Multiculturalism in Australia - Case Study Example

Multiculturalism in Australia: A review The concept of the nation state in the modern day usage is evolved from its earlier usage, where the nation state today comprises of a number of elements, including the economic, social, global and political aspects of functioning. The state today in the modern era performs a number of functions, due to the reason that most of the aspects of the country need to be regulated by the state. The state usually regulates the functioning of the nation state through policy formulation and execution. These policies can easily be divided into two categories: domestic policy formulation and foreign policy formulation. When one looks at the working of the establishment of a nation state the factor of culture plays a significant role in the working of the nation state. This is especially significant in the countries where there are a number of different ethnicities co-existing in the society. A prime example of such a nation state is the nation state of the Common Wealth of Australia, where the society is me up of people belonging to different ethnicities. In the following paper there shall be a detailed discussion developed on the role of multiculturalism in the nation state, and the various contentions that are present in the Australian society with regards to this issue. The word multiculturalism is one that represents the fact that there are a number of different races and cultures co-existing in a society. In the case of the Australian experience there are certain issues that are constantly being faced by the population of the country along with the government with regards to this issue in the society (Boreham, Paul, Stokes, Geoffrey and Hall, Richard (ed) 2004). There is believed by some scholars that the problem with the multiculturalism stems from the problem of immigration problems, while others believe that it is a result of the government trying to compartmentalise the various cultures (Lovell, David W., McAllister, Ian, Maley, William and Kukathas, Chandran (eds.) 1998). It has to be understood that there are a number of factors connected to this issue, and in the discussion that will follow, each of the factors will be analysed, so that some understanding of the contentions that exist can be established. The most significant fact that has to be grasped is that the Australian society is composed of various nationalities and people belonging to different cultures and ethnicities. It has a population where mot 40 percent of the population has one or both parents from abroad, while almost 20 percent of the population was born abroad. People from 200 different nationalities comprise the population, and out of these the Italian, British, Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese, German and Indian form the largest groups (Galligan, Brian, McAllister, Ian and Ravenhill, John (eds.) 1997). The policy of multiculturalism allows these various nationalities and the people belonging to different cultures co-exist in a peaceful and respectful manner. It helps in the maintenance of the civil society, where the people belonging to the various cultures are treated equally, and can practise their cultures in a manner which is not harmful to the civic way of life (Lovell, David W., McAllister, Ian, Maley, William and Kukathas, Chandran (eds.) 1998). But the problem stems from the fact that it also leads to the compartmentalisation of the various cultures in the country. When cultures come in contact with each other, they evolve and change. In fact this is the main characteristics of culture, that it has the ability to evolve and be flexible in accordance to the needs of the individuals (Galligan, Brian, McAllister, Ian and Ravenhill, John (eds.) 1997). Inter cultural marriages and interactions have helped in the evolution of culture in the country. Yet, it has been seen that there are subtle nuances that try to maintain the compartmentalisation of the various cultures in the society. In fact, some scholars are of the belief that this leads to greater pressures on the multicultural forces in the society. For example, the national language is English, and this alienates the section which is not English speaking. Also even though certain languages are taught in the class, such as Italian, Greek, French and German, but this is only done for the sake of education. This leads to the language being confined to the classes and it does not translate into the social context, which does not help in the prospering of the culture in the society in the long term. When one talks about multiculturalism, one has to realise that it is not limited to the problems that are being faced in the nation state today, but is dealing with the issues that have been present in the Australian society since the time of it settlement. The main reason behind this continuing problem is the dominance of the White population in the Australian society. When one looks at the history of the mainstream Australian society, one can trace an element of an arrogance and belief of superiority for its British heritage, which is closely linked with its characteristic of European favorism. In fact this was the basis on which a number of policies were adopted in the history of the society, including the assimilation policy, the White Australia immigration policies and one of the most significantly harmful policies of segregation of the aboriginal people, which have left behind scars which are prominent in the Australian society even today. Thus, it has been observed that the society has a history of being partial to the people belonging to the White race, and has a history which believed that any