Changing Caste identity

UNIT 58 MULTICULTURALISM
Structure
58.0 Learning Objectives
58.1 Introduction
58.2 Understanding Multiculturalism
58.3 Forms of Multiculturalism
58.4 Multiculturalism as an Ideology
58.5 Multicultural Society and Indian Diaspora
58.6 Let Us Sum Up
58.7 Key Words
58.8 References and Select Readings
58..9 Check Your Progress – Possible Answers

58.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
 Understand the meaning and concept of multiculturalism and the characteristics
of a multicultural society..
 Comprehend the emergence of Multiculturalism as an accommodative
philosophy. Analyse the role of multiculturalism in Indian diaspora.
 Know the importance of multicultural society in maintaining ethnicity and identity
of Indian diasporic community abroad.

58.1 INTRODUCTION
Multicultural and multiculturalism are frequently used words to describe the ethnic
diversity that co-exists with mainstream society everywhere in the world today. In
other words, multiculturalism means pluralistic or culturally diverse society that
celebrates the existence of diverse cultures, experiences, communities and traditions
of immigrant or ethnic groups.
Large scale migration from the Third World countries to the First World nations
developed the favourable conditions for multicultural society in the Western nations.
Discarding the colonial past, the once colonized nations developed economic as well
as political relationship with the western nations. The spontaneous migration from Third
World nations to the First World nations, mainly for education and better job
opportunities, not only helped in developing multicultural society but it also changed
the socio-political and demographic conditions of the host nations. Though
multiculturalism is a theoretical framework for understanding the multi-ethnic, multi-
racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual societies of postcolonial world, yet multiculturalism
has its emergence as a movement, first in Canada and Australia and then in the USA,
UK and Germany. It came into wider public use in the early 1980s in the form of public
school curriculum in America.
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Core Concepts
58.2 UNDERSTANDING MULTICULTURALISM
In America’s post-civil war and post-Harlem Renaissance society, individual immigrants
from Asia, Africa and other Third World countries tried to assimilate into the American
society and thus accepted its melting-pot ideology. This new model of integration,
assimilation and adaptation, favoured the emergence of multicultural society in America
in which the immigrants irrespective of their racial, ethnic, cultural and religious faiths
settled with new vision and new commitments.
The term multicultural includes people of several different religions, races, languages
and traditions. The concept of multiculturalism is a source of co-existence of multiple
cultures which nurtures understanding and appreciation of different cultures. It is not
just about existence of different cultures, rather it also looks at appreciation of the
richness of these cultures. Multicultural and multiculturalism are the terms frequently
used to describe ethnic and religious diversity. Multiculturalism symbolizes a society
which is composed of people who belong to different cultures.
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines multiculturalism as “the practice of giving
importance to all cultures in a society and it includes people of several, different races,
religions, languages and traditions.” Terence Turner in his book Anthropology and
Multiculturalism points out that:”Multiculturalism is one manifestation of the
postmodernist reaction to the de-legitimization of the state and the erosion of the
hegemony of the dominant culture in advanced capitalist countries” (416).
Bhikhu Parekh in Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political
Theory(2000) defines multiculturalism as a way of viewing human life. According to
Parekh, equal rights to every cultural group irrespective of race, religion and language
constructs the base of a multicultural society. Tariq Madood in his book
Multiculturalism (2007) defines that multiculturalism is a mode of integration that can
be juxtaposed with other modes, such as assimilation and adaptation. It is based on
the core democratic value of liberty, equality and fraternity. He claims that each mode
of integration has some demerits, but multiculturalism as a whole is a response to
shortcomings in the other modes. So, multiculturalism is necessary to any strategy
where groups are needed to be integrated for a larger benefit.
Emergence of Multiculturalism can be traced back to the mid-eighteenth century. The
German critics developed the notion of difference and diversity of cultures and favoured
the harmonious existence of cultural diversity and pushed differences outside the
boundary of society. The German historians including Herder and Ranke supported
the idea of cultural diversity in order to enlighten the idea of progress from Dark Age to
the civilizational progress. They argued that human society is constituted by distinct
and heterogeneous cultures and each culture has its own values, traditions, norms,
