Multicultral society

[MRC1]

What the heck.

I remember when Las Vegas was not multicultural some thrity years ago but now it is. Back then our population was 75,000 people in the valley, now there is over 2 million, people have to live some where. However I just don't like the over crowding and the lost of the country side which was desert and allot of fun for doing things like riding horses, motorcycles, dunebuggies, target shooting, looking at wild life, which is rapidly disappearing. I not bitter but I miss all the things I used to do here on a regular basis.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

I think that ultimately, any society that has accumulated people from other cultures will evolve into a new single culture. Look at the USA. It is very multi-ethnic, very multi-religious, but it has evolved into a strongly definied culture. It has clearer rules and more stereotypes than many European cultures. I think that a strong single culture is what is needed to make many different people live easily together.

Too different cultures living side by side create tensions and resentments. Look at Belgium where I live. The two cultural groups, French and Dutch, can't agree on most political subjects anymore. The USA is much more mixed ethnically, but does not have such problems because there is only one system and one culture.

The Roman Empire assimilated all kinds of people, but forced them to adopt their way of life, their language, their culture. It worked well for centuries, until new immigrants from the East refused to adapt and broke the single culture system.

In general, immigrants who adapt to the new culture are welcome and don't cause trouble. The ones who keep their culture in the new country cause tensions, resentment from the locals, and inevitably conflicts.

 

[Homerduff]

Every day when I go to college, I need to take a bus to the train station in the centre of the city. There's this particular bus stop where lots of immigrants get on. It's like the border of another country (close to the city). Every day I hear tons of different languages, and I see all ethnic races on the streets. In some way I like this. These people have a different and most of the time more interesting background then native Belgians. It's like you have the feeling you're not in Belgium.

Too bad some of these people lack discipline and earge of education. These youngsters only hang out on the streets, looking for a fight or a theft. I don't blame the youngsters, it's their parents that should be penalised. It's just that they still stick to their traditional culture which is maybe less protective towards kids then ours.

 

[Sarapva]

I also like the diversity of people here. Anywhere you go you can hear a different language being spoken. I think the U.S. is becoming like Quebec, Canada, except that instead of French the second language is Spanish. It seems that most labels on things are in English and Spanish, with electronic equipment you have the option of using Spanish or English, and now even telephone recordings are done in both languages.

And then there are probably thousands of sub-culture groups. I like thinking that we're all learning about each other and how to get along together, instead of keeping separate. The more cultures or nationalities there are in one place, the less chance there is of those countries fighting each other.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

The more cultures or nationalities there are in one place, the less chance there is of those countries fighting each other.

Oh yeah ? Then come to Belgium, you'd be surprised.

 

[SushiShin]

I travel each day in a place what they call in Belgium (Borgerokko or Morrocan Street) They're are few Native Belgians and more Morrocan. Every day there is something wrong here, if it isn't a car that is been demolished then its a fight if it isn't a fight then it's a robbery.

No wonder people like to fight each other here in Belgium.

What i really despite is that there aren't much japanese families here.
Im trying to my best to poll the families here in Belgium(Flanders Antwerp,Mechels,Brussels)

 

[Skullcrushergurl]

I just want to know who are the 9 against multicultural-ness!
I of course am all for it. I hate being around one race. Too many blacks make me uncomfortable, same thing with whites or asians. I thrive on diversity.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

I just want to know who are the 9 against multicultural-ness!
I of course am all for it. I hate being around one race. Too many blacks make me uncomfortable, same thing with whites or asians. I thrive on diversity.

I am one of them. I like a certain level of racial diversity. I am not adverse to live in a country where I am in a racial minority. But too many different cultures in one society is bound to cause problems.

What you didn't get from the question is that race does not equal culture. A black American (like Will Smith or Tiger Woods) does not have the same culture as a Black African.

Take 100 White Americans, 100 Black Americans and 100 Asian Americans, all with the same American culture, and things will go smoothly (hopefully). Replace the 100 of one race with 100 from their continent of origin (from various countries to spice it up) and you will see that it is all much more difficult in everyday life.

So I wonder, who are the 22 other people who voted FOR ?

 

[RegDunlap]

I've got nothing in particular against multiculturalism.

As long as the rule of law is followed, great. IT must be remembered that the host culture takes precedence.

Also, as long as my tax dollars dont get spent to promote it. If people want to promote their own culture, theya are free to do so.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

I've got nothing in particular against multiculturalism.
As long as the rule of law is followed, great. IT must be remembered that the host culture takes precedence.
Also, as long as my tax dollars dont get spent to promote it. If people want to promote their own culture, theya are free to do so.

