Preliminary communication
Multiculturalism and Its Implications on the Contemporary Life of the Ethnic Communities and Australian Society
Vesna Mikačić
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Changes in the ethnic composition of the Australian population, which were particularly dynamic in the postwar period, have brought about a different approach to immigrants and incited substantial social changes. Such measures have been absolutely necessary in order to diminish the danger of ethnic tensions that always occur in a society in which minority cultures are negated or disputed by a dominant culture. This is why there has been a radical reversal of the approach to resolving the question of immigration in the past forty years or so: from the policy of full assimilation via a toleration of cultural pluralism to multiculturalism. The main upholders of multiculturalism in contemporary Australian society, which was officially proclaimed in 1978, are the ethnic communities, educational institutions and mass media. Practice has shown, however, that the support and help of the wider community and other institutions are required for this policy to be successfully implemented. The influence of multiculturalism is increasingly felt on an international plane: it is reflected in a fuller cooperation of Australia and the numerous countries of her immigrants' origin.
Keywords
multiculturalism; ethnic community; immigrants; Australia
Hrčak ID:
128939
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1985.
Visits: 1.186 *