Analysis of the Idea of Multiculturalism in British Society - Dissertation Example

?Multiculturalism: The Case of British Society Multiculturalism is a widely known idea which is being understood by everyone around the globe. The term multiculturalism is a combination of two words, ‘multi’ which means more than one and ‘culturalism’ refers to the existence and practicing of more than one culture. Hence, multiculturalism is the doctrine that several different cultures coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. Multiculturalism is a blessing or a curse is the two sides of a coin. Although it can be tagged as the concept of diversity and pluralism, it also involves the complicated issues corresponding to racism, and discrimination between the ethnocentric and xenocentric cultures. Britain is a country which provides refuge to approximately 60.6 million people (UKinsolvakia 2011). These immigrants provide a platform to different religions, cultures and races to integrate and flourish. Britain’s success is the simplest and most evident confirmation that multiculturalism is a blessing. Therefore, it would be proven by analyzing few facts of British Society. It was the era of colonialism when Britain sent armies around the east. The east India trading company from country to country contact and got a taste of other cultures. People started immigrating in numbers after World War 1 that continued to change the trends of British society as it is today. Firstly, one of the blessings of multiculturalism in Britain; it harbors the human dignity that leads to foster a better understanding of humankinds. Interpersonal communication and relationships between the individuals or groups of two different cultures promotes harmony and sociability in British society. Eventually, it helps to nurture the country towards the pinnacle. Therefore, it proves that Multiculturalism is a blessing to the British Society. Secondly, Multiculturalism in British society disintegrates ignorance and distrust between or among the fellow citizens. The least communication gap between the people or groups of different culture leads to the eradication of misunderstandings among People in British Society. And that provides the foundations of trust and harmony among the people. Thus, it can be concluded that Multiculturalism in British society is a blessing. Thirdly, Multiculturalism in British Society supplanted the dry uniformity of a non-multicultural society. To understand this, equate this with a lighter example as a Color-Television super ceded the tedium of a Black & White Television. It is evident that British Society has vividness due to multiculturalism. People love multifariousness around them. Therefore, it proves that Multiculturalism in British society is not a curse, but a blessing. Moreover, British society warns and forbids ignoramuses from being openly discriminatory or racist (Racial Discrimination Act). Multiculturalism in British Society advances the principle that race consciousness may be irrelevant, especially in the light of global village. Multiculturalism is an agent of equality in British Society. It shields the social control and harmony among the different cultures that ultimately benefit the whole society. Hence, it depicts that Multiculturalism is a blessing for British Society (Hadjetian 2008). Take for instance; Multiculturalism in British fosters the British economy in pleasing direction. Mainly in Urban areas of Britain, skilled People emigrate from their countries that are incorporated in the work force. The technological advancement in the country requires a cheap labor force from the third world countries. Multiculturalism in British helps to absorb such people from the third world countries. So, it is evident that multiculturalism is a blessing for British society. Adopting of other cultures in music and arts is another example of fixing the social fabric in British society. It promotes the social control, harmony among the different cultures. People of different cultures interact and work together in social institutions (Educational, Political, Media and Social Control Institutions) and adopt the positives from each other and bringing the diversified approach to the British society. Eventually, it all brings a pluralistic approach in the society. Therefore, it can be observed that Multiculturalism is a blessing to British society (Mathison and Ross 2008). In Britain, People attend and interact each other on different cultural festivals in a calendar year. It paves the way for people of different cultures in a society to embrace and draw inspiration for each other. It also helps in bonding of different people, groups, and cultures for the betterment of the British society. Keeping in view the argument it helps in finding out that Multiculturalism is a blessing for British Society. Moreover, multiculturalism in Britain appeals tourists to observe different cultures in a single society. Any one walking down English high street in Britain would come across the footings of multiculturalism as a fascinating idea. The shops, Restaurants, Music stores, Cuisines, crafts of different cultures are from all over the world. Thus, multiculturalism is a blessing for British society. Multiculturalism is promoted through the growing trends of immigration. Immigration can serve to be beneficial for the countries where these people migrate. This is because the developed nations have more of an aging