CONSTRUCTIONS OF 'RACE'IN CULTURE AND

Constructions of 'Race' in Culture and

Constructions of 'Race' in Culture and Politics

Introduction

The main idea of multiculturalism is the equal value of all cultures (i.e., cultural relativism). However, multiculturalism does not mean cultures as normally understood but rather as biologically defined (i.e., ethnically, racially, or sexually defined) groups. Multiculturalism, a politicized form of cultural relativism, rejects the idea that there are general truths, norms, or rules with respect to both knowledge and morals. Gone are the Enlightenment beliefs in objectivity, reason and evidence, and principles of freedom and justice that apply equally to all individuals. Unlike cultural relativism, multiculturalism excludes one worldview from the realm of equally valid worldviews—the Eurocentric Western perspective based on the contributions of dead white males. Multiculturalists dismiss the significance of Western civilization by claiming that Western traditions of elitism, racism, and sexism are the cause of most of our current problems.

Discussion

The most visible political response to the oppressive conditions of the worker was Marxism, which presupposed that if workers were made equal under the governing sight of a strong central government with "ethical" scientific aims, life would be made better for the worker. Discussion of its failing is a topic beyond the scope of this article, but for the sake of argument, consider that it is possible that two things doomed it: political thinking and population quality. First, because it created ideological regimes in which everyone was important, any one person could destroy another with accusations that they (a) were secretly opposed to the ideology or (b) had infringed on the rights or dignity of another worker(Jacobs, 2002).

Second, in a "flat" hierarchy of society, there is no reward for achievement among the normal ranks of society; some great inventors and athletes get wealthy, as in Capitalist societies, but everyone else lumps it and is rewarded equally. Population quality decline meant that soon competence was hard to find; Communist societies, being extreme ideological revolutionaries, also tended to execute dissidents, the educated, the wealthy and others who might not agree with Communism, which is why Russia almost overnight went from a Eurasian country with a European ruling caste to a Eurasian country ruled by despots. Marxism created a world revolution of workers, but in doing so destroyed the possibility of anyone rising above that state.

In response to Marxism, far-thinking people in Europe attempted to resurrect the values of a time before the first mass revolt, which required something to motivate people other than economics. They settled on Nationalism, which had previously referred to government of people as an organic body united by language, heritage and culture. Nationalism was a motivation outside of money; it was ideologically inclined toward doing what was best for the whole, through aristocracy; it pointed out that workers had a greater connection to the health of their local society than to some global movement for workers - notorious for being horrible at governing themselves, much less each other - to rule the ...