I am talking about culture in the sense it is understood in ethno-national context as opposed to national multicultural societies. And you are correct Andrew, culture is in this constant flux and all kinds of things influence it over time. I would not claim that all of this influence for the better. One surely could do without the americanisation of western cultural groups, for an example. But it is clear that this type of development does happen. Then again, I you scrutinise history you can clearly differentiate different cultural societies and their individual progression over time, culture is like a historical continuum.
I take that you would like to problematise this or the terminology in general? I do not truly agree with this supposed relative take on culturality so that path for this little debate is a dead end.

I ask because I use the word to describe something that is in constant flux. As new ideas, experiences, and objects enter a community, its Culture – and the many ethnic subcultures within it – is fundamentally altered. One thing that has radically changed your culture is the internet, but in your lifetime you and your peers have changed your ways and habits to adapt to it and make it useful and relevant to your own lives.

Ethnicity – the cultural, linguistic, and religious traits that groups carry over borders and distinguish, say, a German Jewish family from an ethnically German one despite living in the same culture – seems to be more precisely what you are talking about. But wouldn’t a sentence that reads “I am not willing to compromise my ethnic existence for anything” make you a bit uneasy?

Again, please understand that holocaust or apartheid or slavery in the US have no room in this argument, and we should not let them have. These all are horrible things but if we talk of monoculture and multiculture I do not think you can justify the causality as in like you means it to be. And finally, I by no means suggest that such terrible things as holocaust or later on Srebrenica massacre were justified by monocultural attitudes. Not at all. I do not think that racism is caused by monoculturality on its own. But I do not claim that in monocultural climate racism or otherwise ignorant attitudes cannot exist. Most surely they will as long as people have the freedom of opinion.

What I say is that in molticulture cultures are forced to collide because they do exist within the same society. Multiculure is alwaus a cultural compromise, that or the different cultures in it live separately, which is not a healthy thing. And who would want to compromise his or her culture? Some people maybe would but not everyone and I think we should respect that. I do not know about you but I am not myself willing to compromise my cultural existence for anything. This does not mean that I will act ignorantly or hostilely to other cultures or other nations but it makes me want to understand their unique ways and traditions. And more importantly respect them as they are, without a compromise. I do not think I should compromise my culture and I do not think anyone else should do it either. Each one different but each one equal and as valuable; this is my motto.

You are certainly not alone among Europeans in your “horror” (your word choice, not mine) of cultural pluralism. What’s quite depressing about it here in Germany is the lack of introspection at the root of this fear. Our Holocaust did not happen because Jews, Serbs, Roma, gays, and other minorities were “forced” to co-exist with the Nordic race, but rather because (among other reasons) the unchecked and irrational fears of the dominant culture were easily and catastrophically exploited for political gain. Much has changed since then, but obviously not enough.

You say that the “more sensible way” is for cultures to co-exist in peace, but then go on to say that you’re horrified that different cultures might be forced to co-exist in the same society. Does this make any sense to you? What the alternative be – for cultures to “co-exist” across walls and fences? (A very famous one used to stand a block from my house – it didn’t work out so well).

And could you give me an example of a monoculture without racism and ignorance? From every example I’ve encountered, these tendencies are as severe – or more so – in the absence of cultural diversity.

Since this is a sociology blog, I hope you know your stuff…

I am saying that multiculturalism means that many cultures have to collide within the same society. Or as we are speaking of it about USA, many immigrated and reformed bits and pieces of culture collide. Americanised immigrant culture really is not the same as the real thing in the sense that is an immigrated influence applied to a very different environment. Not that I am suggesting that american immigrants are worse than “real” people. All I am saying is that within multiculturalism there is always conflict of “cultures” and that does breed racism and ignorance.

To me more sensible way is to have many cultures co-exist in peace, each with their own ways, each equally respected, each different and each as valuable. I feel horrified by the idea that one would force parties in many millenia of cultural heritage to co-exist under the same society. This automatically means a conflict because cultures simply are different. I respect my own culture and I wish it well but I do also wish that other cultures flourish in their own ways. There really is no need for us to make enemies out of each other. I wish we all could have peace, love and understanding without stepping on each others toes.

Sorry, but this simply does not compute. How do you think multiculturalism creates racism that wouldn’t exist in the absence of diversity? Do you really think people would be less “ignorant” to other cultures if they were segregated, or if immigration simply didn’t occur?

I think a better way to say it is that this is an example of how big chunks of cultural chauvinism are still floating around the melting pot. Your post is, perhaps inadvertently, a good example of the same.

Thanks for the Kanata Kit anecdote. I hate how some multicultural materials perpetuate racial stereotypes about how racial minorities dress and what they eat.

also, a lot of people think of the chinese food they eat at american chinese restaurants… Which is completely different from what people in Asia actually eat. It just teaches kids to be ignorant and to think that they are the neutral while everyone else is “ethnic”

Actually, I think food is a terrific way to teach young kids about all kinds of things – cultural diversity, the environment, local farming, chemistry, biology, art, shapes, colors, you name it. It wouldn’t take much effort to put together a few easy, kid-friendly recipes or workbooks that help parents discuss the cultural roots of familiar dishes in context. Knowing that virtually all our eating habits are imported from a wide variety of cuisines might actually help kids understand how our lives are shaped by the contributions of so many cultures.

But throwing the word “ethnic” around seems to have the opposite effect. To add a bit to what Woz said, I think it creates the distorted idea that “brown n’ yellow” people’s foods are culturally specific, whereas white people’s food is somehow neutral.

The danger of many curricular materials is that they define ‘cultural diversity’ as those few visually representable differences — food, dances, national costume — and ignore or gloss over differences that actually matter: worldview, interpersonal relationship rules, language, etc. etc. So what you often end up with is the ‘dancing minority trick’ which is when people believe they are promoting diversity by including a picture of some minority dancing a traditional dance — preferably as it was last danced in the old country in 1812 — but portraying ‘current’, ‘modern’ in ways that equate to the dominant group. As soon as you hear someone saying they want to ‘preserve’ some culture, they’re trying to freeze it as it was a 100 years ago, cutting off any possibility of it influencing modern power relationships.

Or have I wandered off topic again?