Cross- cultural Communication This page intentionally left blank

Cultural pluralism
The term ‘cultural pluralism’ is often used interchangeably with ‘multicul-
turalism’. In a pluralistic society, recognition of the diverse cultures within 
it is generally accepted to be based on three principles: that all people are 
considered equal, that all cultures deserve respect and that the concept 
of cultural pluralism is given support under the law. As a result, cultural 

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194 Cross-Cultural Communication
pluralism implies that various ethnocultural groups coexist under a single 
government within a multilingual framework.
In the UK, we tend to look upon our society as essentially pluralistic, 
a society in which all are considered equal in law and in society, where 
tolerance is encouraged and all cultures deserve respect. Critics have said 
that this approach does not necessarily encourage integration, or indeed 
assimilation, or a set of values, hopes and expectations that unite all in 
a sense of identity that is ‘Britishness’. They criticize the concept that 
encourages different cultural communities to live their own way of life 
in an essentially self- contained way. Such concerns led the British Home 
Office to introduce the citizenship test to be taken by any immigrant seek-
ing naturalization. Successful candidates are also required to take an oath 
of allegiance.
Ravitch (1990) describes both the ‘melting pot’ of the USA and the 
Australian ‘cultural mosaic’ as being different forms of multiculturalism, 
describing them as ‘pluralistic’ and ‘particularist’. She considers pluralistic 
multiculturalism as viewing each culture or
sub- culture as contributing 
unique and valuable aspects to the whole culture. Where multiculturalism 
has been implemented as an official government policy, it is seen as a 
‘particularist’ form of multiculturalism that is more concerned with preserv-
ing the distinction between cultures.