Multicultural society
• Multicultural society is a society where people of
different races, cultures and traditions live side by side
with a mutual respect. Multiculturalism is beneficial to
a society, because it consists of people from different
ethnic backgrounds, cultures and religions living and
working together– we talk about a cultural diversity.
Advantages / pros
When people learn about different ways of life:
• it helps to break down barriers between ethnic
groups which are caused by ignorance. Human
beings have a tendency to be suspicious of cultures
they do not understand.
• Living with different cultures brings a better
understanding of other cultures, enrich
our lives and helps to encourage
tolerance.
Disadvantages/cons
• One of the negatives is that cultural differences can
divide a society. This can lead to prejudice and
discrimination towards minorities
• There will always be people who think that their
religion and culture is superior and right and that
other beliefs and cultures are inferior and wrong
(rasists)
• These people try to blame ethnic minorities for
social and economic problems even when it is not
true.
• Because of different opinions there sometimes occur
lots of riots, e.g. in London last year
• Racism is sometimes a problem of multicultural
Multicultural education
• Multicultural education aims to prepare
children for living in a multicultural
society.
• Its major aim is to create equal
educational opportunities for students from different
racial, ethnic and cultural groups and to help all
students to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills
needed to function effectively in a pluralistic
democratic society and to interact and communicate
with peoples from diverse groups.
Multiculturalism in Slovakia
• In Slovakia people are not used to people of
different races and cultures, because until
1989 we were not an open society. However,
some students from African countries studied
at universities. Nowadays, many foreigners
with their customs and very different cultural
backgrounds are coming to our country and
we are getting used to the idea that it is normal
that people are of different skin colour and
beliefs.
• It could be quite beneficial for us because we
learn something about other customs and
traditions and we can share our culture with
others. We are becoming more tolerant if we
experience living in mixed society.
Apart from the Slovak majority, the territory is
inhabited by over half a million Hungarians in
the south of Slovakia, along with smaller groups
like the Ruthenians in the east - minorities
Gypsies / Romanies
• One minority without a territory are the Romany. A
rapidly rising birth rate among the Romany means an
increasingly important issue in Slovak politics and
Slovakia is working hard to integrate them into society.
At present the country faces the problem of
Vietnamese guest workers and helps the refugees
from Albania, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Ukraine to
continue their immigration process in newly built
asylum houses.
A new phenomenon has appeared in Slovak
traditions. More and more women are getting married
to men of different religion and skin colour. There is
still a certain amount of prejudice, but most young
people are tolerant, without any prejudice.
Cosmopolitan countries and cities
BRITAIN
• Britain is and has always been a mixed race society.
• During the past centuries many different races have settled in
Britain from different reasons, e.f. Africans were brought by
force to the country as slaves and servants, later refugees from
France, Ireland or Russia tried to escape from persecusion or
find a better way of life.Then there live people from the former
British colonies. ( India, Pakistan, Bangladesh).Later people
from Eastern Europe arrived in Britain because of job
opportunities.
• People moving to Britain brought their own cultures and they
still try to keep them alive. An exellent example of this is the
Nothing Hill Carnival which celebrates the Caribbean Culture
and is a part of the British life, too
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which since 1964 has
taken place on the streets of Notting Hill in London, each August, over
two days.
NEW YORK
• New York is as cosmopolitan as London but is not as
mixed. Nationalities stay in their own areas, like the
Russians in the Russian section, the Germans in the
German section. Polish people settled down in a
cosmopolitan district of Chicago.
• The area of a city where many Chinese people live
and where you can find many Chinese shops and
restaurants is called Chinatown. People go there
because of its special atmosphere, good
restaurants and shops selling cheap
Chinese souvenirs and knick knacks.
Vocabulary
• race, colour of someone´s skin, whites, blacks, Afro-American,
Native American
ethnic group, ethnic divisions, ethnic unrest, ethnic violence
racial conflict, racial prejudice, racial harmony, racial tension,
racism, racist, race riots, fight the police, throw rocks, firebombs, smash windows, prejudice,
integration, integrated society, segregation, segregated
schools/restaurants
multicultural, multiracial, interracial, cosmopolitan
society/district/city, mixed marriage/parentage/ origin
(in)/tolerance, understanding, acceptance, co-existance,
cooperation
assimilation, immigration, controversial, individuality
arranged marriage, wedding, couple, church, registry office,
marital status
equality, partnership, confidence, faithfulness, responsibility,
reliability
refugee, immigrant, flee the country, seek asylum
• stir up = rozvíriť, vyvolať
clamp down on = zakázať, zakročiť
proti
hatred = nenávisť
diverse = rozmanitý, rôznorodý
enhance = zvýšiť hodnotu
woeful = poľutovaniahodný
nasty = nebezpečný
influx = príliv
label = označiť
accusation = obvinenie
generosity = veľkorysosť
to be ashamed = hanbiť sa
to be proud of = byť pyšný
watershed = predel
baffling = zavádzajúci
flee/fled/fled = utiecť
touch = dosiahnutie
bogus = falošný, predstieraný
stifle = utlmiť, potlačovať
dare = odvážiť sa
vanish = zmiznúť, stratiť sa
rostrum = tribúna
insult = urážať
befriend = chovať sa k niekomu
priateľsky
• disapproval = nesúhlas
clash = konflikt, zrážka
fortune teller = veštec
ignorance = nevedomosť
object = namietať
provision = poskytnutie
refugee = utečenec
tension = napätie
unremarkable = nepozoruhodný
blame = viniť, obviňovať
diverse = rôznorodý
emphasize = zdôrazniť
grumble = šomrať, nahnevano sa
sťažovať
promote = presadzovať,
podporovať
recess = prestávka
rootedness = zakorenenosť,
pevnosť
subconscious = podvedomý
suspicious of = byť podozrievavý
underprivileged = neplnoprávny,
sociálne ukrivdený, chudobný
wilderness = divočina, divá príroda