Is Australia a Successful Example of Multiculturalism - Assignment Example

Position Paper: Is Australia a successful example of multiculturalism in action? Introduction The phenomenon of globalisation that began to emerge in the late 20th century has forced the countries around the world to open their doors to foreign cultures and influences leading to the diversification of societies. Australia has long been a deeply diverse society even before the advent of globalisation. The influx of white settlers into the Australian continent and the displacement of Aborigines from their lands have long been documented. As one of the world’s richest nations, Australia has always been a target of potential immigration. However, there was a time when the country refused to welcome non-white immigrants. This was during the time when the White Australia policy was the dominant strategy that underpinned the country’s immigration position. Today, however, Australia is home to many persons of varied cultural orientations and persuasions constituting more than one-third of its population. Australia, along with Canada, is considered the most successful multicultural country in the world (Fleras 2009). The Australian context reflects multiculturalism in action – a state that the country successfully attained after long years of conscious and deliberate efforts of effecting a socially cohesive population underpinned by acknowledgment, accepting and uniting differences in cultural orientation. Multiculturalism ‘In Action’ Defined Australia is an example of multiculturalism in action as proven by the social and political conditions in the country that meet, prove and illustrate the phrase. The phrase ‘multiculturalism in action’ suggests the existence of multiculturalism, but requires an additional element to give full and complete effect and meaning to the term. Thus, it is not enough that multiculturalism exists, but such multiculturalism must be living, breathing, vigorous – in other words, it must be characterised by dynamism. This is proven by the Australian context, where persons and groups of diverse cultural and ethnic orientations not only co-exist, but together form a unified and cohesive society. To illustrate the validity of this claim, however, it is important to establish the definition of the terms multiculturalism and ‘multiculturalism in action.’ To have a complete idea of the phrase, the term multiculturalism must first be defined. The term ‘multiculturalism’ evades a concise, definitive and exact definition, not only because it means different things to different people, but also because it is an evolving term. Most often, it is used to refer to diversity in society where people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds co-exist. This approach in the understanding of the term is not surprising considering that its base word ‘culture’ refers to ethnic and racial traditions and identity (Box 2007). Since the prefix ‘multi’ means more than two or many, according to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the term is predictably equated to or given the meaning several ethnic or racial groups existing side by side in society. Ozdowski (2012) cited three different meanings that people often attributed to the term: a demographic description of diversity in society; an ideological model of a diverse group of people forming a cohesive society living under a cultural ideal rather than simply a group of diverse people with different cultures, and; a social compact between and among groups of various racial and ethnic origin where power and wealth are being shared equitably and justly. Since this paper is focused on the idea of ‘multiculturalism in action,’ it would seem that of the three meanings cited above, the third and the second, in that order, would seem to fall within the ambit of the phrase “multiculturalism in action.’ Although the first meaning would, to a certain extent, indicate a state that could suggest multiculturalism, it does not in itself evidences multiculturalism and certainly not ‘multiculturalism in action.’ This paper, therefore, will provide proof of ‘multiculturalism in action’ as existing in Australia on the basis of either attribution numbers 2 or 3 in the above-cited definitions by Ozdowski (2012). Nonetheless, the presence of people of diverse culture is the fundamental foundation of multiculturalism and must also be cited here to support the contention of this paper that Australia is an example of multiculturalism in action. The Australian Context: Multiculturalism in Action This paper supports the contention that Australia is a successful example of multiculturalism in action. This contention is primarily justified by the fact that the Australian demographics by race and ethnicity are deeply diverse, and more importantly that the government has consistently and incessantly adopted and implemented policies that advance multiculturalism. These points are further discussed and developed in the succeeding paragraphs. A. Diversity in Demographics The basic evidence of the contention that Australia is multiculturalism in action can be gleaned from the diversity of its demographics. In itself, this diversity does not necessarily evince ‘multiculturalism in action’ on the basis of the established definition in the preceding section. It does, however, establish the existence of multiculturalism, which is the basis of ‘multiculturalism in action.’ Such cultural diversity is evinced by the variety of languages, religions, ancestries and birthplaces captured by the 2011 census. The cited census, for example, revealed that 33% of the country’s population was born outside of Australia. As shown in Table 1, these foreign-born persons came primarily from such countries such as the UK and New Zealand, but persons coming from various Asian countries are also increasing in numbers. A comparison between the 2006 and 2011 census data proves this. The table shows only the top fifteen countries from where Australia’s foreign-born population originated, but there are more than 50 countries involved. Other statistical indicia of multiculturalism in Australia include ancestry, religious affiliation, and language. The data about ancestry is relevant in establishing multiculturalism because although an individual may be born in the country, an ancestry that originated from outside the country can be a great influence in that person’s practices, norms and cultural orientation. The data from 2011 census identified more than 300 ancestries. Aside from the English and Australian ancestries, other top ancestries are Irish, Scottish, Italian, German, Chinese, Indian, Greek and Dutch (ABS 2013). Religious affiliations are also indicative of multiculturalism because different cultures usually follow different religions. The 2011 ABS census further strengthen the existence of cultural diversity and hence, multiculturalism in Australia. This is proven by the number of religious affiliations existing in the country, which includes non-Christian religions such as Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, among others. Among the top Christian religions are Catholic, Anglican, United Church, Presbyterian and Reformed, Eastern Orthodox, Baptist, Lutheran and Pentecostal. Those