The multiculturalism and citizenship are closely connected. Today, citizenship is a key issue and a cause of a number of discussions within the various spheres. The idea of multiculturalism faces with the numerous debates; however, this phenomenon is an important part of the democratic citizenship development and nation-building. Nowadays, multiculturalism is an inseparable characteristic of the social development connected with citizenship which complements the multiply society.
In the Middle Ages, word citizen indicated that the person hails from the city. Later, with the development of nation states, citizens were considered as a part of the particular country. The first counties were the single-nation states. From its beginning, the idea of the United States included the process of integration of the people from different cultural, social, ethnic backgrounds.
Therefore, today, the U.S. society is a mix of hundreds different cultural, ethnic, religious backgrounds. It is easy to meet the representative of almost every nationality existed in the world. Based on the conception of Milted Pot, the U.S. national identity demonstrates the unique example of the multicultural cooperation in order of the common success.
The tolerance and acceptance of the traditions and creeds of immigrants are the key aspect of this successful integration. I agree with the opinion that multiculturalism should be lauded for forcing to incorporate the cultural needs of all members of the community. For the U.S. society, multiculturalism is a main idea of the national consciousness.
The fairs that the U.S. could fall victim to its size and cultural diversity are based on the statement that the citizens identify themselves more like the members of a particular group or cultural community than the overall nation. The scientists afraid of the moment when the representatives of different cultural backgrounds start identify themselves as a part of the separated structure.
This process can lead to the paralyzing the political development of the country. In this case, multiculturalism can be considered as a step of nationalism within the multiplex American society. The right of self-determination claims to the respect of the one’s ethnic traditions over than national. The numerous examples of the Basque in Spain, Welsh in Great Britain, and Quebecois in Canada demonstrate the danger of such claims.
Obviously, the old determination of citizenship as the geographical belonging to the particular location is not appropriate today within the multicultural characteristic of the society. It is difficult to the country to keep its identity without a common set of values and language between its citizens. The representatives of different communities have to negotiate with one another in order to come up with the most appropriate for both sides solution. There should be involved the dialogue and socialization among the groups.
Today, liberalism is a common idea of the global culture. Those who do not consider multiculturalism as the basement of the global cultural process face with the numerous problems of the cultural interaction. As we live in a complex society, it is highly important to be ready to accept and respect all the cultural issues that are peculiar to the citizens of the United States. All citizens have the same rights and responsibilities.
Although every resident of the particular ethnic background should keep one’s own cultural characteristics such as traditions, language, religion and moral principles, one also should respect the common laws of the country and rules of the joint living within the society. The democratic system that requires people to be united for the common goods also allows them to keep the ethnic traditions.
Thereby, multiculturalism can be a democratic policy that helps people diversifying the society while living together according to the common rules. As the multicultural issues respond to every cultural characteristic, every citizen has the rights to keep one’s linguistic, educational and social components.
Some opponents of the multicultural approach say that this kind of arguments has a problematic basement. The preservation of cultural issues is a complicated process which can lead to a number of problems within the national development. As the result of such interaction and influence of one culture to another, the society can face with a cultural hybridism. However, I think that in the modern complex society, it is important to provide the mechanism of regulation the multicultural problems.
This process should not be considered as the negotiations. People should be involved in a one common and legal system of incorporation. There should not be a strict way with a use of the power. I believe that every problem can be solved by a constructive dialogue. In case of the misunderstandings, the representatives of the different backgrounds should format a committee that could provide a deliberate solution.
Multiculturalism as an inseparable characteristic of the modern social development requires the argumentative and balanced policy of cooperation of all ethnic groups in order to keep the country’s integrity. The common success is impossible without a comprehensive contribution and the development of tolerance and compromise. It is the fundamental issue of remaining the constant nation.