence of many more countries.

Take the end of colonialism for example, the break up of the Soviet Union , Yugoslavia, East Timor etc.. Many new entities.

Yet the economic ties have grown stronger. As far as businesses today are concerned, we live in one world - with enough money, one can easily recruit labor from third world countries, sell to developed countries, live in a tax haven, etc. That's what happens when nations are divided by capitalism is not.

Soon a lot of places will get fed up of the corporate must have lifestyle and go their own way.

This would be positive, but would probably not happen. As far as I am concerned, the corporate is sort of like a wannabe State - but instead of providing for and administering the people under their control, they just wish to benefit from them economically.

Wanting to assimilate all human life into one organisation is the kind of thing wannabe Miss World's come out with, although the choice of vocabulary may need to be simplified. (that's pretty Liberal in my view!)

Who is this "Miss World," and what does she have to do with liberalism?

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I think Multiculturalism is good but I probably define it differently than other people. Multiple cultures living in the same area will mostly merge into a new culture. This is the natural path and a good thing. Multiple cultures living in the same area but staying segregated to ensure their cultural survival causes problems and conflict. Hawaii is a good example of this. Samoans, Anglos and Portuguese all living together but separate with little mixing of cultures. Tension is still found between them and occasionally even violence.

 

[T-Dawg]

I think Multiculturalism is good but I probably define it differently than other people. Multiple cultures living in the same area will mostly merge into a new culture. This is the natural path and a good thing. Multiple cultures living in the same area but staying segregated to ensure their cultural survival causes problems and conflict. Hawaii is a good example of this. Samoans, Anglos and Portuguese all living together but separate with little mixing of cultures. Tension is still found between them and occasionally even violence.

Oddly, that's exactly the opposite of what I think of when I hear "multiculturalism." I always thought multiculturalism meant separating cultures, celebrating "diversity" and "uniqueness," preserving archaic "traditions," dividing immigrants into categories based on their ethnic heritage, treating certain groups of people different under the law, etc. Going by my experience in the Diversity Club at my previous university, its all about taking various ways of life and turning them into party favors and labels. They explicitly told me that I was supposed to base my life off of my genetic ancestry, and looked down upon those who didn't know their family history.

It's not a very well-defined word.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Oddly, that's exactly the opposite of what I think of when I hear "multiculturalism." I always thought multiculturalism meant separating cultures, celebrating "diversity" and "uniqueness," preserving archaic "traditions," dividing immigrants into categories based on their ethnic heritage, treating certain groups of people different under the law, etc. Going by my experience in the Diversity Club at my previous university, its all about taking various ways of life and turning them into party favors and labels. They explicitly told me that I was supposed to base my life off of my genetic ancestry, and looked down upon those who didn't know their family history.

It's not a very well-defined word.

Exactly. The term has become politicized. I prefer a Melting Pot to what has become Multiculturalism in today's world.

Europeans in the US have pretty much blended together. Not many identify with the culture of their origins even if they remember and celebrate them. This is what ultimately happens when cultures coexist in the same environment and is the natural outcome. Hanging on to cultural identity is a natural desire of individuals and some will manage to do so but ultimately, merger will happen.

 

[cablescavenger]

Personally I am against a multicultural society. Although various ethnic/religious cultures exist, I believe catering to various cultures also in a way condones exclusivity. However I am curious what others think.


*****Disclaimer****

I take the position as a United States citizen and specifically referring to U.S. society since we are the most diverse nation

I think in general integration of cultures happens, but not always, and those incidents of non-integration often come with a set of unique problems.

 

[Averroes]

So the question is, does multiculturalism take away indovodual cultural identity? I am not talking about going to Mexican resturants either cause learning about someones history takes more than going to a resturant, or a bookstore, or a place to by things.

 

[Averroes]

As far as inter-racial marriages this is something I will post later since this is the biggest problem of multiculturalism

 

[not nom]

So the question is, does multiculturalism take away indovodual cultural identity?

does a child growing into an adult "take away a child"?