who are not practicing any form of religion represented 22.3% of the Australian population. Language diversity is also an indicium of multiculturalism because often, various cultures speak their unique language. Although the majority of the population speaks English at home, i.e. 80.7%, a variety of other languages at home are spoken by the rest of the population. In addition, long-standing migrants already speak English at home although they are still knowledgeable of Table 1 Foreign-born Australian Population (ABS 2013) their original languages. The top non-English languages spoken at home are the following: Mandarin, 1.7%, Italian, 1.5%, Arabic, 1.4%, Cantonese, 1.3%, Greek, 1.3%, Vietnamese, 1.2%, Spanish, 0.6%, Hindi, 0.5%, and Tagalog, 0.4%. B. Multiculturalism Policies of the Australian Government Having a diverse society, many members of which come from different countries and cultures, speaking assorted languages and practicing various religions do not necessarily equate to multiculturalism in action. Society, through the leadership of the government, must welcome, understand and accommodate that diversity in a positive and aggressive fashion, rather than just passively accepting it. In the Australian context, multiculturalism in action is illustrated by the fact that government has reached out to the various cultural components of the population, by overhauling its policies, adopting ones that strengthens multiculturalism and discarding ones that destroys it. The government taking the lead in advancing multiculturalism, through effective policies, is pivotal because of its vast resources and patriarchal position in society. Australia is an example of multiculturalism in action because of the conscious effort of the government to accommodate and make the various cultural groups part and parcel of the Australian society. According to Seal and Penrith (2008), the history of Australia, like Canada, began as British-driven white settler colonies with a mission to colonise and Christianise. Aborigines who lived in the Australian continent long before the white settlers started coming in, were divested of their lands and their authority to rule over them. A policy known as White Australia – because it restricted the country from non-white immigrants – was in place from 1901 to 1973 through the adoption of a string of policies starting with the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901. White Australian policies did not only restrict non-whites from migrating into the country, but also imposed assimilationism as a general policy, where other those with other cultures already present in Australia must abandon their distinct practices and norms and only abide by the white Australian culture. These policies, however, were taken apart in stages after 1973 to usher in diversity in culture starting with the Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibited racially discriminatory criteria illegal (Seal and Penrith 2008). The policies that were adopted beginning in 1973 to reinforce a multicultural society evidences that multiculturalism in action exists in Australia. Such policies not only acknowledge the uniqueness of other cultures and welcome them, but also implemented programmes that can level the playing field for migrants. These policies have evolved through the years with the overall purpose of achieving a society that although is made up of varied cultures, yet acts as a cohesive unit living in peace and harmony. Thus, from the 1970s to the 1980s, the Whitlam Labor government introduced a string of policies that sought to impose social justice by remedying the socio-economic disadvantages of migrant communities. At this stage, however, the intent of the government was intended to establish a welfare society on the belief that class underpinned social inequalities. The subsequent Fraser government adopted multiculturalism as an official policy of the government and created special services to meet the needs of migrants to guarantee their access to welfare services. The emergence of globalisation spurred the diversity in labour approach where multiculturalism was viewed as an advantage that could work positively for the Australian economy. From ethnic welfare approach, multiculturalism policies turned to productive diversity. The 1989 National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia, not only highlighted social justice, but also skills and talents for all Australians. In the 21st century, Australian multiculturalism focused on social cohesion and unity where multiculturalism is equated with the image of an open, inclusive Australia (Jakobuwicz and Ho 2014). Conclusion Australia is an example of multiculturalism in action, not only because people of various cultural origins and influences live together in society in a generally peaceful and orderly fashion, but also because people accept, acknowledge and understand those differences. The substantial percentage of the population that are of foreign origin, professing non-mainstream religions and descendants of non-Australian ancestry attest to the diversity of the Australian society. Yet, Australia is a relatively peaceful, stable and economically progressive country. This state is attained because the Australian government has consciously and deliberately adopted policies that would elevate migrant status to the level of Australian nationals, give them the same opportunities as Australian born citizens, and allow them to become part and parcel of a peaceful, progressive and dynamic society. Everything is not perfect, of course, because tolerance and acceptance are individual choices, but the difference between Australia and other societies is that the government has long been an initiator of policies that could lead to a united and cohesive Australian society amidst a cultural diverse population. It is no wonder that together with Canada, Australia is considered a poster nation of multiculturalism. References ABS 2013, ‘Cultural Diversity in Australia,’ Australian Bureau of Statistics, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013 ABS 2013, ‘Migration,’ Australian Bureau of Statistics, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3412.02011- 12%20and%202012-13?OpenDocument Alkadry, M 2006, ‘Democratic administration in a multicultural environment,’ in Box, R (ed.), Democracy and public administration, M.E. Sharpe. Fleras, A 2009, The politics of multiculturalism: Multicultural governance in comparative perspective, Palgrave Macmillan. Ho, C 2014, ‘From social justice to social cohesion: A history of Australian multicultural policy,’ in Jakubowicz, A and Ho, C (eds.) ‘For those who’ve come across the seas...’: Australian Multicultural Theory, Policy and Practice, Anthem Press. Ozdowski, S 2012, Australian Multiculturalism: the roots of its success, Third International Conference on Human Rights Education: Promoting Change in Times of Transition and Crisis, The Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, 6-10 December 2012, http://www.uws.edu.au/equity_diversity/equity_and_diversity/tools_and_resources/report sandpubs/australian_multiculturalism_the_roots_of_its_success#multiculturalism Seal, J and Penrith, D 2008, Live & Work in Australia, Crimson Publishing. Read More