political and economic structures. Thus, each culture is complete in itself.
Peter McLaren viewed multiculturalism from the position of critical pedagogy while
identifying four major political positions of multiculturalism: conservative multiculturalism,
liberal multiculturalism, left-liberal multiculturalism and critical or resistant multiculturalism.
In the postmodern world, multiculturalism is seen as the medium to represent race and
ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality as part of larger struggles for identity. In this
globalized world, migration changes the cultures continuously. It reconstructs the world
52 into a large multicultural pot, which has shifted from monocultural assimilation to
multicultural adaptation because of the migration shifts like north to south or east to Multiculturalism
west as well as socio-economic transformation of the immigrants.
In simple words, people do not migrate alone, they bring their cultures along to the
hostland and when two cultures, homeland and hostland culture come into contact
with each other, a hybrid or melting pot culture takes birth. The post-Civil War society
in America is the beginning of the multiculturalism that occupied the centre stage of
American sociology, politics, and history in late twentieth century. Incorporation of
different cultural values transforms the socio-cultural integration of a society which
generates the hybrid identity and culture. Hybridization of cultures is pluralistic in nature
and it allows the immigrants freedom to embrace multiculturalism. As a result of
hybridization, encounters of diverse cultures have given acceptance to diversity and
differences in a society. Maintaining the notion that all cultures have merits of equal
respect, multicultural societies have incorporated a variety of people, belonging to
different parts of the world.
Multiculturalism grows when migrant communities get settled in a new surrounding and
begin to merge their cultural identity in their day to day life in the hope of assimilation in
the host society. Multiethnic societies of America and Europe assisted multiculturalism
to grow which was supported by civil rights movements and feminist movement. In his
article, “Is There a Case for Multiculturalism?” Valerian Rodrigues states that:
“Multiculturalism draws our attention to the differences that inform our social
existence and not merely to what is common to all human beings. These differences
are constitutive of what we are and wish to be although in other respects we may
have the same concern as the rest” (Deb 106).
Thus, multiculturalism means appreciation, acceptance, and promotion of various
cultures. It advocate cultural diversity and distinct ethnic and religious groups. In other
words, it defends cultural rights of individuals as well as different ethnic groups. It tries
to build bridge among different cultures. In his book Rethinking Multiculturalism:
Cultural Diversity and Political Theory, Bhikhu Parekh states that:
“It is neither a political doctrine nor a philosophical issue but actually a perspective
on as way of viewing human life. Increasing cultural diversity focuses on the
promotion of rights for different religion and cultural groups. The rights for cultural
groups form basis for multiculturalism” (59).
It anticipates collaboration and communication between different cultures to enrich a
society as a whole. It provides an opportunity to ethnic groups as well as individuals to
preserve their culture and identity and allows them to express their views freely. It is a
concept that describe the coexistence of diverse cultures in a society without the
domination of any one culture, thus multiculturalism strives to overcome racism, sexism
and other forms of discrimination. The concept of multiculturalism has been broadly
discussed during past decades and a multicultural perspective has been adopted by
many nation in order to deal with cultural diversity. In this respect N. R. Khadpekar
says that “The idea of multicultural society has its roots in nation-states, throughout
their histories, when confronted with international migration such as Canada, the United
States of America and Australia” (2008:04).
In countries like Canada, USA, India and Australia, people belonging to different
religions and cultures live together. Therefore, it is necessary to respect each other’s
religion and culture to maintain harmony among the citizens. Though, it seems that 53
Core Concepts multiculturalism is all about equal rights to minorities, but Bhikhu Parekh perceives
that:
“Multiculturalism is, in fact, not about minorities but is about the proper terms of
relationship between different cultural communities, which means that the standard
by which the communities resolve their differences” (2000:13).
Thus, multiculturalism reserves differences while supporting a collective society. It gives
freedom of following religion and traditions of one’s own choice.
Multiculturalism is also a theoretical framework which has been adapted by many
western nations. Many western countries have cultural diversity due to migration, and
so they are multicultural. Thus, multiculturalism can be considered a policy developed
in western nations which has affected the whole world, especially the Third World
Nations.

