CCINP 2020 Multiculturalism in the UK Synthèse Rédigée

 

Titres possibles : The debate over multiculturalism in the UK

      Multiculturalism: a divisive issue in Britain  /The impacts of multiculturalism in Britain

      Changing attitudes toward multiculturalism in Britain / diverging attitudes regarding…                              

Introduction	The impact of multiculturalism in British society has long been a topic of debate as shown in the dossier which includes an article from The Guardian, a column by Lucy Pasha-Robinson published in Huffpost Online, both dated September 2018, along with a piece taken from The Conversation, which came out in July 2019 and a  2017cartoon by Krauze published in The Guardian . The documents raise the following question: to what extent does multiculturalism divide the British population? Focusing on diverging opinions on the matter and on the evolution of the British mindset will shed light on the question.
	Public opinion in the UK is divided over the impact of immigration. The Conversation points out that the fear and hostility it generates led to Brexit while a report quoted in The Guardian shows that 40% of Britons consider multiculturalism as a threat to British culture and economy, a negative opinion also highlighted by Lucy Pasha-Robinson. Furthermore, she sees fear of multiculturalism as a sign of ignorance and denounces the stereotypical views of immigrants in British society. In sharp contrast, 63% of Britons surveyed in The Guardian underline the positive economic impacts of immigrants. Similarly, the cartoon depicts a group of foreign workers working hard to allow British industry to thrive, willing to do low-skilled jobs as The Guardian points out.
	Despite negative reactions to immigrants chiefly expressed by the older, rural generations as indicated in The Conversation and The Guardian,multiculturalism is now an integral part of British society. Lucy Pasha-Robinson embodies this phenomenon as she comes from an Anglo-Indian family who are staunch supporters of British culture. She argues that immigrants are an asset to the UK and that multiculturalism has enriched British culture and society. A similar idea can be found in the cartoon with workers of various origins representing the diversity which is now part of Britain.
	Moreover, the file indicates that perceptions of multiculturalism are changing. Indeed, The Conversation points out that the younger generation is more likely to be tolerant and to have a positive mindset about this issue as they have grown up in a diverse society. Negative opinions still persist however and opening a debate allowing people to express their concerns, as suggested in The Guardian, can help reduce tensions. In the same vein, The Conversation claims that diversity will soon be widely accepted in Britain.
	The dossier indicates that multiculturalism and immigration have redefined Britishness and suggests that public opinion will evolve positively.

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