Cultural Diversity
232 Najd
Subculture

When societies are very small, such as
small villages in traditional societies, then
all people may share a common culture or
way of life.

However, as societies become larger and
more complicated, a number of smaller
groups may emerge within the larger
society, with some differences in their
beliefs and way of life.
Subculture

Each group having these differences is
referred to as a subculture.

So subcultures are those groups that have
values and norms that are distinct from those
held by the majority.
Subculture

In the United States, subcultures might
include hippies, Goths, fans of hip hop or
heavy metal and even bikers - the
examples are endless.

Subcultures can be based upon age,
ethnicity, residence, occupation, and many
other factors.
Subculture

The Hippies
Subculture

Goths
Subculture

Hip Hop
Subculture

Bikers
Subculture

What distinguishes the subculture from
other subcultures in the society might be
language, dress, religion, habits of work,
food preferences, and child-raising
practices, to mention just a few topics.
Subculture

Mexican farm workers in Michigan and
Francophones (French speakers) in
Canada participate in such subcultures.
While maintaining some cultural
distinctions from those around them, the
farm workers and Francophones are also
sharing some features of the wider
culture.
Subculture

Ethnicity is perhaps the most recognized
dimension with which to identify cultural
diversity.

While ethnicity is often a source of
pleasing diversity, the conflict which has
erupted in the former Yugoslavia at the
end of the cold war illustrates the
sources of tension and outright violence.
Counterculture

A counterculture is defined as a cultural
pattern that strongly opposes those
which are widely accepted in a society.

Members of countercultures are likely to
question the morality of the majority
group and engage in some form of protest
activities.
Counterculture

Although countercultures are not as
predominant now as in the 1960s, we
currently experience militaristic groups
who reject the legitimacy of the political
system and sometimes engage in extreme
violence such as the bombing of the
California Hummer dealerships by the
"Earth Liberation Front" in 2003.
Counterculture

The heart of the 1960s Counterculture
was not accepting the status quo, but
rather, questioning authority figures and
the political norm such as the federal
government, in order to find greater truth
and meaning in life.
Counterculture

This questioning attitude spawned the AntiVietnam War protest movement, as well as
dovetailed with the Civil Rights Movement.

The political goal of the counterculture
movement was respect for all life and
peoples, not the power, dominance and
subjugation of one nation over another,
which had motivated previous generations.
Counterculture

Following the principles of Mahatma
Gandhi to protest the Vietnam War nonviolently, many were nonetheless victims
of police brutality as they took part in
Peace marches against the War. Many
were badly beaten by police at the
Chicago National Convention. Other
students died from National Guard
bullets at Kent State University.
Subculture and Counterculture
Difference Between Subculture and
Counterculture:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_5fV
bTOshQ

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is an ideology that
promotes the institutionalization of
communities containing multiple cultures.
Multiculturalism

Example: Canadian society is officially
multicultural, a society that encourages
ethnic or cultural heterogeneity. Historically
a European (primarily English) style of life
was identified as ideal, but with massive
immigration from non-European societies,
Canada moved away from Eurocentrism (the
practice of judging another culture by the
standards of one’s own culture. It creates a
biased evaluation of unfamiliar practices) to
multiculturalism.
Multiculturalism

A debate rages on, however, about the
usefulness of this concept for Canadian
society.
Multiculturalism

Proponents suggest a multicultural
perspective will help us develop a more
meaningful understanding of our past,
present, and global interdependence while
strengthening academic achievement of all
our children.
Multiculturalism

Those opposed suggest that
multiculturalism promotes divisiveness
rather than cohesiveness and denies
children access to the knowledge that will
enable them to compete.
Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a highly disputed topic
in the United States.

For example, in 2009 and 2010,
controversy erupted in Texas as the
state’s curriculum committee made
several changes to the state’s school
curriculum requirements, often at the
expense of minorities:
Multiculturalism

juxtaposing Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural
address with that of Confederate
president Jefferson Davis; debating
removing Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall and labor-leader
César Chávez; and rejecting calls to
include more Hispanic figures, in spite of
the high Hispanic population in the state.
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism in Canada:
 For:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gynCMp
xswHI

Against:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL6S2r
OS0D0