58.3 FORMS OF MULTICULTURALISM

As discussed above, the concept of multiculturalism has vast meanings and has been
used in a variety of ways. Multiculturalism can be seen as a rational system that allows
immigrants to express their views within the host society. The term multiculturalism has
been used in two broad ways: descriptively and normatively by Andrew Heywood. As
a descriptive term, multiculturalism refers to cultural diversity and as a normative term,
it suggests the ideologies that endorse the diversity. (Heywood 313). The first form of
multiculturalism refers to the presence of diverse cultures, whereas the second form
tells how to maintain that cultural diversity, minority identity and how to improve it.
Rajeev Bhargava describes in his article “The Multicultural Framework”, that this issue
of normative and descriptive multiculturalism can be put into the broader conflict of
multiculturalism. The first moment in this conflict is the concept of particularized hierarchy
which means a particular community is dominant over other communities. Here, cultural
differences are maintained through this relationship of superior and subordinate only.
The second moment of conflict is universalistic equality in which the only way to maintain
equality is to deny the significance of cultural differences. In a multicultural society,
people are equal because their role in a cultural community is not considered important,
rather their individual status and their membership in the community, as a whole is
considered significant. The third moment in this conflict is particularized equality. Here,
there are differences among the people, but equal membership in particular cultural
group is important and so is the relationship among difference cultural communities
(Deb 85).
The above discussion concludes that each and every member of a cultural community
should have an independent recognition within society. A member of a particular
community cannot be treated as subordinate to other members of that community. This
can also be termed as egalitarian multiculturalism as the class cannot be the basis of
recognition but only culture and way of life.
Ashok Chaskar in his book Multiculturalism in Indian Fiction in English refers
different forms of multiculturalism: democratic, conservative, liberal and critical
multiculturalism. Democratic multiculturalism identifies the cultural diversity and
differences and provides a political dimension to it. These cultural differences can develop
clashes between groups but democratic multiculturalism tries to resolve these conflicts
54
through dialogue and discussion. It asserts that social equality is possible only when Multiculturalism
there is no oppression and subordination. The major themes of democratic
multiculturalism are social heterogeneity, diversity and freedom. Another form of
multiculturalism is conservative multiculturalism which is less accommodative than the
other forms. Third form of multiculturalism that is liberal multiculturalism supports the
significance of individualism. Though it takes up the issues of liberty and autonomy, but
at the same time denies the issues of identity and belonging. It argues for the natural
equality of diverse cultural communities such as Whites, African-Americans, and Asians.
Another form of multiculturalism is critical multiculturalism which focuses on the
significance of positive socio-cultural transformation. It supports the equal representation
of race, class, gender in the public domain and throws light upon the reasons of social
unrest and struggle (Chaskar 22).
Thus, different forms of multiculturalism brings together the set of issues such as sense
of longing and belonging, sense of identity, status and recognition, need to recognize
and maintain differences with others etc. Multiculturalism as a whole allows immigrant
groups to follow their own culture and customs regarding, food, dress and religion.
Multiculturalism can be put as a particular way to understand, to express and to develop
the identity in an ethnically and culturally diverse society.

