Multiculturalism
Has ‘multiculturalism’ become a dirty word?
Many commentators have turned against the idea of multiculturalism. Fearful of militant Islam and rising immigration, they argue that multiculturalism risks tearing society apart, and undermining the way of life for the predominantly white majority.
In the UK, it has almost become a festive tradition for tabloid newspapers to report that in the name of multiculturalism local councils have attempted to ‘ban’ Christmas, for example by forbidding school children to put on nativity plays or send each other Christmas cards. Perhaps you heard similar stories this Christmas? Whether or not these reports are accurate, they reflect a general feeling that multiculturalism has gone too far, and needs to be reigned in.
Multiculturalism’s supporters argue that multiculturalism still has a lot to offer. They say that multiculturalism is usually poorly understood. As they see it, multiculturalism holds that different ethnic groups should exist separately but equally, and still participate in wider society. In other words, it is a way of holding society together, not tearing it apart.
In this month’s interview, Anthony Giddens looks at some of the controversies, explains why he’s in favour of multiculturalism, and describes what he thinks it can offer society.
What does multiculturalism mean in today’s society?
The meaning of multiculturalism has actually become very confused. For example, people often confuse multiculturalism with cultural diversity – they talk about living in a multicultural society when really all they mean is that society is made up of people from many different ethnic backgrounds. Other people think that multiculturalism is about separatism, or cultural relativism. But this is a very naïve way of thinking of multiculturalism. According to this naïve view, we simply need to accept that there are many different cultures across the world, and within our society, and that none can have primacy over others. This implies leaving all groups to follow whatever norms they like, regardless of the consequences for wider society.
I have a different view of multiculturalism. I call this sophisticated multiculturalism. This perspective emphasizes the importance of national identity, and national laws, but also the fostering of connections between different social and ethnic groups. This form of multiculturalism is all about social solidarity - not separateness as some people claim. It’s actually when the members of minority groups are treated as alien or different that problems tend to start.
In this form of multiculturalism, different groups have equality of status - we should value diversity and openly respect and interact with other cultures. But equality of status shouldn’t mean that we accept uncritically other groups’ practices. The philosopher Charles Taylor has written about the need for all people in society to have equal rights and respect, but if they have equal rights they also have responsibilities, and a fundamental responsibility is to obey the laws of the land. Thus having several wives, or practising female circumcision, or carrying out honour killings, are acceptable in some Muslim countries, but are illegal in the UK.
Sometimes the issues aren’t as clear cut as this, as they aren’t dealt with fully in law, and so we need to work them out on a case-by-case basis. For example, is it appropriate for women to be completely veiled so that their faces are covered in the classroom? My own view is ‘no’, but we should work out the answers to these challenges through an open debate with different cultural groups – fostering this dialogue is itself an important part of multiculturalism.
Why do you think some people have turned against multiculturalism?
We live in a world criss-crossed with intense anxieties. In recent years these have been exacerbated by fears about terrorism, and the future of global security. Multiculturalism is an easy target for people to project these anxieties onto. In part, that’s because it comprises quite a complex set of ideals which are often misunderstood, but also because it aims to bring us closer together with the kind of people we’ve become afraid of. Fears about multiculturalism also tend to centre on race – it’s black or Asian groups that people tend to worry about. In this sense, I think the debates echo fears that have long been expressed about protecting racial identity.
But when people talk about abandoning multiculturalism they almost always mean the naïve form which I just talked about. They want to abandon separatism and naïve cultural relativism, and I think they’re right in wanting to do that. We have to be realistic about the kind of society we now live in, and the future we need to build together. All societies now include greater cultural diversity. If you think of the 52 people who were killed in the bombings in London in 2005, they included five Muslims from countries as diverse as Tunisia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, as well as people from Romania, Poland, Italy, Nigeria, Israel, New Zealand, Vietnam, and many, many other countries. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, but other European countries have similarly mixed populations. We have to find a way of living together. The point of multiculturalism is to find a balance between obligations that are universal and sensitivities to the values of different groups. Sometimes I think people shy away from multiculturalism as they aren’t prepared to take on this challenge. They want a seemingly quicker or easier solution.
Is multiculturalism compatible with Britishness?
As I’ve just been saying, the sophisticated form of multiculturalism is the opposite of encouraging separate communities or social divisions. It’s all about encouraging communication between groups, and creating a sense of social togetherness, and not leaving people alone to do whatever they like. Promoting a sense of national identity is compatible with this because it promotes integration into wider society. In fact, about 80% of ethnic minorities are happy to call themselves ‘British’ – far fewer consider themselves to be English or Scottish, or just Bangladeshi, or whatever. There’s no contradiction between multiculturalism and Britishness.
Of course, other social policies are important here, such as welfare policies to help the poor, and to help children get on at school. The welfare state is also an important part of promoting a sense of social belonging, and social equality. But encouraging multiculturalism should make our national identity stronger. It should be a central plank of government.
Additional materials
Guide to researching multiculturalism in Sociology
In the chapter on ‘Race, Ethnicity and Migration’ you’ll find lots of information on concepts like race, ethnicity and minority groups (p. 485-490). The chapter also discusses in detail ethnic diversity in the UK (p. 506-518), and trends in migration patterns (p. 519-526). Elsewhere in the book, you can read about occasions when urban unrest has been linked to ethnic conflict (p. 912-914). All these issues are important to understanding the background to debates about multiculturalism in today’s society. In addition, the chapter has a section devoted to multiculturalism, and two other models of ethnic integration (assimilation and the ‘melting pot’). This can be found on p. 497-498.
Internet links
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3600791.stm
A range of social commentators give their views on what multiculturalism means in today’s society.
http://www.debatingmatters.com/C2B/document_tree/ViewACategory.asp?CategoryID=99
Website that brings together different perspectives on multiculturalism, as well as giving clear summaries of key concepts. Includes numerous links to on-line articles putting the case for and against multiculturalism.
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/pages/eocdrccre.aspx
The website of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The former Commission for Racial Equality was merged with several other groups to form this organisation. Includes several useful documents on racial equality, including the Commission’s own manifesto for integrating Britain.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-terrorism/multiculturalism_2879.jsp
Article by Tariq Modood, a leading supporter of multiculturalism, on the consequences for multiculturalism of the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005.
Other books by Polity
Multiculturalism by Tariq Modood
Sample PDFs: Table of Contents | Chapter 1
In this strongly argued book, Tariq Modood, one of the world's leading authorities on multiculturalism, contends that the rise of Islamic terrorism has not discredited multiculturalism. His own view is that it makes multiculturalism more necessary than ever before, and highlights the urgent need to include Muslims in contemporary conceptions of democratic citizenship. This book is suitable for readers who already have a good grasp on debates about multiculturalism, and who are looking for a sophisticated take on the prospects for multiculturalism today.
Published May 2007
208pp
Copyright © Anthony Giddens 2008
The right of Anthony Giddens to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