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

does a child growing into an adult "take away a child"?

Kind of like being kicked out of the Garden of Eden isn't it?

 

[Father Heathen]

Multiculturalism only works when the included cultures respect equality, rights and freedom. Tolerance has to be mutual.

 

[not nom]

Kind of like being kicked out of the Garden of Eden isn't it?

uhm, no? more like at last being able to reach the cookies on the top shelf, appreciating literature, things like that

what I was trying to say is, the multicultural culture IS a culture, just like any other you could mention, and for every multiculturalist, you lose one member of [old culture]. but assuming it draws from the good of all its influences, I would expect it to be ultimately better, and more mature.

I might as well have said "when you fix a broken toaster, do you loose a broken toaster"? set sails for the year 5000 I say, and get rid of any and all armbands.

you are not your ancestors, you have as much to do with the soil you were born on as with ANY matter in the solar system, or the galaxy, or the universe. you are not the fairy tales of dark ages, you are not your name, you are not the superficial patterns of neuronal activity that represent you in the minds of others... no, you are bullgububb, son of fulptum, daughter of liljepihl, fruit bowl of the pizopaxl. and don't you forget it.

/soapbox

 

[Averroes]

does a child growing into an adult "take away a child"?

Silly question. Again answer my question. Hell, I am a blackman who grow up in poverty. Moved to Arizona and never celebated Dr. King's B-Day or anything out there cause Arizona'a racist society forbids it. I grew up not knowing the tribe or language of my ancestors. I am American cause my ancestors were forced to, so you tell me nom, tell me about forced multiculturalism. Or multiculturalism by deception by promising immigrants a better life only to put them in conditions where the ACLU goes nuts.

 

[not nom]

Silly question again answer my question. Hell, I am a blackman who grow up in poverty. Moved to Arizona and never celebated Dr. King's B-Day or anything out there cause Arizona'a racist society forbids it. I grew up not knowing the tribe or language of my ancestors. I am American cause my ancestors were forced to, so you tell me nom

but that's hardly multicultural to me... first for being forced, second for not being welcome. that's the opposite of multiculturalism.

 

[tumbleweed41]

What is "cultural identity"? How far back in ones ancestry does one have to go?

And and what is more important to maintain? Cultural, as in where ones ancestors are from, or the supposed "culture" as related to the pigment of ones skin?

 

[Songbird]

Personally I am against a multicultural society. Although various ethnic/religious cultures exist, I believe catering to various cultures also in a way condones exclusivity. However I am curious what others think.


*****Disclaimer****

I take the position as a United States citizen and specifically referring to U.S. society since we are the most diverse nation

What's the other option? Forced assimilation?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I think "multiculturalism" is essentially a white-people concept invented to supply a showcase to display how accepting and open-minded you are. Like most misguided concepts of this variety however, it basically turns into another level of filtering and defining the world from one's own perspective. In other words, people are okay with multiculturalism, as long as what is conveyed about these other cultures is shallow and superficial - like a culturally specific piece of clothing, a type of food they eat, or possibly a stereotypical personality trait that can be viewed as unintimidating. People get to feel good about promoting "multiculturalism," and at the same time, feel safe because everyone else is basically white people with a few novel surface differences.

 

[Songbird]

I think "multiculturalism" is essentially a white-people concept invented to supply a showcase to display how accepting and open-minded you are. Like most misguided concepts of this variety however, it basically turns into another level of filtering and defining the world from one's own perspective. In other words, people are okay with multiculturalism, as long as what is conveyed about these other cultures is shallow and superficial - like a culturally specific piece of clothing, a type of food they eat, or possibly a stereotypical personality trait that can be viewed as unintimidating. People get to feel good about promoting "multiculturalism," and at the same time, feel safe because everyone else is basically white people with a few novel surface differences.

Oh, I interpreted the OP to mean a political method of addressing diversity.