58.4 EMERGENCE OF MULTICULTURALISM AS

AN ACCOMMODATIVE PHILOSOPHY
Multicultural society provides the freedom of expression and right to practice one’s
own culture along with the host culture. Multiculturalism is ideological as well as political
foundation of culture that avoids confrontation between the conservatives and radicals.
It recognizes the need of diverse cultures, religions, festivals, traditions and customs
within a society. Usually multicultural societies are found in democratic countries where
various rights are provided by the government which includes right to practice the
religion or culture of one’s choice. The society that approves the existence of ethnic
minorities and endorses multi-ethical harmony can become multicultural.
Multiculturalism can be considered as an accommodative philosophy because it deals
with a society’s distinct policies, conflicting views, developing a healthy democratic
tradition, and popular imagination of culture. Multicultural society ensures equality to
the people of all cultures, languages, races, religions and adheres the law for integration,
assimilation and adaptation. Multiculturalism is a concept in the modern nation states
that is compatible with national identity, tolerance of cultural diversity and globalisation.
It brings out the issues of identity, culture, religious practices and public consciousness.
The assimilation of migrant communities within the host community, providing them
basic civil rights, freedom to follow religious and communal identities are some of the
pioneering features of a multicultural society.
Multiculturalism is a kind of individual struggle to construct an independent identity.
Due to demographic changes in the postcolonial period, people from all corners of the
world, especially from Third World countries, moved towards the First World countries
searching for a better life. A multicultural society is one which is generally found in a
state, a nation, or any geographical location where people belong to different cultures.
In such societies, the term multiculturalism looks at the difference of cultures “as springing
from a universally shared attachment of importance to culture and to an implicit
55
Core Concepts acknowledgement of the equality of all cultures” (Watson 02). Thus, the wider definition
of culture as representation of a way of life and a narrower definition which assists a
culture with values, practices and belief systems are equally important in the discourse
of multiculturalism.
Since preservation of culture has always been given priority in multicultural society, so
culture becomes the basis of individual’s sense of identity and belonging. One of the
main reason of multicultural societies in the world is migration of people from one
corner of the world to another that transforms the socio-political and economic
surroundings of a society. The material world is too complex that various cultures
cultivate to regulate day-to-day life so that people can survive. Thus, culture is
associated with a distinct way of life which directly promotes an individual’s sense of
identity and belonging.
Issues of cultural diversity and multiculturalism emerged in the 1990s. At first, the term
multiculturalism was used as a tool to resist against discrimination of minority cultures
in Europe and America. Later, multiculturalism emerged as an institutional ideology
that created an impression of an intellectual European cultural traditions which is separate
and unequal. With the process of decolonization, racism appeared as an ideology in
Europe and America and ‘keeping America White’ became a mandate of their
monocultural approach. By the mid-19th century, this monocultural approach had
become centered in the US as intellectual and institutional practice. It was at the same
time that the economy and technology of the world came under the US dominance.
From the mid-19th century, a large number of people from the Third World countries
migrated to the US in search of better education, employment and status. The immersion
of the stream of immigrants became a prominent feature of America’s ‘melting pot’
ideology, a metaphor suggests that all the immigrant cultures are mixed and integrated
in America without state’s intervention. It encourages every immigrant group coming to
America at the end of the 19th century to consider themselves as Americans. Gradually,
they felt the need to abandon their native culture to completely become a part of the
melting pot.
Peter McLaren in his essay “White Terror and Oppositional Agency: Towards a Critical
Multiculturalism” indicates that the history of monoculturalism is contemporary to the
melting pot assimilation. Assimilation means “giving up all those ‘un-American’ values
to be able to assume those that would fashion one American subject” (Goldberg 04).This
forced assimilation suppressed other immigrant cultures and the dominant culture
eventually became the only culture. This forced assimilation led the minority groups to
abandon their behaviour in order to adopt the dominant culture. But, as it is not easy to
abandon one’s own native culture, so the Civil Rights and Countercultural movements
of the 1960s changed the dominant assimilation ideology into the new ideology of
integration or salad-bowl.
As in a salad-bowl “different constituents retain their distinctive flavours and forms but
the dish as a whole is recognizably sui generis, having its own distinctive character as
a result of its unique blending” (Watson 04), similarly in the USA, because of the
government policies, the ethnic communities as well as immigrant communities are
integrating into the host culture. The growing experience of assimilation and integration
of migrant populations in the host culture promotes the sense of accommodation.
Because of their commitment towards the country of origin and sense of accommodation
in the host country, the migrants from Indian sub-continent experience a multicultural
56
existence within the two nations. This shift from assimilation to integration and from Multiculturalism

melting-pot to salad-bowl validates the concept of multiculturalism.

The basis for multiculturalism curtails from the transformation in the western societies
after the Second World War. The downfall of the European empire, its replacement by
the US domination on the world economy and mass migration due to globalisation are
responsible for the development of multicultural society since 1960s. In the western
societies especially in the USA and Britain the shift from monocultural society to
multicultural society took place in the mid-1960s. In the USA, the Black struggle
against white racism tool a cultural turn in the 1960s. Thus multiculturalism is a result of
the Civil Rights movement in the USA. In Britain also, the South Asians as well as
people from commonwealth countries took shelter to assimilate in the 1960s. Though
these immigrants are ready to accept the culture and norms of the host society, but they
did not find it necessary to abandon their own native culture in the name of assimilation,
rather they preferred integration. As a result, Britain accepted multiculturalism as an
accommodative philosophy in the 1960s. Though Multiculturalism was accepted by
the USA and Britain in 1960s, but it became the official policy of many western nations
since the 1970s. Canada accepted multiculturalism in 1971, followed by Australia in
1973 to integrate the immigrants belonging to diverse cultures.
The concept of multiculturalism has seen change in its primary motto too with the
development of time. Multiculturalism in 1950s followed the idea of ‘to live and let
live’; in the 1980s multiculturalism was soft multiculturalism of acceptance and equal
rights and the 20th century multiculturalism is hard multiculturalism of positive elevation
of religious and ethnic identities.
However, over the past two decades, the concept of multiculturalism has become a
controversial issue as well as has been criticized by many critics. The initial assimilation
efforts of diverse cultures within a society did not work out as it was nearly impossible
to merge culturally different immigrants into the western culture, at the same time the
process of integration has also failed as the host society is also changing as well with
the time. Thus, multiculturalism is a two way process, but at many places either majority
have not considered the idea of assimilation and integration, or the minority does not
want to become part of the majority. But it would be wrong to interpret that
multiculturalism has been failed, rather multiculturalism can still be alive by adapting to
the changing circumstances.
Check Your Progress 1
Note : Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit.
1. What do you understand by the concept of Multiculturalism?
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Core Concepts 2. What is ‘democratic multiculturalism’?
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3. Multiculturalism is an accommodative philosophy. Explain.
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58.5 MULTICULTURALISM AS AN IDEOLOGY

Multiculturalism as an ideology emphasizes on the issues of identity, culture, rights,
relationship between state and community, construction of national identity etc.

