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Multiculturalism introduction essay
An essay about multiculturalism
An essay about multiculturalism
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Diane Ravitch, a historian of American education, has argued with her essay “Multiculturalism Yes, Particularism No” the positive outcomes of pluralism, and the negative effects of particularism. Arguing that seeing the world as a whole, instead of pieces will help nation coexist, and work together. Race does not matter, and neither does a nation. We are all humans of earth and should be thought of as such. On the other side of the spectrum we have Ravi Zacharias, a christian minister who travels the globe defending his faith, and supporting particularism. The idea that everyone should believe in the same ideals, and attach themselves to the same group. The two ideals Ravitch and Zacharias argue, are polar opposites. One is for individuality, …show more content…
But smuggled in with pluralization was the absolutization of relativism. The only thing we could be sure of was that all moral choices were relative and there was no point of reference to right and wrong. This resulted in the death of reason.” The mistake made by Zacharias with this statement is that he assumes that his moral is that which should be shared by the rest of the world. This means that he assumes that his versions of right and wrong are absolute. All these assumptions are just another instance where Zacharias’ bias fails to understand pluralism, and weakens his own …show more content…
The idea that we should leave behind separate nations, is to destroy thousands of different cultures. As Americans we should understand this the best. Just as Rome was once the melting pot of ancient times, America is the modern day melting pot of the world. Ravitch explains, “particularists have no interest in extending American culture; indeed, they deny that a common culture exists. They do not appeal to the common good, because their idea of community is defined along racial or ethnic lines” (Ravitch 70). Ravitch understands, that just because America is a melting pot does not mean we don’t have a common culture. The United States’ common culture is multicultural. The best part about living in such an environment in the richness of the culture around it. Asian, African, Indian, Mexican influence all around us. To lose this would be to lose what makes to United States
Rossian Pluralism claims that there are multiple things that we have basic, intrinsic moral reason to do, which he names as the prima facie duties. These duties are not real, obligatory duties that one must follow under all circumstances, but are “conditional duties” (Ross 754) that one should decide to follow or reject upon reflection of their circumstances. This moral theory has faced criticisms, most strongly in the form of the problem of trade-offs. However, I will demonstrate that the problem of trade-offs is an issue that can be neglected as a valid objection to Rossian Pluralism because it is applicable to other theories as well and it is a factor that makes a moral theory more valuable than not.
Minority writers like W.EB. DuBois, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Sherman Alexie, have endeavored to vocalize the unheard voices of their people through literature. Their poems, short stories and novels echo sentiments of inequalities, prejudices, and the struggles of living as a minority in America. They also courageously share their perspectives on how the conflicts between their respective native cultures and the majority shape their lives and the world around them. These authors through their stories provide deeper insights on the concept of diversity. Authors from differing minority backgrounds have shown the variety of lenses in which diversity can be viewed and understood. Their writings show the evolution of diversity through time. Although
This essay will discuss the intrinsic relationship between diversity conceptualization and social integration presenting a response against David Brooks’ essay entitled “People Like Us.” In order to do this I will discuss four crucial elements: the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification, Brook’s ideas about social groups working together and social groups coexisting together, the importance of diversity, and the influence of diversity in social changes. I will examine why some people have the perception that our American society ignore or see as unworthy diversity. Thus, I will dispute Brook’s view stating that our society disregards diversity, and Americans just pretend that it is important to them.
"On Ethnic Definitions" is one of the shortest poems in Eleanor Wilner's anthology Reversing the Spell, but it is arguably one of the most powerful. In "Definitions," Wilner addresses issues of Jewish identity. As the title implies, she defines the Jewish people in ten lines. The nature of her definition is not immediately obvious, however. At first, readers unfamiliar with Jewish theology may believe that Wilner's definition is a bleak one that centers around death. It does at first appear that Wilner is saying that the very definition of the Jewish people is their death and burial, their destruction. However, after a brief explanation of the Jewish theology behind the poem, readers will see that Wilner's definition of the Jewish people is by no means a sad one, but rather a definition that includes hope and a future.
Individualism is the only alternative to the racism of political correctness. We must recognize that everyone is a sovereign entity, with the power of choice and independent judgment. The values of self-esteem and Western civilization should be proudly proclaimed.
The idea of multiculturalism, as presented Philip Resnick’s The European Roots of Canadian Identity, not only looks for a solution to the relations between English speaking Canadians and French speaking Canadians, but incorporation of other ethnicities into Canadian society as well. Resnick compares Canada’s multiculturalism as being too lenient to outside cultures to the assimilation system of the United States which puts little emphasis on diversity.
