Multiculturalism versus Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Multiculturalism versus Liberalism - Essay Example As such, a multicultural society is described as one that is characterized by a rich mixture of cultures and supports the desire amongst its people to convey their own identities in the way they deem fit (Brian, 3). The second approach to multiculturalism aims at dealing with the numerous challenges that arise because of cultural diversity, especially due to the problems that face the minority and marginalized groups within society. Liberalism Liberalism refers to a political philosophy that is based on the notions of equality and liberty that support basic human rights and freedoms such as individual civil rights, freedom to own private property, freedom of expression, free and just elections, freedom of religion, free trade, and freedom of association. This philosophy arose because of a rejection of tyrannical, oppressive, and conservative practices and ideas such as absolute monarchy, the godly right of kings, state religion, and hereditary privilege that only favored a few individuals within society (Perry, et al., 183). Liberalism emerged during the 16th and 17th centuries when there were numerous religious wars across Europe that were against tyrannical leadership. Regarded as the Enlightenment Age, it saw the beginning of powerful revolutionary movements aimed at ending tyrannical regimes across the world especially in Europe, with the most remarkable one being the French revolution. A multiculturalism critique of l iberal notions of citizenship The term citizenship is a term used broadly to refer to the link between an individual and the state and which grants that individual certain legal rights and freedoms. Citizenship has three main dimensions. The first is legal status that grants an individual freedom to act in accordance with the law and the right to seek protection by the law (Isin and Turner, 32). The second dimension is political and assumes individuals as political agents who participate in political undertakings within society. The third is identity whereby an individual is deemed a member of a political community hence gaining an identity. Differences in the approach adopted by liberalism and multiculturalism have created a tension between these two ideologies especially in the manner of leadership to be adopted by governments and various authorities. One such are of tension arises on the views of citizenship adopted by liberals and multiculturalists. A major model of citizenship is liberal citizenship that adopts legal status and political liberty as important aspects of citizenship and which help to protect individuals from oppression by the authorities and other individuals. Several multiculturalists criticisms have been raised against the various liberal ideas of citizenship adopted by liberals. The first criticism is the failure of liberalism citizenship to address the various inequalities present in the present capitalist societies. The capitalist approach towards production and property ownership has