Multiculturalism and Diversity Studies

Home > Ethnic and Cultural Studies > Multiculturalism and Diversity Studies

The study of the ways in which diverse cultural practices, beliefs, and values shape contemporary societies and produce social and political conflicts.

Culture: The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group or society.
Race: A social construct that categorizes people based on physical and genetic characteristics. It is often used to create hierarchies of power and privilege.
Ethnicity: A social construct that categorizes people based on shared cultural, historical, or ancestral ties.
Nationality: A legal and political construct that identifies a person's country of origin or citizenship.
Immigration: The act of moving to a new country with the intention of living there permanently or temporarily.
Assimilation: The process of adapting to and adopting the dominant culture of a new country or society.
Integration: The process of incorporating minority groups into the social, cultural, and economic fabric of a society while still recognizing and valuing their differences.
Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categories like race, gender, class, and sexuality, and how they impact a person's experiences and identities.
Privilege: The advantages and benefits that come with being a member of a dominant group in a society.
Discrimination: Treating people unfairly or unjustly based on their perceived differences, often due to power imbalances in a society.
Social Justice: The pursuit of equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for all members of a society, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or other social category.
Power: The ability to influence and control the actions, behaviors, and beliefs of others in a society.
Cultural Studies: This approach emphasizes the study of culture, including language, traditions, customs, and arts, to gain insight into social relations and power dynamics.
Intersectionality: This approach looks at the interactions between different forms of oppression and identity, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality.
Critical Race Theory: This approach holds that racism is systemic and ingrained in the legal and institutional structures of society, and offers a way to look at racial inequality and discrimination.
Post-colonialism: This approach examines the impact of colonialism on culture, society, and politics, and the imprint it left in modern global relations.
Feminist Studies: This approach examines gender and power relations in society, with a focus on social justice and equity.
Queer Studies: This approach examines the LGBTQ+ community's history, politics, and culture, and how they intersect with race, class, and gender.
Disability Studies: This approach focuses on studying and examining the lived experiences of disabled people, revealing stigmas, and advocating for social change.
Ethnic Studies: This approach focuses on a particular ethnic group's history, culture, and identity, examining their unique experiences and contributions to society.
Diaspora Studies: This approach examines the experience of dislocation, migration, and transnationalism of cultural groups, communities, and individuals.
Decolonial Theory: This approach provides an analytical perspective that helps understand the effects of economic and political colonization, as well as cultural imperialism on societies and nations.
"Multiculturalism: 'The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use.'"
"In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for 'ethnic pluralism', with the two terms often used interchangeably, and for cultural pluralism in which various ethnic and cultural groups exist in a single society."
"It can describe a mixed ethnic community area where multiple cultural traditions exist or a single country within which they do."
"Groups associated with an indigenous, aboriginal or autochthonous ethnic group and settler-descended ethnic groups are often the focus."
"On a smaller scale, this can occur artificially when a jurisdiction is established or expanded by amalgamating areas with two or more different cultures."
"For example, French Canada and English Canada."
"On a large scale, it can occur as a result of either legal or illegal migration to and from different jurisdictions around the world."
"Multiculturalism as a political philosophy involves ideologies and policies which vary widely."
"Multiculturalism can be defined as a state's capacity to effectively and efficiently deal with cultural plurality within its sovereign borders."
"It has been described as a 'salad bowl' and as a 'cultural mosaic'."
"It has been described as a 'salad bowl' and as a 'cultural mosaic', in contrast to a 'melting pot'."
"Multiculturalism is the end-state of either a natural or artificial process (for example: legally-controlled immigration)."
"The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use."
"It is a synonym for 'ethnic pluralism', with the two terms often used interchangeably."
"It can describe a mixed ethnic community area where multiple cultural traditions exist."
"Such as New York City or London."
"Such as Switzerland, Belgium or Russia."
"When a jurisdiction is established or expanded by amalgamating areas with two or more different cultures."
"Groups associated with an indigenous, aboriginal or autochthonous ethnic group and settler-descended ethnic groups are often the focus."
"It involves ideologies and policies which vary widely."