In his article, ‘One Nation, One of Many’ he claims that lack of shared values in a multicultural society will pose a threat to ‘America’ as an entity. He shows evidence of this by giving statistical data of the number of immigrants who have come into the country over the years. And he has gave data from surveys on the political and cultural fragmentation that have occurred since the influx in the early 1960s. He further supports his claim by suggesting that the elite and popular opinion should find a middle ground so that the immigration crisis can be
In its simplest definitions, the concept of multiculturalism having its roots in theories of cultural pluralism and diversity, can be defined as a normative response to manage the challenges arising from the ever growing multicultural make up of urban population caused by immigration or de facto plurality of cultures in both plural and mono cultural societies. The challenges of multicultural urban societies have been attributed to the politics of cultural differences characterized by the difference in value system of dominant mono cultural groups and specific communities containing multiple ethnicities and, also finding possible ways to co-exist among such differences. The politics of difference is largely reflected in sharing and constitution
America was founded on change. Past revolutions were fought to make new ways in which to live life in this country. Our families all came to America, at one point, to feed into this definition of being an American. The term melting pot in my mind means structure, meaning what we, as Americans, are made of. It was many ethnic backgrounds that came to make up our country. So as more and more people migrate to America, stand up for the changes they believe in, this country will only continue to get stronger.
The beauty is that we even share cultures day to day and speak different languages. There is an enormous variety amongst ourselves and there has to be a place here in the states for anyone to enjoy. Immigration policies can utterly destroy all of this and ruin the authentic mixture of cultures the states are known for. “The ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity brought by immigrants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has shaped American history and politics.”
Indeed, much of the public debate over the appropriate role of multicultural education have become entangled in polemics often aligned along the political spectrum with regards to culture and pedagogy (Trent, 2012). Opponents of the field of ethnic studies frequently claim that it actually isolates and victimizes minorities, encumbering their integration into mainstream American society. These so-called “assimilationists” argue for a single culture to which all groups should subscribe, a view which has considerable influence in many school districts and programs across the nation and which social conservatives continue to press in the political realm (Trent, 2012). From the reasonable assertion that social cohesion is formed through shared values and compromise, this position has deteriorated into a rigid extremism which claims that “special interests” have wrongly sought preferential treatment in a system that ostensibly provides equal opportunities for all members of society. Of course, as the U.S. population has become more multiracial, the assimilationist position has become more difficult to rationalize in an era in which the universal applicability of a common culture has increasingly been called into question (Trent,
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of “culture” is “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time”. On the other hand, accroding to Raymond Williams, it is more complicated. However, ther is something that is certain: Culture is ordinary, which happens to be the title of an article he wrote to define and explain what culture is.
Britain is and always has been a mixed race society. Gradually over the years, millions of people all over the world arrive either through past invasion or come as an immigrant to escape their own country’s famine, persecution and seeking for better economic opportunities in the UK (Zafra, 2007). The history of immigration and invasion has produced today’s diverse community. However, for the past few years, there has been a dispute concerning whether multiculturalism has obstruct the goal of attaining a peaceful community and instead causing extremism in the UK. According to Michelle Wilkinson (2011), this is resulted by the notion that multiculturalism promotes segregation and different groups having different beliefs leading to heavy tension and radicalization. On the other hand, multiculturalism has also been praised for advancing equality and social recognition (Caroline Howarth & Eleni Andreouli, 2013). In the light of this controversial issue, both aspect of the pro and cons of Multiculturalism to the society will be covered in this essay, exploring as a whole whether the ideology of Multiculturalism in enforcing equality has worked in Britain or not.
Multiculturalism and feminism are both incredibly important movements within modern society today. Multiculturalism is the construction of civil and political policies in order to overcome the extensive entrenched inequalities formed by the attempted assimilation of minority cultures (Kymlicka, 2012). Feminism is the movement for the social, political and economic equality of the sexes (Adichie, 2011) Both these movements are crucial for building a world in which everyone feels safe, appreciated and equal, no matter their gender or cultural background. However, some feminist scholars such as Susan Okin have proposed that multiculturalism and feminism are in fact in tension, and that these two goals cannot be achieved simultaneously. This essay
I think the best, most logical, and most realistic explanation of abnormal behavior is the multicultural model, which according to the textbook is “the view that each culture within a larger society has a particular set of values and beliefs, as well as special external pressures, that help account for the behavior of its members” (62). This particular model attributes environmental and social factors as causing abnormal and dysfunctional psychological functions, because of their prominent and powerful influence on individuals’ conscious and subconscious, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This models also acknowledges and respects cultural diversity, while catering to these differences in ways that specifically emphasizes and celebrates these