In modern times, the main problem is the peaceful coexistence of different minorities and nationalities living in a country. Multiculturalism is another modern political theory that has given hope for the linguistic, religious, and other minorities in a nation. The neglect and the marginalization of the minorities in the democracy based on majority rule has spawned many problems, ranging from the political and social unrest to the terrorism, fundamentalism, violence, succession, etc. The solution of these problems lies in multiculturalism.
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The multiculturalism advocates the plurality of cultures in a nation, which is conceived as a cultural field. Unlike the theories of the liberal democracy that emphasized the individual to the extent of being culture-blind, multiculturalism stands for the cultural diversities and the enjoyment of the liberty. The main assumption of multiculturalism is that the cultural diversity within a nation clicks well with the enjoyment of liberty, as the cultural mosaic of the nation is enriched with different cultures maintaining their identities freely.
The Ideal of Non-Discrimination
The multiculturalism believes that culture-blindness, in fact, has resulted in the acceptance and dominance of the majority, and smaller communities have been excluded from the agenda of democracy. Consequently, the policies and the programs of the nation states have been pro-majority and anti-majority. Will Kymlica maintained that ‘The discrimination that minorities suffer as their cultures are excluded from the public domain and the pressures that these communities face to assimilate into majority culture, from the core of the western multicultural discourse’.
Promoting Cultural Diversity
It promotes the cultural diversity, and protects the interests of the minority. Promoting cultural diversity is considered a primary value of multiculturalism, and it is one of the pillars on which it stands above the other theories. It not only minimizes the minority discrimination, but also creates the conditions for the survival and enhancement of the minority interests. The cultural diversity, according to the multiculturalists, is essential for the balanced and all-round development of a society.
Multiculturalism, Pluralism and Diversity
It is intrinsically linked with pluralism and diversity. As a cultural community is identified as sharing common language, customs, religion, political, social, and economic institutions, they are not competent to accommodate plurality and the cultural diversity. Only multiculturalism with its cultural diversity and scope for pluralism can accommodate and fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the different cultures living in a society. It not only acknowledges the diversity of different cultures, but also protects and ensures its development and growth.
It considers each culture as having distinct values, which are different from other cultures. Further, it believes that the individual life and personality are constituted to some extent by the culture that he belongs to. Thus, it is important to safeguard and protect each culture so that every individual attains a balanced and meaningful growth of his personality. It provides equal opportunity and freedom to each culture, and leverages this mosaic of cultural experiences and values for the development of the nation.
Thus, the role of the theory of multiculturalism is very essential in the modern world.