Critically assess the view that multicultural policies promote social Essay - 1

Critically assess the view that multicultural policies promote social segregation - Essay Example The policy proposes that all the ethnic groups should be treated equally. No one group is taken to be superior to the other. The government does not force people to adhere to one universal religion or culture. Many people support multiculturalism. This is especially so in the academic circles and in the media (Malik, 2008:89). It receives a lot of support from those countries that are culturally diverse, with a lot of different cultural groups making up the society, as opposed to one cultural group. But this theory has its share of opponents. It is especially opposed by those people who adhere to a particular set of norms of one culture. In Europe and the United States of America, this phenomenon of multiculturalism can be traced back to the last years of the nineteenth century (Barry, 2001:56). It started as a form of philosophical, pragmatist ideology. Then, as the nineteenth century came to an end and the twentieth century began, it metamorphosised into something entirely new. It became part of the political and cultural pluralism in these countries (Barry, 2001:67). Around this time, the European and Western countries were colonising Africa and as such, had to recognise the cultural d iversity of these countries. There were a lot of migratory activities in to Europe and America which meant that these countries had a diverse society as far as cultural groups are concerned. The sociologists and historians of the time came up with a form of cultural pluralism that gave rise to multiculturalism (Harker, 2006:45). This paper will try to look at multiculturalism as far as social segregation is concerned. This is because multicultural policies have been accused of segregating the society into different and separate cultural groups and these acts as a hindrance to social cohesion. These policies might include the recognition of multiple citizenship. The administration might also promote media houses that operate in a minority