Introduction to Multiculturalism

Introduction to Multiculturalism

• Multiculturalism comes from the words "multi" and "cultural"
• Multiculturalism is a term used to describe a person's view of the variety of life in the world
• Multiculturalism can also refer to a cultural policy that emphasizes acceptance of diversity and various kinds of cultures
• Multiculturalism includes understanding, appreciating, and appraising one's culture, as well as respect and curiosity about other people's ethnic culture

Types of Multiculturalism

• Accommodative Multiculturalism:
  • Includes people who have a dominant culture that makes adjustments for minority cultural needs
  • Community formulates culturally sensitive laws and provisions
  • Minorities have freedom to maintain and develop their culture
  • Applied in several European countries
• Interactive or Critical Multiculturalism:
  • Includes a plural society where cultural groups form a collective creation that reflects their own distinctive perspectives
  • Concerned with achieving positive individual, community, and societal outcomes
  • Values inclusion, cooperation, and movement toward mutually shared goals

Misconceptions on Multiculturalism

• People from the same nation or region or those who speak the same language do not necessarily share a common culture
• Families from the same culture do not necessarily share the same values
• Multicultural education is not just about ethnic or racial issues, and it is not only for older children
• Multicultural education is necessary because we need to acknowledge and appreciate cultural diversity, and it's not just about recognizing one culture

Culture, Pluralism, and Studies

• Culture can refer to high culture, invoking associations with refined tastes and habits, or cultural traditions and practices that differentiate groups of people
• UNESCO plays a role in promoting cultural diversity and understanding
• Early notions of culture were tied to Eurocentrism and evolutionism, but cultural evolutionism has given way to cultural relativism
• Cultural relativism recognizes that cultural practices and values differ across the world and that what is acceptable in one culture may not be in another

Pluralism Defined

• Pluralism refers to a society or environment in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups coexist and maintain their traditions and beliefs
• A pluralistic society is one in which all people can fully participate while maintaining their cultural traditions and beliefs
• Diversity refers to the point or respect in which things differ, or the variety of cultures, ethnicities, and groups in a society

Ethnicity and Filipino Ethnicity

• Ethnicity is identity with a group of people who share cultural traditions of a particular homeland or hearth
• Ethnicities are broadly defined as large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic or cultural origin or background
• The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) identifies 110 indigenous groups or ethnic groups in the Philippines
• Ethnic groups in the Philippines include Tagalog, Ilokano, Kapangpangan, Bikolano, Aeta, Igorot, Ivatan, Mangyan, Badjao, Yakan, B'laan, Maranao, T'boli, Tausug, and Bagobo

Socioeconomic Class and Mobility

• Socioeconomic status is the social standing or class of an individual or group, often measured by education, income, and occupation
• Socioeconomic class can affect access to resources, privilege, power, and control
• The Philippines has an open system, where status is achieved depending on individual efforts
• The upper class has influence on the economy and political structure, while the upper-middle class is made up of successful business and professional people
• The lower-middle class shares characteristics with the upper-middle class but has not achieved the same lifestyle, while the working class is made up of factory workers and blue-collar workers
• The lower class has little education or occupational skills and is often unemployed or underemployed

Geographical Migration

• Geographical migration is the movement of people from one geographical spot to another
• Reasons for migration include economic factors, forced relocation, eviction, and dispossession of unwanted people, voluntary permanent migration, or local residential changes