race could not be allowed to dilute the cultural heritage of the British regime (Parkin, Andrew, Summers, John and Woodward, Dennis (eds.) 2006). It was believed that the British way of life would be compromised and the purity would be diminished through inter racial marriage. Also it has been observed that the country has adopted the policy of encouraging immigration and multiculturalism in a manner, which has left the minorities feeling that they are outsiders (Cook, Ian, Walsh, Mary and Harwood, Jeffrey, 2009). One of the prime examples is that of the Australian society and multiculturalism has failed to make the aboriginal population feel secure and accepted as a part of the society and the nation state. In fact, even today it can be observed that the multicultural policies of the government have failed to embrace the aboriginal population in the country in a whole hearted manner (Jupp, James 2007). This problem is further aggravated by the fact that the aboriginal population of the nation state that they do not want to be a part of the multicultural society of Australia, and would like to be apart from the whole policy as a whole. In fact this is one of the leading concerns in the Australian society in relation to the issue of multiculturalism and equality (Jupp, James 2007), leading to greater disconcert among the Australian population as a whole. Also it has been observed that other multicultural issues also stem from the fact that many believe the policies were developed to protect the rights of the White population. For example, the Australians have always been aware of the fact that the Asians have had a bigger population than them, and due to the threat that they felt during the Second World War, made them change their immigration policies, so that there was greater immigration of the Asian population to the country (Jupp, James 2007), helping it become more secure. Such a past has hurt the entire philosophy behind the policy of multiculturalism in the society of Australia making the population more cynical. Another problem that has been observed in relation to the multicultural is that there is lack of understanding of the other cultures that are present in the society, which ends up in intolerance and aggression (Dutton, David 2002). For example, in the post 9/11 case scenario, the tolerance level towards the culture of Islam was seen to diminish in the society, where it was believed that the culture helped in the propagation of anti democratic forces in society. In fact many believed that the culture propagated the subjugation of the female which lead to gender inequality and also propagates violence and its use in the society (Tiffen, Rodney and Gittins, Ross 2004). The perception n the intolerance towards the culture goes to reveal the flimsy ground on which the multiculturalism of the society stands in the modern day scenario. Thu, it is important that the aspect of multiculturalism is adapted in the system of every ay living in the Australian society so that a truly stable society is established (Fenna, Alan 2004). Other than the cultural aspect of the living and functioning of the multicultural policy being contentious, it has been observed that it also spreads into other sections of the society making it more difficult to be realised in the contemporary society. When one looks at the concept of multiculturalism, one has to realize that it is based in personal choice and tolerance and respect of these different ways of living (Fenna, Alan 2004). But it has been observed that some believe that it is a threat to the western democratic way of living. These people are supportive of the unifying and of creating a homogenous society, where there is one established way of living that is being followed by all. In fact they believe that the presence of different cultures undermines the stability and the peaceful coexistence of the population of a country. They give examples of areas in the world, where there is conflict and violence due to difference of culture, as one cultural group tries to establish its superiority over the other. The presence of such groups in the Australian context has only added to the issues that are present regarding the multicultural nature of its society (Heywood, Andrew 2007). There are also scholars who are of the belief that the presence of multiculturalism in a society leads to development of threat to the democratic elements of society, as it allows them to continue following the traditional prejudices that are attached to their culture, which leads to conflict of interest in the public sphere of life (Heywood, Andrew 2007). They argue that if intolerance that is embedded in other cultures, for example the subjection of women, is allowed in modern Western democracies then that will win back the rights that have been gained in these areas for certain groups (meaning, in this example, that it might undermine gains made by the women's movement in Western countries). Some people simply find it insulting to Western democracy that other cultures that they consider less developed should be valued as much as Western culture (Stokes, Geoffrey (ed.) 1997). They believe that multiculturalists argue for all cultures to be valued equally. But it has to be realized, that the policy of multiculturalism is believed to be a greater success in the country of Australia, in comparison to other nation states such as United Kingdom. The problem of Islamic aggression is more apparent in the UK, where it has been observed that both the locals as well as the immigrants feel threatened and are aggressive in their being. There has been observed that there is a lack of acceptance in both groups, whereas the country of