Analysis of Multiculturalism in a Global Society - Article Example

Analysis of Multiculturalism in a Global Society As the years have gone by the world has become a landscape in which different cultures have become integrated to form a global society. This society is a blend of different cultures which have come together to provide our world in which the traditions and customs that make us unique have either benefited or at times negatively impacted society. A phenomenon that has influenced human interaction in the 21st century is called multiculturalism. Multiculturalism can be defined as a philosophy that recognizes ethnic diversity within a society and that encourages others to be enlightened by worthwhile contributions by those of diverse ethnic backgrounds. This paper discusses how different aspects of multiculturalism and its impact on society. There many different aspects in which multiculturalism can affect the way people within a society behave. One of the factors that affect the behavior of people the most is the culture in which they are raised in. Culture refers to learned, shared, and integrated way of life (NesSmith, 1995). An example of the impact culture has on the behavior within a society is the different roles of women depending in which part of the world they live in. In the United States women have equal life and they play an integral role in family life. Not only are the primary caretakers for the children, they also share the financial role with men. “Women compromise more than half the US workforce” (Missouricollege, 2009). In contrast in the Middle East women have very few rights and men dominate society and have power over most aspects of everyday life. In societies in which one of the gender lives in inequality progress is limited because there is a large opportunity cost associated with inhibiting the rights of women. There are other injustices that occur in foreign nations which in the perspective of the local is normal act. An example is the spread of child labor in many developing nations. Children should have the right to receive a proper childhood instead of being forced to work at an age in which neither their minds nor bodies are prepared for task that should be performed by adults. Multiculturalism can also be utilized in an official manner as a type of policy guideline for governmental matters such as immigration. Three approaches to deal with immigrant groups and their cultures are monoculturalism, melting pots, and multiculturalism (Wordiq, 2009). In a monoculturalism culture countries implement policies in which immigrants are accepted and assimilated. A melting pot occurs in places where immigrant cultures are mixed and consolidated. The best example of a melting pot is the United States of America. Since its inception the United States created a society in which many people from different parts of the world came to this territory and made this land their home. The United States in the 21st century is composed of hundreds of different ethnic groups live together within in a society which despite their different they are all united by the common bond of being American citizens. The ethnic group that is influencing American culture the most during the last twenty years is the Latino group. As of July 2001 the Latino population of 37 million people surpassed the African American population of 36.2 million to become the top minority in the United States (Mittlestadt, 2003). The third potential immigration policy is multiculturalism which is a structure in which immigrants preserve their identity and culture while interacting peacefully as members of a society. The effects and impact of multiculturalism can occur at the national level. Within a particular society different groups can have variant views on the ways things should be. There are issues or topics in which people differ a lot in the best course of action or approach. A topic that is very controversial in society across the world is abortion. Some people believe that it is the right of women to end a pregnancy within the legal parameters of three month after inception for whatever reason. Others believe abortion is an abomination and is essential a murder of a human being. Many extremist views of abortion as far as being against its existence are correlated with religious beliefs. In other parts of the world abortion is utilized as a governmental mechanism to control the population size. China is the most populated country in the world. Due to its overpopulation problem the Chinese government in 1979 implemented a law that limits the amount of child births to one per matrimony. A woman can only give birth to a child once in her lifetime. These types of governmental practices present a moral dilemma because you are imposing on people a limitation to procreate themselves which in Western nation is seen as god given right or a universal right. New technologies of production, communication and transport are changing the capital and labor markets which are making diversity more important than ever (Murillo). There are other aspects of multiculturalism that are bad for society. A negative manifestation in many societies is discrimination. In the United States a race that has been historically a victim of discrimination is the Afro-American community. Blacks were slaves until 1863 when President Lincoln freed all slaves. Despite their new found freedom blacks in the United States remained inferior citizens due to a lack of