Introduction to Multiculturalism

Introduction to Multiculturalism

• Multiculturalism comes from the English words "multi" and "cultural"
• It refers to a person's view of the variety of life in the world
• Multiculturalism is a cultural policy that emphasizes acceptance of diversity and various kinds of cultures

Types of Multiculturalism

• Accommodative Multiculturalism: includes people who have a dominant culture that makes adjustments and accommodations for minority cultural needs
  • Formulates and applies culturally sensitive laws, statutes, and provisions
  • Gives freedom to minorities to maintain and develop their culture
• Interactive or Critical Multiculturalism: includes a plural society where cultural groups are not too focused on autonomous cultural life
  • Forms a collective creation that reflects and affirms their own distinctive perspectives
• Isolationist Multiculturalism: refers to a society where various cultural groups live autonomously and engage in minimal interaction with one another
• Cosmopolitan Multiculturalism: includes efforts to eliminate cultural boundaries to create a society that is no longer bound to a particular culture
  • Freely involves in intercultural experiments and develops their own cultural life

Elements of Multiculturalism

• Tribes: there are 110 indigenous and tribes in the Philippines, e.g. Igorot, Gaddang, Ybanag, Itawis, Ilongot, etc.
• Race: the ancestors of the vast majority of the population were of Malay descent and came from Southeast Asian mainland and Indonesia
• Religion and Belief: Christianity is the majority faith in the Philippines, making up approximately 90% of the population
• Ideology: has a strong influence on behavior, e.g. Utang na Loob, Sakop orientation, and Bahala Na are three dominant ideologies commonly shared among Filipinos
• Political: politics is an attempt to enforce social order, influenced by both Western and Eastern cultures
• Manners: are all actions, behaviors, customs, mannerisms, greetings, words, and abilities in accordance with certain rules and norms
• Social Gap: the Philippines has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world
• Economic Gap: there are differences in income between people, with income distribution highly uneven and poverty rates higher than in other ASEAN countries

Causes of Multiculturalism

• Geographical factors: differences in geographical conditions lead to differences in the community
• Climatic factors: differences in climatic conditions lead to differences in the community
• Foreign cultural influences: people who already know foreign cultures are likely to be affected by these foreign cultural habits

Characteristics of Multiculturalism

• Presence of people of different cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities living in the same country
• Peaceful co-existence and greater tolerance are observed between different cultures
• Immigrants can choose to integrate or assimilate with the host's culture
• Policies and rules of the host country are conducive to developing a peaceful state culturally
• The host benefits by gaining a diverse pool of people who contribute with their knowledge, productivity, and skills

Importance of Culturalism

• Identification of culture: enables us to get acquainted with different cultures and inculcates respect for the culture of others
• To create cultural integration: has a positive effect on the whole country and helps foster a sense of belonging to different cultures in the society
• To develop responsible citizenship: intelligent and responsible citizens are the wealth of the country
• To create broad positive social approaches: social development is not possible without inculcating social awareness and positive social attitudes
• To cultivate global spirit: integration into a global culture is essential in today's 21st century era of competition
• To create unity through diversity: multiculturalism is important to inculcate the feeling that we are all Filipinos without cultural differences in order to realize the principle of secularism

Components of Multiculturalism

• Values cultural pluralism
• Promotes social justice, cultural democracy, and equity
• Promotes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to function effectively in a pluralistic society
• Extends beyond race, ethnicity, social class, and gender to include differences in religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, and geographic region
• Emphasizes the importance of using multiple perspectives to study multiple cultures
• Is an essential component of analytical thinking
• Promotes change within and across individuals, organizations, and society

Learn about the concept of multiculturalism, its meaning, and types, including accommodative multiculturalism and its applications.