What are we ultimately to make of the politically loaded term 'multiculturalism' - Essay Example

Outline I. Introduction To Multuculturalism II. What is the Objective of Multiculturalism? A. Positive B. Negative III. My Opinion: Should We Celebrate or Shun Multiculturalism? What Are We Ultimately to Make of the Politically Loaded Term “Multiculturalism” ? Multiculturalism is a modern term used to describe the various cultures that are recognized as being a part of an overall country's society. It is the method by which we celebrate the uniqueness of each social group through recognition of their race's specific traditions.

It is not supposed to be an instrument of the great cultural divide as we struggle socially with finding the correct identity of a people using the very thing which makes them different. It is a method through which we can help immigrants keep in touch with their ancestral roots as they struggle to make a new life in a world far removed from what they grew up in. Multiculturalism in in its very essence, not a bad tradition for our modern day society to have provided that it is truly used to truly celebrate the uniqueness of a culture in such a way that also shows how they have successfully integrated into the original culture of their new motherland as well.

Perhaps the most politically correct definition of multiculturalism is as follows: . "multiculturalism" means policies and practices that recognise and respond to the ethnic diversity. (Government of South Australia, “What is Multicultural SA?”) There are many ways that multiculturalism can be defined. However, the essense of the word remains the same. It is a celebration of the acceptance of a culture into the mainstream of daily life in a migrant's country. It is part of the modern culture of an evolving nation.

Should be celebrate multiculturalism in a big way? My answer is yes and this paper will provide an insight into why I believe so. The joy of multiculturalism rests in the fact that it acknowledges the positive contributions of a certain race to the modern culture of the immigrants family. It is a method by which the most positive aspects of another, often misunderstood culture is brought to the light in order for other race's,cultures, and traditions to be understood by those who differ in belief systems from them.

The celebration of multiculturalism is indeed a big deal because it helps foster camaraderie, tolerance, and acceptance among the people of a given country.(John, “So What Exactly is Multiculturalism?”) However noble the intention of the proponents of multicultural celebrations, there will always be a sector of society who will deem such celebrations with negative connotations and will instead, use the noble cause to foster discord among the people instead. There are those who would like us to believe that multiculturalism is being used by the government in order to keep our society divided.

This can supposedly be seen in the way that the government divides society by mindset or thinking principles. For these people, multiculturalism is all about the political agenda that they are trying to push forward. The multicultural objective of these people is to empower those races who are usually considered to be an abused minority such as the Hispanics and Asians. By celebrating the various cultures that make up our modern society, we manage to empower them by giving them a stronger sense of self-worth, value and dignity.

(Rosado, “What Do We Mean By 'Managing Diversity'”). However this practice of empowerment can only become successful in spreading multiculturalism provided that these people are willing to do the same for the other cultures and traditions that are presented before them. The importance of celebrating multiculturalism lies in the fact that our world is currently caught up in a series of international discords. Most of which exist within nations that have multiple cultural sources located within.

If only these nations would learn the value of multiculturalism, genocide and civil strife will most likely be avoided. This is why it is important for us to celebrate multiculturalism in a big way whenever we can. America is the melting pot of multiculturalism and as such, is looked up to by the world in terms of how to deal with such a diverse society. Works Cited Asthana, Anushka. “Why Did Multiculturalism Become a Bad Word? It Made Me Who I Am”. Comment is Free. The Observer. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. John, Cindi.

“So What Exactly is Multiculturalism?” BBC News. BBC News. 5 Apr. 2004. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. Mack, Eric. “What is Multiculturalism?”. Free Republic. Foundation For Economic Education. Oct. 1996. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. Rosado, Caleb. “What Do We Mean By 'Managing Diversity'?”. Workforce Diversity. Vol. 3: Concepts and Cases. (2006): n.pag. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. “What is Multicultural SA?”. Multicultural SA. Government of South Australia. n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.