Multiculturalism

Started by OldBloke, August 10, 2005, 12:48:57 AM

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OldBloke

I was listening to Radio 4 on the way home from work this evening and they were interviewing Robert Kilroy-Silk about his politics. I wouldn't usually give time to fringe politicians but the interviewer was pushing him on his views on multiculturalism which started to interest me and suddenly a realisation hit me that I was beginning to see his point of view. This worried me for reasons I'll try to explain later.

What he was basically saying was that, yes, all people are equal irrespective of creed, colour, religion etc. BUT - not all cultures are equal and, to make sure we keep our own cultural identity, we should actively promote our British way of life, our culture. For example, cultures that advocate a lower status for women are not as good as those that don't. Cultures that accept that children who exhibit problems are possessed by demons are not as good as those that appreciate child psychology. Cultures that advocate that the life we have on this Earth is but an appetiser to the delights that await us in heaven (or whatever term applies) and, as such, means that the sanctity of life we uphold is somehow undermined, they are not as good. So the thrust of his argument was 'The UK is happy to be multi-ethnic but we should discourage multiculturalism'.

So why did this worry me? Well because I've always regarded myself as totally non-racist but by acknowledging and (to some degree) agreeing with his views it's made me question my own stand on racism and, quite frankly, worried me enough to post here.
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Anonymous

Mmmm, now you got me thinking too  :huh:

TeaLeaf

Your own attitude has to be assessed within your own environment or context - you can't simply apply your own cultural values to another culture and expect them to be necessarily compatible!  So recognising that some cultures may differ does not make you racist!

The real test is whether or not you could take someone from a different culture (for example where women are seen as lower status), bring them into your own culture and apply your own non-racist views to them in their new circumstances.  Likewise could you go into 'their' culture and continue to apply your current non-racist views?

If you can, then you are not racist.  You have simply noticed that cultures have different values, some of which we find unacceptable given our culture's value/belief system.

Whether their culture is 'better' or 'worse' than our own culture is a somewhat inflamatory way of debating the differences as it implies 'right' and 'wrong'.  In negotiating change it is always best to use slightly less inflamatory language!

TL.
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DuVeL

We all are a bit racist according to me. Sometimes you only find out after a while.
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smilodon

It's also worth remembering that Kilroy Silk is being very selective when he picks on  cultural traits.

Here are a few more.

A country that values rampant commercialism over everything else is not as good as one that believes that social welfare should come first. To believe you are what you own is not as good as to believe you are what you do.

A country that believes that sexual expression (how ever odd) is a basic human right is better than one that considers sex to be obscene and bans it's depiction in print or film. Sexual inhinbition should not be forced on those who are not sexually inhibited.

A country that believes in responsible agricultural policy at an addional financial  cost is better than one that drives down it's food prices on the back of the wholesale abuse of it's livestock. Scrabbling for the cheapest supermarket prices is not  worth the damage to the populations health, the cyclic poverty of the third world suppliers and our livestock.

A society based primarily on the concept of self is not as good as one based on the concept of community. To care only about self help, self development and self andvancement is not as good as to care about the welfare of those arround us.

A society that believes it to be acceptable to break a family for the well being of the parent at the expense of the children is not as good as one that believes the family unit to be sacred. It is argued that higher divorce rates are symptomatic of a self obsessed and materialistic society.

Now I don't suggest the above are valid (especially the divorce one), but they are some of the views held by 'other cultures' when looking at western society. I'm sure more clever people than me could come up with a whole list of areas where the UK is culturally deficient. No one is better than everyone else, we are simply different. So while it is true many cultures could learn from our tollerant and open society, we to could learn a lot from these so called 'backward cultures' about community, values, self sacrifice for others - etc etc.

That Kilroy Silk makes the initial and fundamentaly flawed assumption that our society has no ills or fewer ills than the Islamic cultures, undermines his arguement and confirms that he is at heart a racist.
smilodon
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Dingo

QuoteOriginally posted by smilodon
Now I don't suggest the above are valid (especially the divorce one)
@ but they are some of the views held by 'other cultures' when looking at western society. I'm sure more clever people than me could come up with a whole list of areas where the UK is culturally deficient. No one is better than everyone else, we are simply different. [B
So while it is true many cultures could learn from our tollerant and open society, we to could learn a lot from these so called 'backward cultures' about community, values, self sacrifice for others - etc etc.

That Kilroy Silk makes the initial and fundamentaly flawed assumption that our society has no ills or fewer ills than the Islamic cultures, undermines his arguement and confirms that he is at heart a racist.
[post=91190]Quoted post[/post]
[/b]


Must be the way your'e reading it then Greg, from what i can see he is saying that each could learn, and perhaps take a little from the other.

After all, Muslims are allowed to live their lives here as they see fit, with no restrictions on their religion, and even build places of worship (Mosques)..........whilst in Islamic cultures the "dreaded Infidel" is neither allowed to build churches or practice their religion in public and the females are expected to dress in the host countries tradition (covered heads and\or faces).

Can you imagine the furore here if we insisted Muslims wear Burberry caps and call their kids Sharon and Derek?!! <_<  :D
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Benny

Although this sounds wrong, use your telepathic powers and take it how it is meant.

I've always struggled with the fact that, well, exactly as Dingo puts it
QuoteMuslims are allowed to live their lives here as they see fit, with no restrictions on their religion, and even build places of worship (Mosques)..........whilst in Islamic cultures the "dreaded Infidel" is neither allowed to build churches or practice their religion in public and the females are expected to dress in the host countries tradition (covered heads and\or faces).

Should we be grateful that we are open enough to accept and embrace those cultures? Those same cultures that live amongst us who then live in the homelands and enforce the rules upon us, it feels one-sided.

I know there is a logical argument in there somewhere, but if someone could direct me?

Perhaps the acceptance is - backward view follows - we accept those people who live in our country and amongst us in our communities if their culture doesn't harm us or affect our own.

What's happening with the clerics now?
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