A Better Understanding of the Multicultural Phenomenon

The notion of culture is very difficult to define, as it covers a wide and hard to limit area. In addition, various social sciences have approached the term from particular points of view, but they have not reached a complete definition yet. A culture contains the norms and values specific to a certain group of people, the products of their spiritual and material activities. It is untrue to consider that a society is formed of one culture only, as this society will always contain more than one culture. This kind of society can be called a multicultural society, a grouping of various cultural entities living in a common physical space without explicitly intending to communicate and cooperate.
The multicultural societies are existent realities, in which people belonging to different groups get in contact accidentally when certain life circumstances impose it. The main trait of a peaceful cohabitation in the multicultural society is tolerance, subject that I will talk about in one of my following bloggs. With the help of tolerance, several different cultures are able to coexist in the same space, environment, without having conflicts in general. Another aspect, also to be discussed further is globalization, a tendency of nowadays society that stimulates towards a continuous understanding, acceptance and affirmation of diversity.
In the process of building social identity, multiculturalism opposes the homogenizing strategies of the modern society, considering them oppressive and emphasizing differences and diversity. The ideology of multiculturalism proposes itself to adjust communities in order to sustain their different cultures. However, this fact does not mean that multiculturalism opposes to changes. On the contrary, it ask for respect and appreciation from all cultural groups towards other groups and also gives the individual the right to leave or refuse his own cultural group.