Your thoughts on multiculturalism?

Do you think multiculturalism is a good thing? Do you think it works? Do you think it breeds problems, or creates solutions?

Whatever you think, I would like to know.

Do you think multiculturalism is a good thing? Do you think it works? Do you think it breeds problems, or creates solutions?

Whatever you think, I would like to know.

BrianB0422

Its a good thing, it adds variety.

Makes things more interesting, but I dont think it's a problem per se. It's fine to celebrate other cultures. I just dont like when people try to push their culture as better.

If I went somewhere where there was a vast majority of one race it would feel quite strange to me, I'm used to living in a multicultural area.

I don't want it forced on me.

Depends how it occurs.... without a specific example it's impossible to say either way.markop2003

This. TC needs to define multiculturalism.

The entire history of civilization is one of multiculturalism.

[QUOTE="markop2003"]Depends how it occurs.... without a specific example it's impossible to say either way.Pirate700

This. TC needs to define multiculturalism.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="markop2003"]Depends how it occurs.... without a specific example it's impossible to say either way.BrianB0422

This. TC needs to define multiculturalism.

If multiculturealism didn't work the United States of american couldn't exist. Lot of different cultures came together to form the U.S.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="markop2003"]Depends how it occurs.... without a specific example it's impossible to say either way.BrianB0422

This. TC needs to define multiculturalism.

Some places it works, in MOST parts of the world, it doesn't. Obviously the US is the posterchild for multiculturalism but in most of the world outside of the west, no way.

me living in a multicultured society, it works well. the first few decade is probably the most tense for any nation due to misconceptions ect.

The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. I will add some background in that I was doing some Wikipedia browsing today and came across the page for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and she is on record as saying multiculturalism doesn't work. Add to that the bans in some european countries of burqa's and the outright distrust of muslims and that is what provoked my thoughts and this thread.BrianB0422

You need to provide a specific example. Obviously trying to mix Zionists and Neo-nazis is not going to end well however British and Canadian will mix easily without any real conflict. There's cultural, ideological and economic factors.

The reason why Europeans have resently been saying that it dosn't work is because they tend to cluster together. Their entire extended family emigrates and all stay in the same area and then their friends and their families do the same so you end up with a foreign community surrounded by another instead of them mixing.

[QUOTE="BrianB0422"]The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. I will add some background in that I was doing some Wikipedia browsing today and came across the page for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and she is on record as saying multiculturalism doesn't work. Add to that the bans in some european countries of burqa's and the outright distrust of muslims and that is what provoked my thoughts and this thread.markop2003

You need to provide a specific example. Obviously trying to mix Zionists and Neo-nazis is not going to end well however British and Canadian will mix easily without any real conflict. There's cultural, ideological and economic factors.

The reason why Europeans have resently been saying that it dosn't work is because they tend to cluster together. Their entire extended family emigrates and all stay in the same area and then their friends and their families do the same so you end up with a foreign community surrounded by another instead of them mixing.

Using British and Canadians isn't really a good example, they're essentially the same culture.

[QUOTE="BrianB0422"]The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. I will add some background in that I was doing some Wikipedia browsing today and came across the page for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and she is on record as saying multiculturalism doesn't work. Add to that the bans in some european countries of burqa's and the outright distrust of muslims and that is what provoked my thoughts and this thread.markop2003

You need to provide a specific example. Obviously trying to mix Zionists and Neo-nazis is not going to end well however British and Canadian will mix easily without any real conflict. There's cultural, ideological and economic factors.

The reason why Europeans have resently been saying that it dosn't work is because they tend to cluster together. Their entire extended family emigrates and all stay in the same area and then their friends and their families do the same so you end up with a foreign community surrounded by another instead of them mixing.

I live in a country which was created as a multiculturalist society from the very start. While we're doing it in a safe and peaceful state in the modern times, it didn't always use to be this way (there was a period where the Malay Muslims started rioting en masse against the Chinese for being much wealthier on average than themselves), and the native ethnoreligious group considers itself to be superior to non-Muslim or non-Malay ethnic groups. I don't know how things would have turned out for us if the Brits had never brought Chinese and Indians to Malaysian soil; I'm inclined to say that the natives would have been significantly worse off without us, since most of the scientific skilled workers in this nation are Chinese or Indians.

