Ethics and Multiculturalism

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Ethics and Multiculturalism

Andre` Scicluna

440088M

I believe that multiculturalism and all it encompasses only becomes an issue when we start talking about it. This is an ethical paradox I conceived and one which I ponder, to be able to explain my views on teaching Ethics in a multicultural environment. Every day I am fully immersed in a social context where multiculturalism is not regarded as an issue but as a way of life, so much that it is considered by many colleagues as a strength of our community. It might be regarded as a miniature world to study to be able to adopt practices into the outer political and sociological world. However, Malta as a country is not fully ready for that and this automatically brings up controversial arguments to the initial statement above. One would argue that it is obvious that we have to start talking about it in order to come up with solutions to the many difficulties the phenomenon is creating. In Malta the road to multicultural education is still at its first footsteps and this essay argues that it should not be interrupted. Moreover, in this essay I will try to examine how ethics and multiculturalism can work hand in hand and present arguments in favour of this; and examine views of multiculturalism vis-à-vis utilitarianism. We are too concentrated on what makes us different rather than what makes us the same. Multiculturalism is perceived by its admirers as an open-minded system which creates the possibility for people to express who they are within a society, that is more tolerant and that adjusts better to new and ongoing social issues. In this essay multicultural themes are strongly considered. These points of view may also help us understand that already by listening to and engaging into discussion with opposing views, is already an exercise which adds some more knowledge to us about the issue in question and about human values (community of enquiry).

Multiculturalism is not the occasional ‘Food from all over the World’ event or the once a year ‘School Costume Contest’. It is something much more adhering to the roots of civilisation. It is hidden deep in the souls of people and down in the roots where the everyday eyes do not see but can sense. So it is not just talking about it that will improve people’s perceptions but actually being able to live inside a ‘bowl’ with people from all over the world. Uncertainty is insecurity and ignorance is fear. We are afraid of what we don’t know.

“Multiculturalism has been used as an umbrella term to characterize the moral and political claims of a wide range of marginalized groups, including African Americans, women, LGBT people, and people with disabilities”^[1] (Glazer 1997, Hollinger 1995, Taylor 1992). This was a very important issue in the debates of the 1980s in the United States of America over whether and how to diversify school curricula to give recognition to marginalized groups. However in Malta and in the NCF, the term multiculturalism is seen as a distinct term from diversity. It does not undress it from its importance but multiculturalism is merely regarded as a variety of cultures whereas Diversity is more of an all-encompassing term as the one mentioned above. In fact, it was a main issue of criticism to the draft for the development of the NCF for Malta’s schools, right around the years preceding 2012. The NCF does not just stop at addressing the need for multiculturalism but it goes beyond by embracing “diversity in all its forms”.

“This encompasses that an individual is unique and recognises individual differences whether these stem from dimensions of race; ethnicity; gender; sexual orientation; socio-economic status, age; physical, mental or intellectual abilities; religious beliefs; political beliefs; or other ideologies.”^[2]

Certain theories of multiculturalism, tend to focus their arguments on immigrants who are ethnic and religious minorities (e.g., Muslims in Europe, Latinos in the U.S.), minority nations (e.g. Catalans, Basque, Welsh), and, in some cases far away from Europe, indigenous peoples (e.g. Native peoples in North America, Australia, and New Zealand). For Malta, ethnicity and religion are at heart to the Maltese and therefore, multiculturalism assumes this characterization automatically. Other claims are that “Multiculturalism is closely associated with “identity politics,” “the politics of difference,” and “the politics of recognition,” all of which share a commitment to revaluing disrespected identities and changing dominant patterns of representation and communication that marginalize certain groups.”^[3] (Gutmann 2003, Taylor 1992, Young 1990)