Is Multiculturalism good for Britain OR How important is the UK Essay

Is Multiculturalism good for Britain OR How important is the UK economy in shaping British society - Essay Example It has been hugely appreciated and encouraged for long, however, in today’s scenario of terrorism, especially after 2001 riots and 7 July bombings in Britain, multiculturalism is highly questioned for its reliability and its continuity as policy in future. There are many concerns but most important highlight is the segregation rather than integration of cultures due to multiculturalism. This paper studies the different perspectives about multiculturalism and its background briefly in order to determine whether it is good for Britain or not. For understanding multiculturalism in Britain it is crucial to define multiculturalism in its simple and genuine meaning as Sivanandan (2006) stated: ‘Multiculturalism simply means cultural diversity, and that diversity can either be a good thing, leading to integration, or a bad thing, leading to separatism. It is the socio-economic context and the country’s policies that determine the direction in which multiculturalism develops.’ In order to decide whether Multiculturalism is good or bad for Britain, it is crucial to understand the beginning of multicultural Britain. Despite the classic definition of Roy Jenkins’, ‘Integration is not a flattening process of assimilation but equal opportunity accompanied by cultural diversity in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance’(cited in Sivanandan 2006) racial discrimination continued to flourish in employment, social services and other areas and mutual tolerance was destabilized by self-interest of politicians who used anti-immigration agenda for getting votes. Cultural diversity is not any of the government’s decree but an expression of unified struggle and a joint fight of people from different communities, faiths, religions and locals. They were Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Whites who achieved unity in diversity which led to the government’s initiative of anti-discrimination legislation in Race Relation Acts of 65, 68 and 76.This was the t rue