The Student Room Group

Is there a legitimate argument for 'Multiculturalism'

I'm mixed race although i'm quite light, people think I'm quarter cast. I may not be here if it wasn't for immigrants but is there a real legitimate argument for this is the beginning or anymore at all? I feel more English as I was raised by English side but I see multiculturalism meaning no culture. I couldnt even tell you the culture of my home town anymore, it's like people are bringing their country's along :s-smilie: whilst the former is dissolved entirely?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by Catholic_
I'm mixed race although i'm quite light, people think I'm quarter cast. I may not be here if it wasn't for immigrants but is there a real legitimate argument for this is the beginning or anymore at all? I feel more English as I was raised by English side but I see multiculturalism meaning no culture. I couldnt even tell you the culture of my home town anymore, it's like people are bringing their country's along :s-smilie: whilst the former is dissolved entirely?


Multiculturalism should be understood as an acceptance of others cultures, I'm a 2nd generation immigrant but I still have many English cultural aspects; I would even go as far as saying a majority.

I'm pretty sure our upbringings apart from food are similar.
Reply 2
Not sure if troll?

A multicultural society is one in which all cultures are appreciated and accepted. Virtually the only way a society could maintain only one culture (other than extreme physical barriers) is to be intolerant and discriminatory to outside ideas. Hopefully you can see why that is wrong.

poem

Reply 3
Original post by lerjj
Not sure if troll?

A multicultural society is one in which all cultures are appreciated and accepted. Virtually the only way a society could maintain only one culture (other than extreme physical barriers) is to be intolerant and discriminatory to outside ideas. Hopefully you can see why that is wrong.

poem



Neither of you answered my question. We dont need to bring people here to 'accept them'. That's creating an issue which isn't current. It doesn't make logical sense.

Country's are supposed to support their own culture not others, all these cultures exist elsewhere, so there is no argument for transporting people and forcing them in mass onto a distintive group against their consent. The only reason that would be needed for would be a covert invasion. I've never seen this used in history to benefit a ethnic group, because common sense tell us it doesn't, the hosta culture becomes dissolved, look at London, that's a cuture being torn apart and raped out of existance by deliberate social engineering.

That's not appreciating any culture. That'a rejecting one by replacing it with multiple others. No culture can survive with constant change. I'd say this violates human rights of native groups and is a critical repurcussion for the culture undergoing the bombardment and pressurized demands of outside entities.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 4
Original post by lerjj
Not sure if troll?

A multicultural society is one in which all cultures are appreciated and accepted. Virtually the only way a society could maintain only one culture (other than extreme physical barriers) is to be intolerant and discriminatory to outside ideas. Hopefully you can see why that is wrong.



The trouble with multiculturalism is that it, by definition, emphasises our differences rather than our similarities. It's inevitable then that you're going to get friction on those occasions when two groups of people, whose cultures are deliberately being kept separate for the sake of diversity, are forced to cross a huge divide every time they need to interact with each another.

Far better would be to encourage assimilation, in which the best aspects of all our cultures are taken and melded into one harmonious whole. There can still be variations, of course, but you'd vastly reduce conflict if they were portrayed as being part of one super-culture rather than separate.
Reply 5
Original post by Arbolus
The trouble with multiculturalism is that it, by definition, emphasises our differences rather than our similarities. It's inevitable then that you're going to get friction on those occasions when two groups of people, whose cultures are deliberately being kept separate for the sake of diversity, are forced to cross a huge divide every time they need to interact with each another.

Far better would be to encourage assimilation, in which the best aspects of all our cultures are taken and melded into one harmonious whole. There can still be variations, of course, but you'd vastly reduce conflict if they were portrayed as being part of one super-culture rather than separate.


The trouble with assimilation is that it doesn't actually sound appealing to most people. And that's what you're trying to do, something that people actually benefit from. Multiculturalism is in principle about recognising differences, removing these where they cannot be accepted, and showing that they others can be made to work together.

There is no reason why diversity must lead to friction between groups. It is of course evident that it's more likely to cause friction if you have different groups than only people of a certain type, but that does not mean differences must lead to tensions.

Most people when being told to assimilate their culture into a mega-culture will simply say no. People are unique, and this is good.
Reply 6
Original post by Catholic_
Neither of you answered my question. We dont need to bring people here to 'accept them'. That's creating an issue which isn't current. It doesn't make logical sense.

Country's are supposed to support their own culture not others, all these cultures exist elsewhere, so there is no argument for transporting people and forcing them in mass onto a distintive group against their consent. The only reason that would be needed for would be a covert invasion. I've never seen this used in history to benefit a ethnic group, because common sense tell us it doesn't, the hosta culture becomes dissolved, look at London, that's a cuture being torn apart and raped out of existance by deliberate social engineering.

That's not appreciating any culture. That'a rejecting one by replacing it with multiple others. No culture can survive with constant change. I'd say this violates human rights of native groups and is a critical repurcussion for the culture undergoing the bombardment and pressurized demands of outside entities.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Who said anything about forced mass movement???

In fact, who mentioned anything at all about bringing people 'here'? The issue is supposed to be is multiculturalism good or bad. Forcing people into your country is not something that has ever happened AFAIK.

The alternatives to multiculturalism are:

Not allowing anyone of a different culture in (discriminatory, causes tensions, ethically wrong)
Allowing people in, but discriminating against them because they're different (possibly worse than the above if extreme)
Assimilating all different cultures into one Borg, (reasonable, but given that it's hard to support rigorously and instinct is against it...)

