Multicultural Society as a Society Consisting of Mixtures of Varied Ethnic Groups - Essay Example

A multicultural society is a term that has been used to refer to a society made up of people from diverse varied linguistic, national, cultural, and religious backgrounds. A multicultural society is, therefore, a society consisting of mixtures of varied ethnic groups. According to Iyer in his article The Global Village Finally Arrives, the world has become more of a village.

He argues that migration has a significant role to play as far as a multicultural society is concerned. With the current advances in technology and communication, people are moving from one place to another in search of such things as job opportunities, education, and peace, among others (Arthur and Schlesinger). These migrations have been triggered by migration push factors and pull factors. As a result of the migration of varied races and cultures, multicultural societies are on the increase.

Most of the recent policy and intellectual work has not been in a position to comply with the current societies that are becoming increasingly diverse and with individual groups, which are becoming increasingly complex. There exist different categories of multicultural societies.

This can be divided into the ones in which people live mutually in the same environs and the ones in which diverse groups live in the same country but live in a locality with their own kind. Like any other element of society, multicultural society has advantages as well as disadvantages. A country can enjoy a variety of benefits from immigrants. It is evident that multicultural societies have cultural, economic, and social developments in a nation. According to Iyer, one of the most obvious benefits of living within a multicultural society is the acquisition of intellectual benefits and new knowledge.

This is possible since people from different cultures interact with one another. He argued that this interaction allows people to build up varied ways of analyzing different situations from diverse perspectives. Moreover, an individual is in a position to learn and appreciate the cultures and believes of others.