Even if their culture means the destruction of yours ? Would you be ok with Islamist promoting the idea of a state ruled by the values of Islam only ? This is one of the danger of multiculturalism. An alien culture can damage or even replace the host culture over time. It has happened in many societies in history.

 

[RegDunlap]

Even if their culture means the destruction of yours ? Would you be ok with Islamist promoting the idea of a state ruled by the values of Islam only ? This is one of the danger of multiculturalism. An alien culture can damage or even replace the host culture over time. It has happened in many societies in history.

I think following the rule of law would preclude that from happening. I'm fine with Islamists promoting their ideas,as long as it stops at the promoting stage and they follow the law of the land as long as they are in residence.

 

[leonmarino]

I think following the rule of law would preclude that from happening. I'm fine with Islamists promoting their ideas,as long as it stops at the promoting stage and they follow the law of the land as long as they are in residence.

No it does not, I think. We -whether we want it or not- live in a democracy. If a country gets flooded with other-minded people (I wish to refrain from pointing to a specific group), they will democratically get their way. It is harder to imagine that all these new-comers will adapt without any problem to the host culture.

 

[RegDunlap]

It depends on the newcomers, how many are let it, and also on the cultural confidence of the host culture.

Unfortunately, multi ethnic and multi cultural nations tend to fail. Look at the breakups of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Also, the splitting of Czechoslovakia, the potential splitting of Belgium, etc. Tribalism seems rampant. The US worked because newcomers were strongly encouraged to become part of the national fabric within a generation.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

Unfortunately, multi ethnic and multi cultural nations tend to fail. Look at the breakups of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Also, the splitting of Czechoslovakia, the potential splitting of Belgium, etc. Tribalism seems rampant. The US worked because newcomers were strongly encouraged to become part of the national fabric within a generation.

I think that you are really mixing up multi-ethnicity and multi-culturalism.

Czechoslovakia was not a multi-ethnic country. Czech and Slovak languages and cultures are also very very close, so the split was mainly a matter of economy and dare I say "tribalism".

Belgium is multi-cultural (French vs Dutch cultures), but not multi-ethnic, except Brussels which has a majority of non-ethnic Belgians.

The US is multi-ethnic but not really multicultural, in the sense that there are no major regional differences. We could argue that culture in New Mexico is quite different from that of Massachussets, but there is such a thing as a common American culture in all states. In Belgium there is a clear cultural gap between French and Dutch speakers. The media are separate, education is separate, political parties are separate, and so on.

 

[RegDunlap]

I think that you are really mixing up multi-ethnicity and multi-culturalism.
Czechoslovakia was not a multi-ethnic country. Czech and Slovak languages and cultures are also very very close, so the split was mainly a matter of economy and dare I say "tribalism".
Belgium is multi-cultural (French vs Dutch cultures), but not multi-ethnic, except Brussels which has a majority of non-ethnic Belgians.
The US is multi-ethnic but not really multicultural, in the sense that there are no major regional differences. We could argue that culture in New Mexico is quite different from that of Massachussets, but there is such a thing as a common American culture in all states. In Belgium there is a clear cultural gap between French and Dutch speakers. The media are separate, education is separate, political parties are separate, and so on.

So, multi ethnic countries tend to do well, as long as the various ethnic groups generally conform to an accepted common culture? Yeah, I'd buy that. It is a very rare situation, though. In many/most multicultural countries, ethnic groups retain far too much of their indigenous culture.

 

[centrajapan]

No it does not, I think. We -whether we want it or not- live in a democracy. If a country gets flooded with other-minded people (I wish to refrain from pointing to a specific group), they will democratically get their way. It is harder to imagine that all these new-comers will adapt without any problem to the host culture.

No culture is static. A society is constantly changing. Peoples opinions and minds also change.

 

[leonmarino]

In many/most multicultural countries, ethnic groups retain far too much of their indigenous culture.

That's a correct observation, and there are a few reasons for that I believe.

First, a majority of immigrants are of a lower socio-economic class, which is highly correlated with a low level of education. In Holland, many of the workers that were invited from Morroco and Turkey were illiterate or had only finished elementary education. Because of this lack of education, these people had/have a hard time accepting new ideas, and tend to stick to their old habits and beliefs, which are often very conservative in lower socio-economic classes.

Second, and I'm not too sure about the scientific literature on this but I have a hunch that people that move away from a country tends to stick to their culture, perhaps even more than the inhabitants of the home country. An example is the Japanese writing system and the Kanji's they use in Taiwan, which are actually closer to the original characters compared to the simplified characters on mainland China.

