Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a largersociety maintain their uniquecultural identities, whereby theirvalues and practices are accepted by the dominant culture, provided such are consistent with the laws and values of the wider society. As asociological term, the definition and description of cultural pluralism has evolved. It has been described as not only a fact but a societal goal.[1]
In a pluralist culture, groups not only co-exist side by side but also consider qualities of other groups as traits worth having in the dominant culture. Pluralistic societies place strong expectations ofintegration on members, rather than expectations ofassimilation. The existence of such institutions and practices is possible if the cultural communities are accepted by the larger society in a pluralist culture and sometimes require the protection of the law. Often, the acceptance of a culture may require that the new or minority culture remove some aspects of their culture which is incompatible with the laws or values of the dominant culture. As time progresses pluralistic societies often experience some degree ofamalgamation. The pluralistHamed Kazemzadeh argues that the concept of pluralist culture has been prevalent since ancient times; for example, theAchaemenid Empire, which was founded byCyrus the Great, successfully followed a policy of incorporating andtoleratingvarious cultures.[2]
Cultural pluralism is distinct frommulticulturalism, which lacks the requirement of a dominant culture. If the dominant culture is weakened, societies can easily pass from cultural pluralism into multiculturalism without any intentional steps being taken by that society. If communities function separately from each other, or compete with one another, they are not considered culturally pluralistic.[3]
In 1971, theCanadian government referred to cultural pluralism, as opposed to multiculturalism, as the "very essence" of the nation's identity.[4] Cultural pluralism can be practiced at varying degrees by a group or an individual.[5] A prominent example of pluralism is theUnited States, in which a dominant culture with strong elements ofnationalism, a sporting culture, and an artistic culture contained also smaller groups with their own ethnic, religious, and cultural norms.[citation needed]
The notion of cultural pluralism in the United States has its roots in thetranscendentalist movement, and was developed bypragmatist philosophers such asHorace Kallen,William James, andJohn Dewey.Randolph Bourne, a later theorist, provided one of the most famous articulations of cultural pluralism through his 1916 essay, "Trans-National America".[citation needed]
Kallen is widely credited as being the originator of the concept of cultural pluralism.[6][7][8] His 1915 essay inThe Nation, titled "Democracy versus the Melting Pot", was written as an argument against the concept of the 'Americanization' of European immigrants.[9] He coined the termcultural pluralism, itself, in 1924 through hisCulture and Democracy in the United States.[10]
In 1976, the concept was further explored byMerwin Crawford Young inThe Politics of Cultural Pluralism. Young's work, inAfrican studies, emphasizes the flexibility of the definition of cultural pluralism within a society.[11] More recent advocates include moral andcultural anthropologistRichard Shweder.
A 1976 article in theJournal of Sociology and Social Welfare offered a redefinition of cultural pluralism, described as a social condition in which communities of different cultures live together and function in an open system.[3]
