Cultural Pluralism

Cultural Pluralism

Defines a condition where minority ethnic groups continue to retain their distinctive cultural identities and values, while coexisting peacefully with members of mainstream society. In our contemporary multicultural world, most societies exhibit cultural pluralism; however, countries are dealing with the challenges of cultural diversity in different ways. For example, Britain and Canada have supported multiculturalism as a state policy for a long time. On the other hand, in countries like the US and France, the governments have encouraged a model of assimilation, whereby ethnic minorities and immigrants are expected to subscribe to the practices and values of the dominant culture; by integrating themselves into the larger society, these groups slowly begin to lose their own language and customs, and cultural differences are reduced as a result.

External links and references

• Immigration in America
• Cultural Diversity in Contemporary France
• Canada: Global Centre for Pluralism
• Tolerance and Cultural Diversity Discourses in Britain