58.5.1 The Question of Identity

The scholars of multiculturalism have been focusing on question of identity in recent
time. Identity indicates individual’s sense of attachment and belonging to a particular
group, community, state or nation. Culture, religion, race, ethnicity, region, language
etc. are the basic components of identity construction. The identity of belonging to a
political community or identity related to citizenship can be termed as national identity.
Thus, in multicultural societies individuals have multiple identities – the cultural identity
of the community to which they belong and the national identity, that is based on their
citizenship.
Rajeev Bhargava in “The Multicultural Framework” emphasizes on the importance of
identity in multicultural societies and explains the “need to have a stable identity, the
contribution of cultural communities to the fulfillment of this need, the link between
identity and recognition, the importance of cultural belonging and the desire to maintain
difference” (Bhargava 2002: 77). The discourse of multiculturalism assumes that the
identity of an individual resembles to a particular culture and such cultures, as wholes
easily resemble the boundaries. Therefore, difference in identity is supposed to relate
to differences in cultures.
Bhargava also analyses the problems related to multiculturalism such as the exclusion
of people based on cultural identity becomes easier in a multicultural society, the basic
concept of multiculturalism weakens the foundation of a society and by providing equal
58
rights to the oppressive cultures multiculturalism decomposes the values of liberal Multiculturalism
democracy. Bhargava also suggests a way out of these problems and supports
democratic multiculturalism, which identifies the importance of cultural identity, the
need to maintain differences and supports the idea of bringing these differences into the
political domain. However, if this leads to over-politicization and conflicts, then it becomes
necessary to support the politics of mutual detachment. Thus, it is clear that within
democratic multiculturalism, a little space should also be provided for liberal
multiculturalism to maintain balance among diverse cultures.

58.5.2 The Problem of National Identity

The concern for national identity has attracted the scholars of multiculturalism too.
Benedict Anderson in Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread
of Nationalism considers nation as imagined community and states that, “If nation
states are widely conceded to be ‘new’ and ‘historical’, the nations to which they give
political expression always loom out of an immemorial past…” and “that image of
antiquity is central to the subjective idea of the nation” (quoted. in Pandian 1999: 286).
The idea of a nation is characterized by providing privilege to a single subject position
as the essence of the national identification. This characteristic of national identity makes
other subject positions inferior with the nation space and when these subject positions
are articulated in opposition to the privilege one, then that are delegitimized and terms
as ‘other’ of the nation. Thus, the concept of national identity pursues to create divisions
in the society by providing a superior status to a particular race or religion, and terming
others as inferior.
National identity is claimed on the basis of teritory religion, language, culture and region.
There are some sections in the nation who claim their separate sovereign status and a
specific national identity, while there are some cultural groups who try to integrate into
one particular national identity. So, there is a need for separating national identity and
citizenship identity, the latter should be extended to all irrespective of the former one.
It is to be distinguished that recognition of differences and multiple identities are not
contrary to national identity. In fact, in many societies individuals and groups may have
diverse identities. There could be multiple layers to identities within a nation state.
There can be complementarities between the national identity and identities derived
from individual’s sense of religion, culture, language, ethnicity etc. Therefore, national
identity can be formed only when the cultural identities of individuals will be recognized
by a nation state as the people identify themselves more with their cultural identities
than with the national identity.

58.5.3 Relationship between State and Identity

Valerian Rodrigues in “Is There a Case for Multiculturalism?” (2002) emphasizes that
“multiculturalism relocates the task of a state in a basic way. It is called upon not
merely to acknowledge differences but to sustain them as well. Multiculturalism is
opposed to state sponsored identities, as it would undermine the authentic constitution
of the self, as it is to the erasure of identities. Again, multiculturalism is an invitation to
dialogue, given our largely culture and community bound social existence, our knowledge
and understanding remain necessarily limited. Such a limitation can be transcended
only by getting into an active dialogue with other communities and identities. In the
process of this dialogue other communities may arise, including those who bear multiple
identities (p. 126).” 59
Core Concepts In a society where people of diverse cultures live together, multicultural approach
reorders the issues like the uniform civil code, the demand for new, independent states
etc. and it is only when the state identifies and provides procedures for the promotion
of distinctiveness of identities within the particular boundary, then only a multicultural
state can be built up. Thus, the model of multiculturalism suggests that in a multicultural
state there will always be the existence of multiple identities in the public sphere which
will put its language, religion, culture and status to a hegemonic position within the
boundaries of law and administration.