I live in a country which was created as a multiculturalist society from the very start. While we're doing it in a safe and peaceful state in the modern times, it didn't always use to be this way (there was a period where the Malay Muslims started rioting en masse against the Chinese for being much wealthier on average than themselves), and the native ethnoreligious group considers itself to be superior to non-Muslim or non-Malay ethnic groups. I don't know how things would have turned out for us if the Brits had never brought Chinese and Indians to Malaysian soil; I'm inclined to say that the natives would have been significantly worse off without us, since most of the scientific skilled workers in this nation are Chinese or Indians.

Barbariser

Singapore?

[QUOTE="Barbariser"]

I live in a country which was created as a multiculturalist society from the very start. While we're doing it in a safe and peaceful state in the modern times, it didn't always use to be this way (there was a period where the Malay Muslims started rioting en masse against the Chinese for being much wealthier on average than themselves), and the native ethnoreligious group considers itself to be superior to non-Muslim or non-Malay ethnic groups. I don't know how things would have turned out for us if the Brits had never brought Chinese and Indians to Malaysian soil; I'm inclined to say that the natives would have been significantly worse off without us, since most of the scientific skilled workers in this nation are Chinese or Indians.

Storm_Marine

Singapore?

Is dominated by ethnic Chinese and it's thriving economically. Malaysia... not so much.

If there are shared values that hold the society together than yeah it's fine.

[QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

[QUOTE="Barbariser"]

I live in a country which was created as a multiculturalist society from the very start. While we're doing it in a safe and peaceful state in the modern times, it didn't always use to be this way (there was a period where the Malay Muslims started rioting en masse against the Chinese for being much wealthier on average than themselves), and the native ethnoreligious group considers itself to be superior to non-Muslim or non-Malay ethnic groups. I don't know how things would have turned out for us if the Brits had never brought Chinese and Indians to Malaysian soil; I'm inclined to say that the natives would have been significantly worse off without us, since most of the scientific skilled workers in this nation are Chinese or Indians.

Barbariser

Singapore?

Is dominated by ethnic Chinese and it's thriving economically. Malaysia... not so much.

It sounded like you were describing Singapore.

Multiculturalism is good and I, myself, promote the ideal. The one problem of it is however, you need a very educated population or one who are at least open minded about different cultures. It can solve a lot of things but once you get this idea of one group being superior to the other, it starts getting a little bad. Overall, I believe its a good thing.ShadowDeathX

You don't believe that free societies that respect the individual are superior to opressive societies?

I don't agree with multiculturalism, I am a firm believer that someone moving into a foreign country should assimulate into that society. This is why the flow of immigration needs to be controlled so that immigrants properly assimulate into the society they are moving into. I don't believe allowing too many immigrants into a country is a good idea. In a foreign environment people are naturally going to gravitate to what they see as familiar, this leads to immigrants simply forming their own small communities seperate from the rest of the population.

Multiculturalism always leads to a clash of beliefs on some level.

[QUOTE="BrianB0422"][QUOTE="Pirate700"]

This. TC needs to define multiculturalism.

tenaka2

If multiculturealism didn't work the United States of american couldn't exist. Lot of different cultures came together to form the U.S.

[QUOTE="ShadowDeathX"]Multiculturalism is good and I, myself, promote the ideal. The one problem of it is however, you need a very educated population or one who are at least open minded about different cultures. It can solve a lot of things but once you get this idea of one group being superior to the other, it starts getting a little bad. Overall, I believe its a good thing.Storm_Marine

You don't believe that free societies that respect the individual are superior to opressive societies?

[QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

[QUOTE="ShadowDeathX"]Multiculturalism is good and I, myself, promote the ideal. The one problem of it is however, you need a very educated population or one who are at least open minded about different cultures. It can solve a lot of things but once you get this idea of one group being superior to the other, it starts getting a little bad. Overall, I believe its a good thing.Crunchy_Nuts

You don't believe that free societies that respect the individual are superior to opressive societies?

Are we even talking about ethnic groups here?