There is actually one book that I read, Collapse (Jared Diamond) which is about the decline of many cultures, and people that failed to adapt to their new environment. I like the example of the Vikings that went to Greenland and basically starved to death because of their reluctance to eat seal meat, while the more native people (inuit) were eating their bellies full. While they were starving themselves, they did update their burial customs to the customs of their home land; findings revealed that changes in the way the hands of the dead were crossed over their bodies were introduced pretty much simultaneously in far away Greenland.

If I have to give a explanation on this phenomenon I would point to the direction of organization theory and sense-making. People form customs, habits and also cognitive short-cuts to make their lives easier and efficient in their home-country. When these people are suddenly in a new environment with a different way of doing things they do not understand, they need to fall back on these customs to make sense of what's happening around them.

Anyways, to make a long story short, my guess that immigrants for some reason have to compensate on the geographical distance by sticking to their culture more. Of course, as I pointed out before, the level of education plays a big role in this too; education makes people more adaptive to new cultures.

 

[centrajapan]

There must be a reason why the Netherlands opened up their borders at one stage.

 

[leonmarino]

There must be a reason why the Netherlands opened up their borders at one stage.

Sure. It was because they believed they needed the cheap labor..

 

[Ma Cherie]

Has anyone on this thread made an attempt to understand the term "multiculturalism?"

Just wondering, because in actuality there is no real definition of what multiculturalism is.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

So, multi ethnic countries tend to do well, as long as the various ethnic groups generally conform to an accepted common culture? Yeah, I'd buy that. It is a very rare situation, though. In many/most multicultural countries, ethnic groups retain far too much of their indigenous culture.

It depends how much time you give to immigrants to adapt. Even 100 years ago, France was an extremely multi-ethnic country with a strong centralised culture. Historically France has been a land welcoming immigrants from all Europe. There are many French of Russian, Polish, German, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish or even Armenian origin. I read that two third of the French citizen (born in France) have at least one foreign ancestors if we go back to 4 or 5 generations.

 

[Skullcrushergurl]

Has anyone on this thread made an attempt to understand the term "multiculturalism?"
Just wondering, because in actuality there is no real definition of what multiculturalism is.

I think "multiculturalism" is bringing different cultures together. example Muslim people being bought together with Hindu people. Am I right?
Where as , mulitietnice is just differenct races (as in America)perhaps I didn't make it clear in my first post because I was thinking in general. Guess I meant multi ethnic.....I wouldn't dare call then the same.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

I think "multiculturalism" is bringing different cultures together. example Muslim people being bought together with Hindu people. Am I right?

Religion is only one facet of culture. Language, food, values, lifestyle, customs and traditions make for a bigger part.

 

[centrajapan]

Sure. It was because they believed they needed the cheap labor..

Right. Therefore the Netherlands together with most European countries opened up their borders because there was a labour shortage. In that sense it was a good deal for both.

edited

I don't look at it as a problem that Norway opened up their borders. I believe immigrants have enrichened the Norwegain culture with their presence. Call me naive. I think if you treat others with respect you will be respected back. A mutual respect. If you don't give respect people will take that respect into their own hands. A good economy probably helps too to be able to have a stable society. Look at France. Out in the suburbs there are all these rioting going on. Alot of it has to do with high unimployement and a bad economy. People get frustrated and start looking at people who they can blame on. It's the same in USA. Crime, violence is often linked with poverty which leads to frustration so people start taking matters into own hands.

 

[MadamePapillon]

Multiculturalism is good, most people would agree with that, but I think most problems concerning a TO diverse culture comes when it happens to fast and with to little thought.
Using where I live as an example...

I personally think it becomes a problem when the sheer number and volumes of immigrants actually begins to change the country they are immigrating to. By change, I mean, many people move from overseas to come live here but instead of trying to adopt to Canada they try to change it into their home countrys.

I just think it's ridiculous when people come over, making only the bare minimum effort to learn english, live in pocket societys, and complain about the lack of Canada accomodating their cultures and languages. Or having it so that immigrants actually get special privileges that the native citizens arent allowed just because it was a part of their culture back home.

My bank is a prime example. When you first put in your pin number to get out money, usually the main, bold text would be english because this is an english language country...instead it's in chinese with english as the small text. The area I live in doesn't even have a large asian population.

It can get scary when you walk into an area of your own country and the vast majority of the signs and posters are in a language you don't understand. To feel like a foreigner in your own country, it can be intimidating and threatening and I think it crosses the line to where we've become TO accomodating. I'll admit I'm starting to get kind of angry and bitter over it, simply for the fact that it feels like Canada, it culture and people, are being pushed aside in favor of supporting the vast immigrant population.