The purpose of this essay is to discover the effects of globalization and compare two mutually related concepts, (1) the concept of assimilation and the (2) notion of integration in the context of Canada’s policy of multiculturalism. Usually, the terms are associated with the movement of immigrants to a new country, and the social changes that occur as a result of the adjustment processes in the host country. As Favell (2005) writes, the two concepts have their roots in Durkheim’s functionalist sociology, "pointing towards the unifying cohesion that any society must achieve, via socialization of its members" (taken from the Encyclopaedia entry on the topic of Assimilation and Integration). Although the difference between the concepts
…show more content…
Scholars from this perspective view multicultural societies as "composed of a heterogeneous collection of ethnic and racial minority groups, as well as of a dominant majority group"(B&B&F, 2008, p.121). In the context of the American society they view immigrants as the members of society who "actively shape their own identities rather than posing as passive subjects in front of the forces of assimilation" (B&B&F, 2008). Basically, the multicultural perspective considers the idea of multiculturalism in relation to the involvement of "ethnic minority groups as active integral segments of the whole society rather than just foreigners or outsiders" (Leung, 2011-2012, p.20). In other words, as Leung (2011-2012) believes, "the whole is the sum of the parts"(p. …show more content…
Since assimilation indicates conformity to the pre-existing cultural norms of a dominant social group, it appears an unlikely prospect for newcomers to Canada. However, concurrently with the multicultural hypothesis, it seems that that Canadian political order does not suffer for lack of an assimilative emphasis (Harles, 1997). In order to evaluate how well Canada scores, in terms of integration, Billes &Burstein & Frideres (2008), use the trope of a “two-way street”. This means that citizens of the host society and immigrants try to adapt to each other, with the hope for the positive outcomes as the objective for both groups. Yet, while Canadian immigration is easy to measure, the level of integration of the newcomers is less possible to precisely measure. On one hand, ideas about it change over time, and on the other hand, integration is often assessed by the degree to which immigrants succeed in comparison to the average performance and attitudes of the native-born. In addition, there is no a truly coherent strategy for integration; Canada, has loosely connected immigration policies, regulations, laws, and practices. For instance, while government sees immigration as an asset, many Canadians see it as a burden (B&B&F,
Scholars from this perspective view multicultural societies as "composed of a heterogeneous collection of ethnic and racial minority groups, as well as of a dominant majority group"(B&B&F, 2008, p.121). In the context of the American society they view immigrants as the members of society who "actively shape their own identities rather than posing as passive subjects in front of the forces of assimilation" (B&B&F, 2008). Basically, the multicultural perspective considers the idea of multiculturalism in relation to the involvement of "ethnic minority groups as active integral segments of the whole society rather than just foreigners or outsiders" (Leung, 2011-2012, p.20). In other words, as Leung (2011-2012) believes, "the whole is the sum of the parts"(p. …show more content…
Since assimilation indicates conformity to the pre-existing cultural norms of a dominant social group, it appears an unlikely prospect for newcomers to Canada. However, concurrently with the multicultural hypothesis, it seems that that Canadian political order does not suffer for lack of an assimilative emphasis (Harles, 1997). In order to evaluate how well Canada scores, in terms of integration, Billes &Burstein & Frideres (2008), use the trope of a “two-way street”. This means that citizens of the host society and immigrants try to adapt to each other, with the hope for the positive outcomes as the objective for both groups. Yet, while Canadian immigration is easy to measure, the level of integration of the newcomers is less possible to precisely measure. On one hand, ideas about it change over time, and on the other hand, integration is often assessed by the degree to which immigrants succeed in comparison to the average performance and attitudes of the native-born. In addition, there is no a truly coherent strategy for integration; Canada, has loosely connected immigration policies, regulations, laws, and practices. For instance, while government sees immigration as an asset, many Canadians see it as a burden (B&B&F,