Defined. The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. I will add some background in that I was doing some Wikipedia browsing today and came across the page for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and she is on record as saying multiculturalism doesn't work. Add to that the bans in some european countries of burqa's and the outright distrust of muslims and that is what provoked my thoughts and this thread.BrianB0422

If multiculturealism didn't work the United States of american couldn't exist. Lot of different cultures came together to form the U.S.

[QUOTE="Crunchy_Nuts"][QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

You don't believe that free societies that respect the individual are superior to opressive societies?

Storm_Marine

Are we even talking about ethnic groups here?

I wouldn't say they disappeared. In nearly every major city you have a 'Little Italy' or a 'German Town' or something. Hell, here in Pittsburgh we even have a Polish Hill.BrianB0422

The thing is that the US has such a large population that unless the entire population of Italy moved to the US it wouldn't be noticed at the national level. The only part of the US which is comparable to Europe in this way would be the hispanicsin the southern states.

[QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

[QUOTE="Crunchy_Nuts"] I think he meant groups within a multicultural society, most probably different ethnic groups.Crunchy_Nuts

Are we even talking about ethnic groups here?

Nah I have a feeling he's just a moral-cultural relatavist.

I don't agree with multiculturalism, I am a firm believer that someone moving into a foreign country should assimulate into that society. This is why the flow of immigration needs to be controlled so that immigrants properly assimulate into the society they are moving into. I don't believe allowing too many immigrants into a country is a good idea. In a foreign environment people are naturally going to gravitate to what they see as familiar, this leads to immigrants simply forming their own small communities seperate from the rest of the population.

Multiculturalism always leads to a clash of beliefs on some level.

UnknownSniper65

Funny, considering that you live in what has always been a multicultural nation.

It depends on the place and the circumstances surrounding the place. Multiculturalism works well in Canada (in my opinion) because the foundation for making it happen were placed a long time ago.the_ChEeSe_mAn2

Yeah it could be worse, but there's a lot to be desired. For example we have the Bloc party and serveral races that get special treatment and benefits from the government. :/ It could be worse, but....

[QUOTE="the_ChEeSe_mAn2"]It depends on the place and the circumstances surrounding the place. Multiculturalism works well in Canada (in my opinion) because the foundation for making it happen were placed a long time ago.Storm_Marine

Yeah it could be worse, but there's a lot to be desired. For example we have the Bloc party and serveral races that get special treatment and benefits from the government. :/ It could be worse, but....

the Canadian culture is one of multiculturalism. the_ChEeSe_mAn2

[QUOTE="the_ChEeSe_mAn2"] the Canadian culture is one of multiculturalism. markop2003

No, but if you look at history you'll see how English culture came about as a result of multiculturalism.

When it occurs on it's own it's typically a neutral to good thing.

When it is fabricated/forced (affirmative action, etc) it can create more problems than it solves.

Multiculturalism doesn't always work. Real multiculturalism is the idea that me and my group of people can move into a totally different area, and survive in society PEACEFULLY without changing my culture or way of life, or at least resisting change as much as possible. It doesn't integrate people it pulls them apart.

If a group of people accepts another groups culture, then presumably they begin to integrate the foreigner's culture into their own- creating a mixed kind of culture

The American perspective on multiculturalism is likely very different from the European. In Europe it is used as a weapon by EU career politicians to attack the national identity of individual countries, hoping to erode national identity, so that the artificial identity of "EU citizen" can be forced on everyone.

The EU wants to create the United States of Europe, multiculturalism is a tool they are utilizing in the hopes of achieving that. Taking down everyone's boarders so that there is unregulated mass economic movement is another tool used by EU career politicians to attack national identity. They hope if they get the people of Europe to integrate enough, national identity would cease to exist.

It's difficult to get a proud people with a long history to simply abandon their national identity on the whim of career politicians and their undemocratic political experiment. But if countries were just a mish mash of different people's, then it is easier to impose a new identity.

To me, because of the political abuse, multiculurism is nothing more than a tool to attack people's identity. Either submit to your countries culture being eroded by a mass influx of other cultures, or you're a bigot. Or more recently because of some politically motivated shootings, only terrorists object to multiculturalism...

The way the United States and Canada seem to handle multiculturalism seems to work best.

I'm always a little curious - though not entirely surprised - as to how it doesn't work nearly as well in continental Europe.