population which they have to cater. Increased life expectancy and better treatment options serve as reasons for this. Another cause is the decreased birth rates in these nations. This results in low skilled labor and hence immigrants can serve to fill in these gaps. Also the immigrants pay higher taxes comparatively and this can serve to compensate for the amount required to cater to the aged. Thus, immigration serves to promote the betterment of the immigrants as well as proves to be beneficial to the economy of the host nation (Rowthorn 2004). Kelly (2011) suggests that British economy has acquired much benefits from the immigrants by increasing labor efficiency and modernization. The cultural richness of the UK economy due to multicultural taskforces brings about many changes in the labor, working and educational areas. Yet, the impact of these changes is lesser on the employment opportunities and wage rates (Kelly 2011). With multiculturalism, there is development and understanding of other cultures and religions. This leads to the enhancement of an individual’s understanding of the world. The immigrants receive a chance of adapting according to the culture of the country where they have migrated. On the other hand the nationals of that country receive a chance to view the different cultures of the world and analyze them. This can assist in the promotion of harmony as people from two different regions learn to live together and are exposed to different views and perspectives of the world. Thus multiculturalism assists in broadening the human mind (Hainmueller et al 2007). The British society is a living example of such harmonization of mind where people from diversified backgrounds are living together peacefully. Despite of this understanding about multiculturalism and its benefits, there has been much opposition to the policy of immigration and immigrants have to face racism in the host country. The opponents argue that the immigrants actually take up their jobs and the result is lower employment for them. This point has been argued against as it has been analyzed the economic impact of immigration is not great and immigrants serve in to fill many vacant places and assist in boosting the income as a whole. Opponents also present the fact that not all immigrants who actually come to the host countries are actually educated and this results in unemployment for them as well. The net result is an increase in unemployment and crime rate. To counter this, it has been seen that immigrants even adapt to the jobs of lower income which are not taken up by the nationals and unemployment is not a major factor amongst them (Rowthorn 2004). Another issue that is raised against the immigrants is that they actually bring with them a different culture which contaminates the culture of the host country. In this aspect the educated class actually understands that cultural diversity assists in the broadening of the human mind and in the development of peace of how beings from different parts of the world can live together (Hainmueller et al 2007). Thus immigrants do not serve as a burden on the economy of the host countries but rather prove to be helpful for them as well and also assist in bridging gaps between different cultures. British society provides examples where economy benefits from the higher taxes, being paid by the immigrants and lower wages being demanded by them. The innovations and success that Britain enjoys is, in one way or the other, upheld by the immigrants. By analyzing all the examples of British society, it can be concluded that Multiculturalism is a blessing for the British society as it incorporated plenty of variety in the society. If there were no multiculturalism in Britain, there would have never been the foundations of democratic norms as democracy is another version of Pluralism. Multiculturalism if viewed from the ethical stand proves that every being has the right to better opportunity and lifestyle. If one chooses to migrate to attain these benefits it is not wrong. On the other hand multiculturalism also serves to be beneficial for the developed nations because the immigrants serve to fill in the gap which is created due to the decreased number of people in the working ages. Cultural diversity is also enhanced by means of immigration. Hence multiculturalism is an issue which serves to assist not only the immigrants but also has a positive impact on the nation where the people migrate to. Bibliography Rowthorn, R. The Economic Impact of Immigration. A Civitas Online Report.(2004) http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/Rowthorn_Immigration.pdf Hainmueller, Jens, and Michael J. Hiscox. "Educated Preferences: Explaining Attitudes Toward Immigration in Europe." International Organization. 61.2 (2007): 399-442. Print. UKinSolvakia (2009). Multicultural Britain [online]. [Accessed 03 Aug 2011]. Available from: . Kelly, C. (2011). Why there is a cost to curbing immigration – Daily Mail’s MONDAY VIEW by JONATHAN PORTES [online]. [Accessed 03 Aug 2011]. Available from: . HADJETIAN, S. (2008). Multiculturalism and magic realism? Between fiction and reality. Mu?nchen, GRIN Verlag GmbH. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-201008285551. MATHISON, S., & ROSS, E. W. (2008). Battleground schools. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press. http://www.netlibrary.com/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=224850. Read More