Multiculturalism

Content
What is “Multiculturalism” ?

Real-ife examples

Argument
What is
“Multiculturalism“ ?
DEFINITION:
VARIOUS ETHNIC AND CULTURAL GROUPS EXIST IN A SINGLE SOCIETY.

Multiculturalism, in sociology, refers to the end-state of a natural or regulated process that occurs on a national or community
level. It can happen naturally through immigration or be enforced through laws. On a smaller scale, it involves merging areas
with different cultures, while on a larger scale, it results from migration between jurisdictions.

In political science, multiculturalism is a state's ability to manage cultural diversity within its borders. It involves various

01.
ideologies and policies, often described as a "salad bowl" or "cultural mosaic" rather than a "melting pot" approach.
Multiculturalism aims to create an inclusive and harmonious society by recognizing and respecting different cultures.
02. EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Some regions may provide exemptions allowing

Real-life
educational institutions to teach and preserve
indigenous or minority languages and cultures in
their curriculum, even if it deviates from
standard requirements.

examples Some Australian states, such as New South

Wales and Victoria, have policies and legislation
in place to support the teaching of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures in
schools.
02. VACCINATION AND RELIGION

In the U.S., all states except Mississippi,

Real-life
California, West Virginia, Maine and New York
allow parents to exempt their children from
otherwise-required vaccinations for religious
reasons.

examples The number of religious exemptions rose greatly

in the late 1990s and early 2000s; for example, in
Massachusetts, the rate of those seeking
exemptions rose from 0.24% in 1996 to 0.60% in
2006.
Some parents falsely claim religious beliefs to
get exemptions.
Are these cultural and religious exemptions
from some state laws compatible with
equality?
 03.
I think it depends.
The first thing to confirm is that if we’re
trying to apply multiculturalism,
coexistence of multiple cultural groups
within a single society should be achieved
by it; multiculturalism recognizes and
promotes the idea that different cultures,
Argument
ethnicities, religions, and languages can
peacefully and harmoniously coexist,
while also maintaining their distinct
identities and contributing to the overall
diversity of the society.
As for the education issue, I think it is
03.
totally acceptable. That’s because it upholds
the principle of cultural diversity, allowing
individuals and communities to preserve
their heritage. In this case, the exemption is
Argument
a way to respect and accommodate different
cultural and religious perspectives.
However, for the vaccine one, I think it
should be forbidden to allow people to
03.
exempt themselves. That’s because it may
cause externalities that harm other people.
The American Medical Association, for
example, opposes such exemption, saying
Argument
that it endangers health not only for the
unvaccinated individual but also for
neighbors and the community at large.
Conclusion
When cultural and religious exemptions don’t do harm to other stakeholders in the society, it’s fine because
this, to some extent, promotes social diversity; nevertheless, if they cause negative externalities, then it
becomes unfair for others.