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Studies in Multicultural
Societies
DIFFERENT PEOPLES,
ONE WORLD
The Economics of
Multiculturalism
HARI SRINIVAS
ROOM: I-312 / 079-565-7406
Rethinking Multiculturalism
 A “multicultural society” is one consisting of people
from a diverse variety of national, linguistic, religious
and cultural backgrounds.
 Multiculturalism goes beyond the visible aspects of
culture and includes behaviour, values, ethics and
other ‘invisible’ aspects of human nature as well
Culture is like an Apple
• The Skin – Observed:
Language, Food,
Architecture, Fashion, Art
• The Flesh – Norms &
Values: Beliefs, attitudes and
conventions
• The Core – Basic
Assumptions: Unquestioned
behaviour - tradition
Example of a multicultural UK
 More than four million non-
white Britons live in the UK,
making it one of the most
ethnically complex countries
in Europe.
 Almost half of this number
lives in London and almost
300 different languages are
spoken in all of the capital’s
schools.
Some Key Facts
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Around 8% do not classify themselves as
‘White’ (4.6m people)
Around 50% of those are from South Asia
Around 5% are Chinese
Around 25% as Black or Black British
There are around 1.5m Muslims, 550,000
Hindus, 330,000 Sikhs and 260,000 Jews in
UK
There are around 200,000 Gypsies in UK
British Multiculturalism
•
‘accommodative multiculturalism’
•
It interprets and applies its laws, and formulates and
implements its policies, in a culturally sensitive
manner, and gives its minorities the freedom and
sometimes the resources to maintain their languages
and cultures’’ Lord Parekh
• Statistics by ethnic origin
or religion – for equal
opportunities
Perception of Multiculturalism
A source of creativity and innovation
 In London 300 languages spoken
 Over 25% of the population of London were born
in another country
 ‘’ It is this mix of people that makes London a
vibrant melting pot for innovation, originality
and cutting edge creativity’’ (The leader of the
London Olympic Bid)
Economic Benefits for UK
 It is estimated that in 1999/2000 migrants
in the UK contributed £31.2 billion in taxes
and consumed £28.8 billion in benefits
and state services, a net fiscal contribution
of approximately £2.5 billion
 Ageing population/EU expansion
 Migrants bring new skills and experiences
plus trading links
Economic Benefits for UK
 In 2002, migrants contributed over an
estimated £2.5 billion to the economy in just
one year
 A 1% population increase through migration
can lead to a 1.25% to 1.5% increase in Gross
Domestic Product
 Migrants now account for one in eight of the
UK’s working population which is estimated
to boost economic output by £6 billion
Key Success Factors
 Appropriate and enforced legislation (e.g Race Relations
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Amendment Act – 2000)
Pragmatic common sense solutions – not ideology
A responsible media – BBC
A strong NGO sector
Citizenship education
Representation in public sector, politics and role models
Economic and employment policies
Open debate – multiculturalism in UK today – social
cohesion/cultural pluralism
Example #2: Malaysia
 Malaysia is a multiethnic country, with Malays
making up the majority, close to 52% of the
population.
 About 24.6% of the population are Malaysians of
Chinese descent.
 Malaysians of Indian descent comprise about 7% of
the population.
Malaysia
 The Malaysian New Economic Policy or NEP serves
as a form of affirmative action
 It promotes structural changes in various aspects of
life from education to economic to social integration.
It was established after the May 13 racial riots of
1969
 It sought to address significant imbalance in the
economic sphere. But is controversial in its suport
for Malays, at the cost of other races.
Example #3; Singapore
 Singapore’s multicultural society is being
increasingly seen as one of the country’s greatest
assets in terms of economic growth.
 Currently Singapore’s society is made up of people
from Chinese, Malay and Indian origin.
 Over the years, thanks to the liberal immigration
policy that was followed, people from many other
cultures and countries have made Singapore their
home and brought their own unique identity to the
country.
Singapore
 Strong multiculturalism leading
to an easy environment to do
business in a globalized economy
 Singapore’s multicultural society
has also helped strengthen its
relations with other nations from
across the world
 More countries are willing to
work closely with Singapore,
including cooperation in
economic activities
Singapore
 Singapore has a diverse culture
but at the same time is amongst
the most peaceful and
harmonious societies in the
world
 Many see Singapore as a risk
free investment destination
precisely because various
cultures co-exist in the country
and have created a unique
identity for the country.
Multiculturalism and Economics?
Multiculturalism
Lack of
Freedom?
Social
Conflict?
Barriers to
economic growth?
Lack of common
system of
collaboration?
Racism and discrimination
Problems with
Multiculturalism
Refugees
and human rights
Immigration
and Social Services
Taxes and financial support
Multiculturalism and Economics?
Multiculturalism
Variety in
values and
ethics
Innovative
spirits
Better economic
opportunities
Social
diversity
Multiculturalism and Economics?
Diversity of –
Multiculturalism
DIVERSITY
- Cultures
- Values
- Ethics
- Skills
- etc.
Business and
Trade Opportunities
Promoting Multiculturalism
Innovation and
Entrepreneurship
Economic
Development
Tourism
Development
Promoting
Multiculturalism
Social:
Globalization
and Humanity
Heritage
Conservation
Final word …
Yes, multiculturalism
does have problems …
But history has shown that
good policy can promote
multiculturalism to benefit
the host country!
Look at USA …
Contact me …
Resources, websites, ideas, notes will be available
online:
www.gdrc.info/sms/
Send me an email anytime!
Hari Srinivas
[email protected]
IMPORTANT:
When you send an email, please always put “[ZEMI]” in the subject line!