To illustrate the validity of this claim, however, it is important to establish the definition of the terms multiculturalism and ‘multiculturalism in action.’ To have a complete idea of the phrase, the term multiculturalism must first be defined. The term ‘multiculturalism’ evades a concise, definitive and exact definition, not only because it means different things to different people, but also because it is an evolving term. Most often, it is used to refer to diversity in society where people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds co-exist.

This approach in the understanding of the term is not surprising considering that its base word ‘culture’ refers to ethnic and racial traditions and identity (Box 2007). Since the prefix ‘multi’ means more than two or many, according to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the term is predictably equated to or given the meaning several ethnic or racial groups existing side by side in society. Ozdowski (2012) cited three different meanings that people often attributed to the term: a demographic description of diversity in society; an ideological model of a diverse group of people forming a cohesive society living under a cultural ideal rather than simply a group of diverse people with different cultures, and; a social compact between and among groups of various racial and ethnic origin where power and wealth are being shared equitably and justly.

Since this paper is focused on the idea of ‘multiculturalism in action,’ it would seem that of the three meanings cited above, the third and the second, in that order, would seem to fall within the ambit of the phrase “multiculturalism in action.’ Although the first meaning would, to a certain extent, indicate a state that could suggest multiculturalism, it does not in itself evidences multiculturalism and certainly not ‘multiculturalism in action.’ This paper, therefore, will provide proof of ‘multiculturalism in action’ as existing in Australia on the basis of either attribution numbers 2 or 3 in the above-cited definitions by Ozdowski (2012).

Nonetheless, the presence of people of diverse culture is the fundamental foundation of multiculturalism and must also be cited here to support the contention of this paper that Australia is an example of multiculturalism in action. The Australian Context: Multiculturalism in Action This paper supports the contention that Australia is a successful example of multiculturalism in action. This contention is primarily justified by the fact that the Australian demographics by race and ethnicity are deeply diverse, and more importantly that the government has consistently and incessantly adopted and implemented policies that advance multiculturalism.

These points are further discussed and developed in the succeeding paragraphs. A. Diversity in Demographics The basic evidence of the contention that Australia is multiculturalism in action can be gleaned from the diversity of its demographics. In itself, this diversity does not necessarily evince ‘multiculturalism in action’ on the basis of the established definition in the preceding section. It does, however, establish the existence of multiculturalism, which is the basis of ‘multiculturalism in action.

’ Such cultural diversity is evinced by the variety of languages, religions, ancestries and birthplaces captured by the 2011 census. The cited census, for example, revealed that 33% of the country’s population was born outside of Australia. As shown in Table 1, these foreign-born persons came primarily from such countries such as the UK and New Zealand, but persons coming from various Asian countries are also increasing in numbers. A comparison between the 2006 and 2011 census data proves this.

The table shows only the top fifteen countries from where Australia’s foreign-born population originated, but there are more than 50 countries involved. Other statistical indicia of multiculturalism in Australia include ancestry, religious affiliation, and language.

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