58.5.4 Relationship between State and Community

The relationship between state and different communities is crucial to understand the
multicultural policies of that state. Sarah Joseph in her article, “Do Multicultural
Individuals require a Multicultural State?” states that “the debate on multiculturalism
has not paid enough attention to the frequently associated social and economic
disadvantages of minority groups. Caste, gender or class based influences would
generally constitute a dimension of an individual’s cultural identity” (Deb 2002: 73).
She states that societies can be multicultural only if the individuals living in that society
are multicultural.
In her another article, “Of Minorities and Majorities” Joseph argues that multiculturalism
is used to pronounce the policies of a nation-state in relation to its minorities. Efforts to
give access to individual rights as well as recognition to the existence of minority
communities characterize the multicultural state. The problems of minority communities
and multiculturalism can only be solved by following a politics of difference and providing
more minority rights. But if politics of difference is not led by a commitment to provide
equal rights, then it may result in suppression and threat to cultural minorities. Joseph
states that to be multicultural, a state needs to follows some objectives to include
freedom and equality as well as respect for the contribution of minorities to a shared
national culture.
While Sarah Joseph advocates the minority rights, Gurpreet Mahajan (1999) states
that “the concept of minority seeks to fix identity and hide the internal differentiation
between communities (Deb 2002: 43).” She opines that minority rights which emerge
with the formation of a nation-state not only restrict homogenizing tendency of that
nation-state, but also empower the minority communities. This has restricted the state’s
ability to constitute equal rights for minorities as well as legitimized the politics of
difference.

58.5.5 Individual Rights V/s Community Rights

In the realm of multicultural theory, there is an ongoing debate about individual rights
and community rights. While demonstrating the relationship between individual,
community and state, social scientists argue that the state needs to be based on a single
and identified set of fundamental principles, it should have an identical legal system,
every citizen throughout the nation-state should have access to equal rights and the
state should be aware about diverse religions, cultures and ethnic identities within its
boundaries. However, Bhiku Parekh has some contrary views. He states that the
dominant theory of the State cannot be applied to a vast diversified society. According
to him, “when different communities have different needs and are not alike in relevant
respects, it is unjust to insist on treating them alike (Parekh 2000: 192).” Therefore, he
60 states that the multicultural states need to provide both individual and community rights
to its ethnic minorities. Gurpreet Mahajan also states that to locate the individual within Multiculturalism
the community, multiculturalism accepts the existence of collective identities of ethnic
communities. If the ethnic and religious communities are the members of a political
community of the State, they are also the members of specific cultural communities, so
dual identities must be considered within a multicultural state.
Thus, above discussion reflects multiculturalism as an ideology. Multiculturalism
appreciates cultural diversity and imagines a society where different communities
develops a common identity while retaining their cultural identities as well. It accepts
the existence of diverse communities and provides positive value to the collective
identities of the ethnic and minority communities. Multiculturalism initiates policies to
allow the citizens of a nation-state to maintain their cultural distinctiveness. Multiculturalism
is not just an acceptance of diversity, it is not only about inter-group relations but it also
develops relations within a community.
Bhikhu Parekh in Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political
Theory has explained multiculturalism as an ideology in a clear manner. According to
him, multiculturalism refers to particular beliefs and practices through which a group of
people understand themselves and world and organize their individual as well as
collective lives. Multiculturalism is all about cultural diversity and implanted cultural
differences. In modern times, multicultural society can be divided into different forms:
i) Sub-cultural diversity; in which people share broad common culture
ii) Perspectival diversity; which represents a vision of life which is either rejected or
accepted by the dominant culture in theory, but is ignored in practice
iii) Communal diversity; which represents plurality of established communities along
with their way of life that is preserved and transmitted.
Parekh provides three central insights into multiculturalism that are the most suitable
to a multicultural society based on the above discussion:
 Human beings are culturally rooted in the sense that they grow up and live
within a culturally structured world.
 Different cultures represent different systems of meaning and visions of the
good life.
 Every culture is internally plural and reflects a continuing conversation between
its different traditions and strands of thought (Parekh 2000: 2-3).
Thus, it can be said that a culture cannot appreciate the values of others until it
appreciates the plurality within itself. From a multicultural perspective, a good society
celebrates the diversity and encourages a creative dialogue between diverse cultures.