equal rights and economic opportunity due to racism. The white race in the United States has been historically a privilege class which enjoyed many freedoms and opportunities other races did not (McIntosh) The history of mankind has experienced in the past movements that have imposed severe mistreatments of human beings. The Nazi regime was based on a foundation of constructing a racial state in which whites were the supreme race (Losurdo, 2004). It was not until the civil movement of the 1960’s that Afro-American made significant progress towards ending discrimination against minorities. In 2009 President Barack Obama became the first Afro-American citizen to become president of the United States of America. Many people hope that the entrance of a minority into a White House is a sign of positive change as far as racial and ethnic relations internally in the United States. The social class of a person or group of people impacts the quality of life a person enjoys due to economic considerations. There is a huge spread between the wealthy and the poor. The poorest 40% of the global population account for 5% of the income, while the richest 20% account for three quarters of the world income (Shah, 2009). Developed nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom enjoy great wealth and most of its citizens have enough income to cover all basic necessities which include food, shelter, medicine and education. Other nations are struggling in extreme poverty such as the Sub-Saharan African region. The people living in this region have disadvantages due to the poor infrastructure of basic necessities such as water, food, and medicine. Malnutrition is causing the death of millions of children every year. Poverty also occurs in develop nations where the poor class some having jobs economic effects such as high cost living make these families unable to survive and support themselves. Education in the 21st century has become more important than ever. Diversity has had very positive effects at universities in which the faculty takes advantage of the qualities and attributes of different types of people (Nieto, 2005). Education is the foundation and backbone of an economic system that is able to compete in the competitive global landscape. A higher level of education allows the people to gain the skills and capabilities to obtain jobs in the business world. Multiculturalism can become a valuable strategy to enhance the educational experience. “…Students and teachers are told that the knowledge of schools is based on the diversity of cultural and global sources” (Lang, 2004). When schools effectively integrate multiculturalism they increase the quality of education the student receives. Cultural diversity can also be utilized in the corporate world to increase the value of a company. At Starbucks Café diversity has been utilized to create a place for customers to feel welcome, providing equal opportunities and benefits for every one of our employees and working minority or women owned business to help meet our goals (Starbucks, 2009). Government also benefit from diversity in their population by increased the talent pool of workers, while at the same time achieving cultural enrichment. There are various traditions and customs that can cause a language and cultural barrier among different cultures. For example in India a business such as Burger King would not succeed because the cow is a sacred animal for the Indians. Multiculturalism has impacted the way our society has evolved for many years. Nations such as the United States have become places in which the populations have become more innovative, adaptive, and creative due to the positive impact diversity has had on the culture. In order for a society to function well in ethnically diverse region is for everyone to respect the beliefs of others. The world can become a more productive society if the differences between nations are settled soon in a peaceful manner so that we can move forwards towards the second decade of the 21st century with aspirations of a better tomorrow. Referemces Answers.com (2009). Multiculturalism. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.answers.com/topic/multiculturalism Kincheloe, J. (2004). Critical Pedagogy Primer. New York: Peter Lang. Losurdo, D., (2004). Preemptive War, Americanism, Anti-Americanism. McIntosh, P. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Missouricollege.com (2009). Increasing the Amount of Women in the Healthcare Field. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.missouricollege.com/increasing-amount-women-in-healthcare.asp Mittelstandf, M. (2003). Census: Latinos surpassing Blacks. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2003/0119-0125/Minority-DMN-Census-012203.pdf Murillo, E. How does it feel to be a problem? “Disciplining” the transnational subject in South America. NesSmith, W. (1995). Social Sciences: An Introduction. Forth Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers. Nieto, S. (2005). Public Education in the 20th century and beyond: high hopes, broken promises and an uncertain future. Harvard Business Review, 75(1). Shah, A. (2009). Poverty Facts and Stats. Global Issues. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats Starbucks.com (2009). Diversity at Starbucks. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/diversity.asp Wordiq.com (2009). Multiculturalism – Definition. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Multiculturalism Read More