Multiculturalism has been a subject of concern in the United Kingdom in past few years since it has become a very cosmopolitan country. There are lots of different opinions about this from different people like politicians, journalists, professors specialized in the subject and even artists. And these opinions are expressed through different media like speeches, articles and movies. In this essay it will be analyzed how multiculturalism applies in the movie East is East, what are the problems that arise in this movie and how they can be solved, going through a deep analysis of causes of the conflicts raised applying opinions from critics like Pnina Werbner and Sara Ahmed. In addition, the view, problems and solution about multiculturalism from the Prime Minister David Cameron will be explained and the counter critics. Multiculturalism is an intricate subject, but I believe is should be about having one identity that everyone shares and about tackling racism.
In the movie East is East, Zaheed, a Pakistan immigrant in the UK, tries to force his kids to become good Muslims in spite of their happiness. Racism and Islamophobia are clearly some of the factors that lead Zaheed to behave in this way. When he first arrived to the UK he was very open-minded and ready to accept this new culture in the country he was moving to. He adopted an English name (George) and married an English woman, which according to Pakistan country laws it is prohibited. A Pakistan that is Muslim can only marry a woman who is Muslim as well. So, Zaheed, or George, left his identity behind to become involved in the British culture. Yet, he was not ready to being rejected. His open-mindedness included the belief that this new community would instantly accept him. B...
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...nd that it is also a subject of cultural conflicts.
Works Cited
1. East Is East. Dir. Damien O'donnell, D. O. 1999. DVD.
2. Cameron, David, D. C. "David Cameron's Munich Speech on Multiculturalism." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Ahmed, Sara. "Melancholic Immigrants." The Promise of Happiness. Durham: Duke UP, 2010. 145-51. Print.
Benett, Milton J., Ph. D. Becoming Interculturally Competent. Publication. Oregon: Intercultural Development Research Institute, 2004. Print.
Modood, Tariq, T.M. "Tariq Modood on The History of Multiculturalism." Interview. Multiculturalism Bites 8 July 2011: 1-5. Print.
Phillips, Anne, A. P. "Anne Phillips on the Multiculturalism and Liberalism." Interview. Multiculturalism Bites 8 July 2011: 1-5. Print.
Werbner, Pnina, P. W. "Diaspora, Migration and Culture." Articles. Google
Blog, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Takaki, Ronald. “Between Two Endless Days.” A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1993. 277-310.
middle of paper ... ... Given that multiculturalism is a framework that says that anyone can sit at the table so long as they accept certain political and cultural divisions which ultimately work to make impossible your ability to change the basic structure of meaning in society, or which seek to extract any political potential from the things you say, the things you embody and the things you want. You can have holidays, but not your language. You can have a month of the year for your race, but no justice.
“Multiculturalism” entered public speech in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Canada that focused on unique cultural diversity, nationalities, and ethnicity across the nation. Multiculturalism and Immigration are important factors in the development of Canada to attain a strong multicultural example of economic stability, social and political growth which leads to the emergence of Canada’s identity and culture.
Macklin, Ruth. "Ethical relativism in a multicultural society." Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 8.1 (1998): 1-22.
Integration of culture within the United States has become a difficult task for government officials who follows the Multiculturalist approach. Culture is the diversification of one’s being as regards to their immutable traits being learnt from the time of their births. Linda Chaves’s essay “Demystifying Multiculturalism” points out that the accommodation of equal rights between whites and non-whites is not a problem it is education. However, multiculturalist believes that non-whites are becoming a threat to their population and will eventually change the American culture. The demographic tidal wave illusion from the business sectors is merely an exaggeration as they believe that non-white’s will eventually whip out United States white’s population. Chavez gives attention to the fact that ‘judgment should not be based on skin color but by content of one’s character’ (6). Furthermore, she doesn’t only criticize the Multiculturalist techniques but emphasizes through reasoning why the Multiculturalist approach would imposed negative attitude towards the non-whites in the United States. This will not only create negativity but a racial chaos between whites and non-whites living in the United States.
Multiculturalism, Evidence: Describe commonalities with and experiences of peoples having different cultural norms and histories.
Orientalism is never far from what Denys Hay ahs called the idea of Europe, a collective notion identifying ‘us’ Europeans as against all ‘those’ non-Europeans, and indeed it precisely what made that culture hegemonic both in and outside Europe: the idea of European identity as superior one in comparison with ass the non-European peoples and cultures (7).
The initiation of intercultural effectiveness can be derived from behaviour impacted by its cultural differences and “cultural self-awareness includes recognition of one’s own cultural influences upon values, beliefs, and judgements, as well as the influences derived from the professional’s work culture” (Winkelman, 2005, p. 9)
35 Fleras, Augie, and Jean Leonard Elliott. Engaging Diversity: Multiculturalism in Canada. Toronto: Nelson, 2002: 164.
The history of Australia has been altered through multiculturalism. As Carter explains, “Histories of different ethnic groups – the Chinese, Germans, Scandinavians and so forth – have appeared with increasing regularity in recent decades” (348). Australia no longer has the same relationship to a British heritage (Carter 347). More information uncovers the interracial mixing of Indigenous and Asian, European and non-European, etc. Multiculturalism, furthermore, is allowing Australia to break away from its racist and isolationist history (Carter 348). While this is positive, multiculturalism may be a form of ‘nationalist triumphalism. Ien Ang
Multiculturalism is a significant fabric of Canadian society that defines its unique identity among the rest of the world. Enactment of the Canadian multicultural policy (1971) affirmed government position and recognition of multiculturalism as a vital element of Canada. It is imperative to understand that multiculturalism is a static concept that keeps changing overtime and has a multidimensional entity. Canadians have always and will continue to revise the concept of multiculturalism to suit the ever expanding needs of Canadian society. In this paper, I will evaluate the reasons behind Canada’s adoption of multicultural policy and assess whether the policy should be maintained or not. I will defend the thesis that Canada’s multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the ethnic and cultural diversity that exists within a certain area. Different countries display various forms of multiculturalism. The most common form of multiculturalism is whereby a citizen of a certain country is born overseas, or of the parents of the individual is born overseas. English speaking countries have a lot of multiculturalism in them. Just like the United Kingdom, Australia has adopted multiculturalism as a national identity. My essay explores how Australia appreciates and accepts many different ethnicities and cultures.
In this week’s readings the subject of dimensions of cultural diversity were covered comprehensively in both books. Understanding and Managing Diversity presented a nicely laid out illustration:
Although this struggle is often conceptualized by interested political entities as the central deficiency of multiculturalism, it actually involves different aspects of cultural pluralism, each of which raises its own challenges. From a historical perspective, minorities have been incorporated into mainstream sociopolitical communities through a range of approaches, from the subjugation and deconstruction of previously autonomous cultures to the voluntary immigration of families and individuals (Trent, 2012). These differences in the method of incorporation have profoundly affected the nature of minority groups within hegemonic social constructs, and the type of affiliation which they have sought with general society (Trent, 2012). Given the apparent complexities with respect to social identity, multicultural pedagogy has traditionally viewed critical (and constructive) discussions about the recognition of minorities as positive developments in the continual evaluation and re-evaluation of American socio-politics (Trent,
In his article “The Failure of Multiculturalism”, Kenan Malik uses the diverse European culture to study and explain the irony of multiculturalism. He defines multiculturalism as “the embrace of an inclusive, diverse society” (Malik 21). Integration between cultures is practically inevitable, but several nations view this as a threat towards upholding their culture. Due to this, many countries have made attempts at properly integrating new people and ideas while trying to prevent the degradation of their own. This can result in unjust regulations and the reverse effect of an intended multicultural society.