58.6 DIASPORA AND MULTICULTURALISM

The narratives of diaspora which construct the past experiences of immigrants, represent
the condition of dispersal, its challenges and justifies aspirations to retain distinctiveness
from locals, indicate a commitment that goes beyond the boundaries and establish a
principle of ‘dual homeness’.
Dual homeness suggests a collective identity in its local environment, which is intensified
by the sense of belongingness. Such a development is particularly relevant in the case 61
Core Concepts of new immigrants in the western societies that are the major pole of attraction for
immigrants from third world countries. In the first world countries, many welfare rights
are provided to the new immigrants, so such rights ease the requirements of these
immigrants to imitate the dominant culture. Diasporas are thus inclined to be settled
down in such localities where the new immigrant are mitigated by the old diaspora
which is familiar to the dominant culture and society. Ease of transport and
communication with the homeland and with the fellow-immigrants permit the immigrants
to maintain the diasporic fidelity in the hostland, but on the other hand, in order to
secure their and coming generations’ future, the immigrants try to acculturate into the
host society. When they adapt the ways of the new society, they also learn a new
language and ultimately obtain a new national identity that becomes their primary identity
and homeland’s identity is reduced to secondary.
The scattered structure of Diasporas and the distinct influences on their communities
may generate different perceptions of the common identity, and blur the lines of authority.
In this way, Diasporas develop different identity than their original identity and become
the factors of socio-cultural heterogenization of their diaspora community. However,
some retentions in these diasporic communities is powered by transnational networks,
thus making them a major factor of multiculturalism in their host society – despite the
socio-cultural gaps. This dual contrast that transnational Diasporas exemplify in two
distinct dimensions concretizes the socio-cultural heterogenizationof their socio-cultural
reality and leads to the multiculturalism.
This multiculturalism brings with it hardships as well as consolations. Diasporas often
feel at ease in their new society that they willingly assert their distinction in spite of all
prejudices directed at them and begin considering this setting as their homeland. In this
case, the immigrants make it difficult to consider this setting as hostland, but still many
critics reserve the term ‘homeland’ for the land of origin. Though, considering the land
of origin as homeland may misguide sometimes as some countries see emigrants more
as deserters and refuse to acknowledge them as part of their nation any more, yet in
most cases, the land of origin shows commitment to their expatriate nationals. Many of
the countries consider the expatriates as full-fledged citizens, while others grant them
some special privileges when they decide to return.
Governments of original homelands maintain a protective role for their emigrants in
their residing countries. In return, diasporic organisations also develop transnational
ties with original homeland as well as take interest in domestic politics, thus widening
the scope for inter-state relations. Such developments further reinforce the recognition
of transnational Diasporas and the forces that nurture the multicultural society of a
nation-state. This issue of transnational networks has become more demanding
nowadays because collective boundaries tend to be more flexible and open.
This flexibility of boundaries along with the dual-homeness cannot exist without
significance for Diasporas’ attitudes towards society and state. Certainly, they signify
that social belonging of the Diasporas has become blurred and their commitment for
nation-state and society is combined with transnational networks. In this regard,
transnationalism, in terms of attitudes towards society and state, can be termed as a
phenomenon that tends to invade society as a whole.
Thus, the development of transnationalism leads to the multiculturalism as the Diasporas
intimate both the original homeland’s culture and the culture of their settled countries.
In concluding remarks, it can be said that multiculturalism serves to strengthen the
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abundant governments through which nostalgia becomes an important force in Multiculturalism
construction of citizenship and political subjectivity. The scattered nature of Diasporas
may generate the need for common identity, at the same time they become the factors
of the socio-cultural heterogenization of their community. Thus, diasporic communities
are powered by transnational networks and then, these transnational networks become
the major factors of their multicultural existence.
Check Your Progress 2
Note: Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit.
4. Explain the concept of identity in a multicultural society.
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5. What is ‘dual homeness’? How does it lead to multiculturalism?
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58.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we discussed the meaning and concept of multiculturalism and also tried to
understand the role of culture in a society. Consequently, we also discussed the forms
of multiculturalism as well as emergence of the concept of multiculturalism since the
1960s. Further, multiculturalism has been discussed as an accommodative philosophy
and as an ideology. As part of the discussion of multiculturalism as an ideology, we
have focused upon the question of identity and national identity, relationship between
state and identity, relationship between state and community and individual rights v/s
community rights. Finally,we discussed diaspora and multiculturalism.

