MULTICULTURALISM IN AUSTRALIA

Has Multiculturalism Led to a Decrease in Social Cohesion in Australia?

[Supervisor's Name]

Has Multiculturalism Led to a Decrease in Social Cohesion in Australia?

Introduction

Various members of societies have had queries regarding the importance of multiculturalism and whether correct and effective approaches are, taken for addressing to cultural and ethnical diversity in any contemporary society. Multiculturalism has several forms; however, the concept presented as an option to the approaches of assimilation prevalent in the past. Multiculturalism as part of a social philology and as a policy proposed that in an effort to form a unified society from varied cultural and ethnic groups, it is not just significant to distinguish and identify their diverse values and backgrounds and also to include their diversity into the local cultural system.

This needs to be, applied instead of addressing all people collectively ignoring their differences by casting all groups within one single cultural mold. However, I believe that multiculturalism has led to a decrease in social cohesion, at least in Australia. This is because extreme diversity is always not beneficial for any society and culture, especially to those nations and societies that are still advancing.

Discussion

In the policy and philosophy of groups, multiculturalism is inbuilt as a thoughtfulness of the essential social dynamics of inter-ethnic dealings or in other words a social or behavioral theory. It is a significant point to note and at the same time analyze as well that whether multiculturalism works or not. The world talks about the concept of multiculturalism where the contemporary form of immigrations has led to significant inter-ethnic tensions and sometimes-violent discord. This is specific in those parts of the world where the ideas of multiculturalism is now flourishing and is under serious reconsidered. Various people believe that multiculturalism work if implemented properly would be beneficial, while others argue that the concept of multiculturalism has been flawed from the beginning (Reitz et al. 2009, pp. 1).

In Australia Hon Chris MP, the minister of immigration and citizenship in the country launched the Multiculturalism Policy on 16 February in the year 2011, while reaffirming the significance and importance of the diversity in terms of cultures and a publicly cohesive country (Australian Government 2011, n.p.). As far as Australia is concerned from an international point of view, the reaffirmation of the government of multiculturalism last year certainly seemed a buck a trend. It is important to note that it was only few months earlier before the launching of the multicultural policy, when Angela Merkal, German Chancellor had gained herself a place in the headlined worldwide when she declared that all the efforts of Germany for the sake of developing a multicultural society had completely failed. In the same way the British, Prime Minister David Cameron followed a suit by condemning multiculturalism as a failed response to cultural diversity in Britain. Moreover, days later the French President Nicholas Sarkozy endorsed the negative assessments of his European colleagues. These countries not only failed to test multiculturalism policy but at the same time, their policies failed ...