Description of the article
McKenzie argues that multiculturalism is an unsound theory because Australia is not multicultural. Moreover, McKenzie assumes that Australia is a monocultural society with ethnic minority cultures. Thus, Australia is not multicultural while the term multiculturalism is used in support of political ideology only.
Australia is the home for representatives of diverse cultures and ethnic origins. However, McKenzie fails to assess the cultural aspect of multiculturalism while focusing on the political side. Australian identity is not destroyed due to multiculturalism. On the contrary, multiculturalism enhances the establishment of identity.
Even though McKenzie raises important aspects of multiculturalism in the article “The Menace of Multiculturalism”, he fails to defend his position because there is a lack of logic and coherency in the presented arguments.
The article is divided into five sections each covering the specific point of multiculturalism. The first section is titled “Creating a national identity”. McKenzie talks about multiculturalism as a theory and provides an overview of the theory.
The author assumes that multiculturalism is a theory aimed to maintain, support, and build foreign cultures in Australia. The next section outlines multiculturalism as a tool to destroy the Australian identity.
McKenzie argues that Australian identity is denied and the destruction of identity is carried out by multiculturalism itself. In addition, McKenzie notes that Australia’s culture is being undermined by the continuous push for multiculturalism in educational institutions. Thus, children are forced to believe in multiculturalism that does not exist in Australia.
The third section covers the reality of multiculturalism. McKenzie includes several quotes from experts in the field. The distinction between soft multicultural and hard multiculturalism is discussed. The importance of cultural traditions and traditional ways of life are outlined.
The major part of the section is devoted to an outline of the different distasteful ethnic customs. The monetary cost of multiculturalism is mentioned.
The next section discusses multiculturalism as a great fraud. McKenzie writes that multiculturalism does not exist because it is made about the pluralistic nature of society and because an ideal type of society can be achieved at some time. The difference between descriptive and prescriptive definitions of multiculturalism is assessed.
Critique
Nevertheless, the arguments included by McKenzie are rather weak and not sufficiently supported. While there are several quotes and references, the reliability of the information is questionable. McKenzie fails to support assumptions with analytical analysis. The ideas are discussed from a personal standpoint, not from a professional. There is no empirical evidence and no statistics.
For example, it is not clear why the statement “the notion of the duty to kill to preserve family or blood honor” (McKenzie, p. 2) is included in the article. It does not relate to the discussion on multiculturalism. Thus, all of the arguments are based on personal opinions. McKenzie starts the article with the statement that “multiculturalism is an unsound theory, advocated by cosmopolitan-internationalist, academic medical personnel, social theorists, government officials, and politicians” (p. 1). There is an evident contradiction in this first sentence: theory is sound if it is advocated by specialists in such a wide range of fields. Therefore, McKenzie opens the discussion with a weak sentence that leads to confusion. It is hard to identify the purpose of the article and the author’s intentions.
Identity, culture, and way of life are not limited to the place of living. Indian family living in the United States, for example, maintains Indian lifestyles and cultures despite the place of residence. McKenzie rejects this idea and states that culture and identity are shaped by country, not ethnic origin. The aim of multiculturalism is not to destroy the Australian national identity, as claimed by McKenzie. On the contrary, multiculturalism enhances the viability of cultural identity.
Rapid globalization leads to the merge of different cultures and motivates tolerance to diversity. Migration is unavoidable and should not be. While more people move to new countries, the national identity gains a new meaning, but it is not discriminative in any sense. McKenzie writes that “Australia is not a ‘multicultural society, it is a monocultural society with some ethnic minority cultures at its edges, or to be succinct, Australia is a ‘core-culture society’” (p. 3). McKenzie admits that there are many cultures in Australia, however, he rejects the idea that Australia is multicultural. There is a lack of coherency and logic in arguments in the statement that immigration policies give “foreign cultures in Australia the ability to self-sustain their separate development” (McKenzie, p. 1).
The idea that Australia’s culture is undermined by the continuous push for multiculturalism taught in educational institutions deserves more attention. Educational institutions aim to teach young people about life-related issues.
McKenzie worries that multiculturalism leads to “the death of the Australian culture and our national identity” (p. 3). McKenzie argues that multiculturalism harms national identity and more attention should be devoted to preserving ethnicity rather than promoting diversity. “Multiculturalists advocate the right for other cultures to practice their cultural traditions and ‘unique ways of life and feel that this liberalistic view is a fair and just position to take” (McKenzie, p. 2). Thus, McKenzie does not argue against multiculturalism, he just claims that Australia is not multicultural in its essence and the Australian identity is ignored by the modern population.
Conclusion
In conclusion, McKenzie argues against multiculturalism as a viable policy. Nevertheless, the arguments used to support this idea are weak and there is an evident lack of logic. Multiculturalism is not a discriminative policy and it does not undermine the value of national identity. McKenzie tries to convince the readers that multiculturalism is harmful; however, he lacks fundamental knowledge on culture and identity.