58.8 KEY WORDS

Multiculturalism : Multiculturalism is the co-existence of diverse cultures,
where culture includes racial, religious, or cultural groups
and is manifested in customary behaviors, cultural
assumptions and values, patterns of thinking and
communicative styles. 63
Core Concepts Ethnicity : The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a
common national or cultural tradition.
Cultural Diversity : The existence of a variety of cultural and ethnic groups
within a society.
Heterogeneity : The quality or state of being diverse in character or
content.
Integration : The process of intermingling in the host society and its
culture, in which the immigrants often change their culture
and customs.
Assimilation : The process in which an immigrant group is resembled
with a dominant culture. In this process, immigrants not
only integrate themselves into a new country and culture,
but also lose the heritage and culture of their homeland.
Adaptation : The process in which immigrants change their habits,
culture, traditions to be able to exist in the host society.

58.9 REFERENCES AND SELECT READINGS

Chaskar Ashok Multiculturalism in Indian Fiction in English New Delhi: Atlantic
Publishers and Distributors (P) Ltd;

Bhargava, Rajeev. “The Multicultural Framework” in Kushal Deb (ed.), Mapping

Multiculturalism. Rawat Publications: New Delhi, 2002.

Deb, Kushal (ed.).Mapping Multiculturalism. Rawat Publications: New Delhi, 2002.

Goldberg, D.T. (ed.). Multiculturalism: A Critical Reader. Oxford, UK &

Cambridge: Blackwell, 1994.

Madood, Tariq. Multiculturalism: A Civic Idea. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007.

McLaren, Peter. “White Terror and Oppositional Agency: Towards a Critical

Multiculturalism.” Multiculturalism: A Critical Reader. Ed. David Theo Goldberg.
Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. pp. 45-74.

Pandian, M.S.S. “‘Nation’ from its Margins: Notes on E.V. Ramaswamy’s ‘Impossible
Nation.’” in Rajeev Bhargava, Amiya Bagchi, R. Sudarshan (eds.), Multiulturalism,
Liberalism and Democracy. OUP: Delhi, 1999.

Parekh, Bhikhu. Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political

Theory. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.

Rodrigues, Valerian. “Is There a Case for Multiculturalism?” in in Kushal Deb (ed.),
Mapping Multiculturalism. Rawat Publications: New Delhi, 2002.

Turner, Terence. “Anthropology and Multiculturalism: What is Anthropology that

Multiculturalists Should be Mindful of it?” Cultural Anthropology. Vol. 8, No. 4 (1993).
pp. 411-429.

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 Multiculturalism
58.10 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS – POSSIBLE
ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
1: The term multicultural includes people of different religions, races, languages and
traditions. The concept of multiculturalism is a source of co-existence of multiple
cultures which nurtures understanding and appreciation of different cultures. It is
not just about existence of different cultures, rather it also looks at appreciation of
the richness of these cultures. Multiculturalism symbolizes a society which is
composed of people who belong to different cultures.
2: Democratic multiculturalism identifies the cultural diversity and differences and
provides a political dimension to it. These cultural differences can develop clashes
between groups but democratic multiculturalism tries to resolve these conflicts
through dialogue and discussion. It asserts that social equality is possible only
when there is no oppression and subordination. The major themes of democratic
multiculturalism are social heterogeneity, diversity and freedom.
3: Multiculturalism can be considered as an accommodative philosophy because it
deals with a society’s distinct policies, conflicting views, developing a healthy
democratic tradition, and popular imagination of culture. It ensures equality to the
people of all cultures, languages, races, religions and adheres the law for integration,
assimilation and adaptation. Multiculturalism is a concept in the modern nation
states that is compatible with national identity, tolerance of cultural diversity and
globalisation.
Check Your Progress 2
4: Identity indicates individual’s sense of attachment and belonging to a particular
group, community, state or nation. Culture, religion, race, ethnicity, region, language
etc. are the basic components of identity construction. The identity of belonging to
a political community or identity related to citizenship can be termed as national
identity. Thus, in multicultural societies individuals have multiple identities – the
cultural identity of the community to which they belong and the national identity,
that is based on their citizenship.
5: Dual homeness suggests a collective identity in its local environment, which is
intensified by the sense of [Link] scattered structure of Diasporas and
the distinct influences on their communities may generate different perceptions of
the common identity, and blur the lines of authority. In this way, Diasporas develop
different identity than their original identity and become the factors of socio-cultural
heterogenization of their diaspora community. However, some retentions in these
diasporic communities is powered by transnational networks, thus making them a
major factor of multiculturalism in their host society – despite the socio-cultural
gaps. This dual contrast that transnational Diasporas exemplify in two distinct
dimensions concretizes the socio-cultural heterogenization of their reality that leads
to multiculturalism.

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