tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post113565308262841738..comments2023-10-07T15:01:23.872+01:00Comments on Not Little England: Multiculturalism - a definition I likeMatGBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02821264556751176639noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post-1135742823985885292005-12-28T04:07:00.000+00:002005-12-28T04:07:00.000+00:00King Canute; I like that one, may use it. Chris ha...King Canute; I like that one, may use it. Chris has also added some comments on <A HREF="http://strange_stuff.blogspot.com/2005/12/multiculturalism-definition-i-like.html" REL="nofollow">strange stuff</A>; we are a mongrel nation, we should exult in that, rather than ghettoise and point fingers.MatGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02821264556751176639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post-1135742233944571902005-12-28T03:57:00.000+00:002005-12-28T03:57:00.000+00:00Thanks for the link, Matt. The 'melting pot' conc...Thanks for the link, Matt. The 'melting pot' concept that Ken mentions, and the notion that cultures will mix anyway (chris) are important ideas for me. Whether they will eventually replace the word 'multiculturalism' as a favoured term remains to be seen.<BR/><BR/>My starting point for these kinds of political debates is to accept that cultures can and will change over time... and that this is a good thing. Too many political discussions, especially with regards to immigration and the EU, seems to revolve around the idea of stifling that change, which I see as being rather like King Canute!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post-1135725518728197062005-12-27T23:18:00.000+00:002005-12-27T23:18:00.000+00:00Oh! I really do agree with you absolutely no quest...Oh! I really do agree with you absolutely no question, It is just that when I have postulated exactly those thoughts, I have been attacked as being a racist by Multiculturalists. Who have put forward a different interpretation, one that neither you nor I would agree with, because as you rightly say this leads to a form of cultural isolation. A point that is completely denied by those who do support separation, they simply cannot see that what they are proposing is tantamount to the worst kind of segregation, and can only lead to problems at some time in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post-1135716001608416942005-12-27T20:40:00.000+00:002005-12-27T20:40:00.000+00:00this isn't multiculuralism as it is currently prac...this isn't multiculuralism as it is currently practiced, it is simply what will always happen without any outside involvement.chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11744649904388176606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post-1135667539686382662005-12-27T07:12:00.000+00:002005-12-27T07:12:00.000+00:00Well, really, a melting pot is the essence of mult...Well, really, a melting pot is the essence of multiculturalism. That's what the term always meant to me, and to Robert it seems; <I>Immigrant communities can and should integrate with their host culture, but the process of change occurs on both sides. It is the acceptance of this fact, and managing the change in a positive way, which we call ‘multiculturalism’.</I><BR/><BR/>I utterly reject the ghettos, segregated faith schools, etc as the complete opposite of multiculturalism. I've always objected to faith schools of all types, even when I was a little kid (my parents moved me to a secular school when I was 7).<BR/><BR/>It's the mixing that matters, segregation isn't multiculturalism, it's just stupid.MatGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02821264556751176639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17312454.post-1135667164661259292005-12-27T07:06:00.000+00:002005-12-27T07:06:00.000+00:00I agree with your ideals on this, but are they not...I agree with your ideals on this, but are they not better known as a melting pot rather than multiculturalism? <BR/><BR/>Which seems to mean that all cultures are equal, and there should be no value judgments made, if you, for instance, question forced or arranged marriages, you are already making a value judgment based on your own cultural norms. <BR/><BR/>Of course within any society there must be some value judgments and ghettoism is a natural short term phenomenon, when you have an influx of peoples from a different culture than the host. Over time the new peoples will take on some of the characteristics of the host, and enrich the host as the ghettos hollow out and the people naturally disperse into the host community.<BR/><BR/>The problem arises when you have state sponsored multiculturalism, here the difference between the cultures is preserved in perpetuity, and ghettos continue in existence for much longer than their natural life would allow. So instead of being one people we end up as splintered groups of disparate cultures that do not mix.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com