Monoculturalismis the policy or process of supporting, advocating, or allowing the expression of thecultureof a single social orethnic group.[1]It generally stems from beliefs within the dominant group that their cultural practices are superior to those of minority groups[2]and is often related to the concept ofethnocentrism,which involves judging another culture based on the values and standards of one's own culture, though this is usually untrue ifcultural nationalismis dominant, as opposed toethno-nationalism.[3]It may also involve the process ofassimilationwhereby other ethnic groups are expected to adopt the culture and practices of the dominant ethnic group. Monoculturalism, in the context ofcultural diversity,is the opposite ofmulticulturalism.
Rather than the suppression of different ethnic groups within a given society, sometimes monoculturalism manifests as the active preservation of a country's national culture via the exclusion of external influences.Japan,South Korea,andNorth Koreaare examples of this form of monoculturalism. However it may also be the result of less intentional factors such as geographic isolation, historical racial homogeneity, or political isolation.[4][dubious–discuss]
Ethnocentric monoculturalism
editMonoculturalism is often closely associated withethnocentrism.Ethnocentrism is the practice of framing one's way of life as natural and valid, and applying that belief system to interpret the characteristics of other cultures.[5]
Instances
editIn genocide
editMany of thegenocidespracticed throughout history were based on ethnic supremacy. Ethnic supremacy is assumed by one group within a culture, following some distinct action by an external group or from one of the ethnic groups. With European intervention in places likeRwanda,social institutions worked to socially construct an ethnic inferiority, distinguishing the Hutus and Tutsis from one another and causing what would be one of the most horrific demonstrations of genocide in modern history.[6]
A similar example to that of theRwandan genocidewas the ongoing civil war inBurma.The civil war spanned from a constitution that granted Burma their independence from theBritish Empirein which a group of leaders created conditions that didn't involve many of Burma's Ethnic Minorities, and instigated a fight from them.[7]Many of these ethnic minorities in Burma, including theKaren,have been significantly displaced by the military junta and placed into refugee camps in bordering nations. The remaining ethnic minorities have been living in poor conditions, and have been met by a variety of human rights abuses.[citation needed]
Globalization
editGlobalizationinvolves the free movement of goods, capital, services, people, technology and information throughout the world. It also involves the international integration of potentially very different countries through the adoption of the same or similarworld views,ideologies, and other aspects of culture. Marsella argues that this is monoculturalism on a grand scale.[8]Potentially it could lead to the suppression and loss of different ethnic cultures on a global scale.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Monoculturalism,online Oxford dictionary
- ^Jackson, Y. Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology, p. 203
- ^Ethnocentrism,Ken Barger
- ^[1],A revealing map of the world’s most and least ethnically diverse countries, Fisher
- ^Jennifer F. Taylor.Ethnocentric Monoculturalism,Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology
- ^White, Kenneth R. "Scourge of Racism: Genocide in Rwanda".Journal of Black Studies.Vol. 39, No. 3 (Jan., 2009), pp. 471-472.
- ^"Tracking Genocide: Persecution of the Karen in Burma".Texas international law journal.Volume: 48 Issue: 1 Page: 63 10/01/2012.
- ^Marsella, Anthony (2005).""Hegemonic "Globalization and Cultural Diversity: The Risks of Global Monoculturalism"(PDF).Australian Mosaic.Issue 11 Number 13: 15–16.
Further reading
edit- Tambini, Damian (1996). "Explaining monoculturalism: Beyond Gellner's theory of nationalism".Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society.10(2): 251–270.doi:10.1080/08913819608443420.
- Conversi, Daniele (2008). "Democracy, Nationalism and Culture: A Social Critique of Liberal Monoculturalism".Sociology Compass.2(1): 156–182.doi:10.1111/j.1751-9020.2007.00063.x.