I'll take just not caring where my friends are from.
Reply 7
To me multiculturalism is having a bunch of cuisines on one road. Maybe I'm not looking deep enough but even living in London, I can't really see an impact other than the acceptance and toleration of other multiple cultures and ethnicities :/
Multiculturalism is NOT immigration nor the welcoming of it. Hundreds and thousands of non-whites in the commonwealth took up arms for a country they'd never set eyes on.

Culture isn't defined by race or background but it is about ideas. Ideas of liberty, law and justice, government, language, religion etc, so when you have two or more ideas that contradict each other, one has to give way... sadly it is the British identity and culture which is being given away.


Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by JohnPaul_
Multiculturalism is NOT immigration nor the welcoming of it. Hundreds and thousands of non-whites in the commonwealth took up arms for a country they'd never set eyes on.

Culture isn't defined by race or background but it is about ideas. Ideas of liberty, law and justice, government, language, religion etc, so when you have two or more ideas that contradict each other, one has to give way... sadly it is the British identity and culture which is being given away.


Posted from TSR Mobile





Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 10
Original post by JohnPaul_
Multiculturalism is NOT immigration nor the welcoming of it. Hundreds and thousands of non-whites in the commonwealth took up arms for a country they'd never set eyes on.

Culture isn't defined by race or background but it is about ideas. Ideas of liberty, law and justice, government, language, religion etc, so when you have two or more ideas that contradict each other, one has to give way... sadly it is the British identity and culture which is being given away.


Posted from TSR Mobile


What's this got to do with people figting for the UK in WW2? All I see is you changing the direction of the conversation because you cannot answer my question. You also say culture is not defined by race or nationality which shows that you're lost and should delete your profile.

It;s obvious to see a culture being stripped of all it's originality. These are the worst things that can happen to nation, and no nation has ever let this happen voluntarily as human nature is to survive and sustain it's freedoms which were robbed by people like you.
Original post by Catholic_
What's this got to do with people figting for the UK in WW2? All I see is you changing the direction of the conversation because you cannot answer my question. You also say culture is not defined by race or nationality which shows that you're lost and should delete your profile.

It;s obvious to see a culture being stripped of all it's originality. These are the worst things that can happen to nation, and no nation has ever let this happen voluntarily as human nature is to survive and sustain it's freedoms which were robbed by people like you.


You obviously have no idea by what I meant and by sounds of it, I think your confusing me with the opposition.

So before you continue your ad hominems, please realise that my comments are exactly the same made by Peter Hitchens and Daniel Hannan, both genuine British patriots who are anti-multiculturalism, as am I.

I was talking about British culture specifically and how although language and race has a part to play, what makes British culture unique is precisely the things I mentioned. Read again.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Catholic_
is there a real legitimate argument for this is the beginning or anymore at all?


???
Richer culture, more tolerance. Many white British people enjoy non-traditionally British food, music, language, clothing, etc. And why can't people from all over enjoy our freedoms? Provided they stay within UK laws/values, why not?

But then most racists eat curry and kebabs....yep curry, that food that the Anglo-Saxons invented and was perfected by the Normans.....
Original post by JohnPaul_
You obviously have no idea by what I meant and by sounds of it, I think your confusing me with the opposition.

So before you continue your ad hominems, please realise that my comments are exactly the same made by Peter Hitchens and Daniel Hannan, both genuine British patriots who are anti-multiculturalism, as am I.

I was talking about British culture specifically and how although language and race has a part to play, what makes British culture unique is precisely the things I mentioned. Read again.


Posted from TSR Mobile


What is British culture? stiff upper lip? fish and chips?
I don't understand how we're supposed to appreciate different cultures when multiculturalism forces many cultures in one place to accept and embrace each other's cultures or beliefs , inevitably leading to integration and losing their own culture and identity. I don't think there should be a necessary quota or parameters for "multiculturalism", especially in the workplace or politics, because ultimately we should appreciate others based off of who they are and how they act and not be forced to hire or show x amount of other cultures/backgrounds.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by dean.stanston
What is British culture? stiff upper lip? fish and chips?


This kind of shallow understanding of your own heritage is the kind of understanding which opens the gate for a multicultural society.

"Our culture isn't much anyway, sure, replace it, fill ya boots."


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by JohnPaul_
This kind of shallow understanding of your own heritage is the kind of understanding which opens the gate for a multicultural society.

"Our culture isn't much anyway, sure, replace it, fill ya boots."


Posted from TSR Mobile


I'm not bothered either way, I like the cultural influences that have come in over the past several decades. And British culture is a moot point, since it's regional at best..
Multiculturalism is essentially toleration; look at liberal political theory. It's not about embracing someone else's culture, it's about tolerating it and is connected with liberty. This is the 21st century, we can exist peacefully alongside those that are different to us. The reason traditional values have not survived is due to changing ideas over existence, morality etc, not because other cultures have stomped out, for example, the church.
Perhaps a better question to ask would be "is there any legitimate argument against multiculturalism?"

Multiculturalism at its core is simply about acceptance of different cultures as long as they accept ours, which is in most cases what happens - it's basically "live and let live". There are some issues with things like Islamist radicalisation, but on the whole people from different cultures who live in the UK don't really conflict with existing cultures. Despite what the BNP et al want us to believe.

To stop multiculturalism, you would have to discriminate against people of different religions, cultures and ethnicity. Multiculturalism is simply what results from the lack of discrimination.

Quick Reply

Latest