Australia, the concept of multiculturalism has been accepted at a more grass root level, where the Muslim community has been able to embrace the way of living in the country, and feel a part of the Australian society. They do not feel threatened in a manner that the people following Islam o in UK, and this is a reflection on the success of the multicultural policy of the government in the country (The Great Divide, Online). Finally, it has to be realized that one of the most recent examples of contentions in the Australian society with regards to the multiculturalism experience of the country has been the violence that has been experienced in the society towards certain cultural groups (Sherington, Geoffrey 1990). It has been observed that in the recent times there have been a lot of contentions in the Australian society in relation to the immigration of foreign nationals coming into the country. In fact it is believed that these people are a drain on the society resources (Richards, Eric 2008), and have led to the scarcity of economic resources for the people who were born in the country such as the employment opportunities that are available, the educational seats in the universities and others. Due to such an opinion, it was observed that the people belonging to foreign nationalities were targeted in the Australian society (Richards, Eric 2008), especially those of the Asian origin, where students from India were beaten up and abused. This was followed by an intense debate in the society with regards to the use of violence in society, and the overall issue of multiculturalism in the Australian experience (Opposition to multiculturalism and immigration, Online). In this context, many believe that the immigrants are taking over the society, and the citizens of the country are not being able to avail of the country resources due to the limited supply and high demand. This led to the Howard government increasing the over tuition fee in the higher levels of education, while putting a ban on the immigration so that there would be greater resources available. This leads to a problem as the policy of the government leads to accommodation of the needs of the people and it was a simple way out. In fact many believe that instead of creating a stronger base for multiculturalism in the nation state. The state is responsible for developing the policy of multiculturalism in the country. Yet the government failed to act responsibly to the situation, leading to the weakening of the multicultural roots in the Australian society, which can only hamper its progress in the long run. The Government has the opportunity to tell the Australian people that multiculturalism is something that shapes the way we live, that it springs directly from the kind of people we are, and that it has been remarkably successful as a response to the challenges of the post-war era. The Federal Government could also take a powerful step which would help crystallise public acceptance of multiculturalism. The Government should avoid major decisions which compromise or undermine basic multicultural principles. References Boreham, Paul, Stokes, Geoffrey and Hall, Richard (ed) 2004, The Politics of Australian Society: Political  Issues for the New Century, 2nd edition, Sydney, Pearson Longman, 2004, chapters 4 & 20. Cook, Ian, Walsh, Mary and Harwood, Jeffrey 2009, Government and Democracy in Australia, 2nd edition, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 2009, chapter 15. Dutton, David 2002, One of Us? A Century of Australian Citizenship, Sydney, University of New South Wales Press, 2002, chapters 1 and 9. Fenna, Alan 2004, Australian Public Policy, 2nd edition, Sydney, Pearson Longman, 2004, chapters 15. Galligan, Brian, McAllister, Ian and Ravenhill, John (eds.) 1997, New Developments in Australian Politics, Melbourne, Macmillan Education Australia, 1997, chapter 9. Heywood, Andrew 2007, Politics, 3rd edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2007, chapter 10 Jupp, James 2007, From White Australia to Woomera: the story of Australian immigration, 2nd edn., Melbourne, Cambridge University Press, 2007, chapters 5-6. Jupp, James 2007, ‘The Quest for Harmony’ in James Jupp, John Nieuwenhuysen & Emma Dawson (eds.), Social Cohesion in Australia, Melbourne, Cambridge University Press, 2007, chapter 1. Lovell, David W., McAllister, Ian, Maley, William and Kukathas, Chandran (eds.) 1998, The Australian Political System, 2nd edition, Melbourne, Addison Wesley Longman Australia, 1998, pp. 632-641, 660-663, 680- 728. Opposition to multiculturalism and immigration, Online, accessed on April 30, 2011 at http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-112_t-301_c-1015/opposition-to-multiculturalism-and-immigration/nsw/opposition-to-multiculturalism-and-immigration/changing-rights-and-freedoms-migrants/multiculturalism. Sherington, Geoffrey 1990, Australia’s Immigrants, 1977-1988, 2nd edition, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 1990. Stokes, Geoffrey (ed.) 1997, The Politics of Identity in Australia, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1997, chapters 8-9. Parkin, Andrew, Summers, John and Woodward, Dennis (eds.) 2006, Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia, 8th edition, Sydney, Pearson Longman, 2006, chapter 26. Richards, Eric 2008, Destination Australia: migration to Australia since 1901, Sydney, University of New South Wales Press, 2008, chapter 13. The Great Divide, Online, accessed on May 5th 2011, at http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8225812 Tiffen, Rodney and Gittins, Ross 2004, How Australia Compares, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004, chapter 1. Read More