Multicultural Communities: Definition and Characteristics
Multicultural Communities: Definition, Characteristics, Characteristics, Causes, and Examples - The term Multiculturalism has recently begun to be discussed in various circles regarding the outbreak of ethnic conflict in the country. Multiculturalism owned by Indonesia is considered a major factor in the occurrence of conflict.
Conflicts related to SARA, namely ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup relations that occur in Aceh, Ambon, Papua, Kupang, Maluku and various other regions, are realities that can threaten national integration on the one hand and require concrete solutions for resolution on the other. Until the concept of multiculturalism emerged. Multiculturalism is used as the main reference for the formation of a peaceful multicultural society.
Multicultural Society
Understanding Multicultural Communities According to Experts
According to C.W. Watson (1998) in his book Multiculturalism
to talk about multicultural societies is to talk about the people of a country, nation, region, even a limited geographical location such as a city or school, which consists of people who have different cultures in equality.
J. S. Furnivall
Multicultural society: a society consisting of two or more communities (groups) that are culturally and economically fragmented and have institutional structures that differ from one another.
Based on the configuration (composition) and the ethnic community plural society is distinguished:
Compound society with balanced composition
Consists of a number of communities or ethnic groups that have more or less balanced competitive strengths. Inter-ethnic coalition is needed so that the community becomes stable
Compound society with a dominant majority
Consists of a number of ethnic communities with unbalanced competitive forces.
Majority ethnic groups dominate political and economic competition
Compound society with a dominant minority
Minority ethnic groups have broad competitive advantages that dominate the political and economic life of society
Compound society with fragmentation
Consists of a number of ethnic groups but all of them are in small numbers so that no single group has a dominant political or economic position Usually it is very stable even though it still holds the potential for conflict due to the low ability of coalition building.
Nasikun
Compound society: a society that adheres to a variety of value systems embraced by various social units that are its parts is such that members of the community lack loyalty to society as a whole, lack cultural homogeneity, and even lack the bases for mutual understanding of one to each other.
Pierre L. Van Den Berghe
Characteristics of multilultural societies:
There is segmentation into different forms of sub-cultural groups
Having a social structure that is divided into institutions that are noncomplementary
Lack of developing consensus among its members on basic values
Relatively often experience conflict between one group with another group
Relatively, social integration grows on coercion and interdependence in the economic field
The political dominance of one group over other groups
Clliford Geertz
Calling a multicultural society with a pluralistic society is marked by primordial ties which are interpreted as a culture of imaging or marking given (given). Each individual or group has a different character from other individuals or groups.
5 images created by the community but considered as God's gift:
Race
Language
Regional / geographical area
It is the basis for economic and political structures that are considered basic units in the life of ethnic groups and nations.
Religion
Culture
Includes language, religion, and social organization
Characteristics of Multicultural Communities
Having more than one cultural structure
Basic values that are mutually agreed are difficult to develop.
social conflicts often occur that smell SARA.
its social structure is more non-complementary in nature.
the integration process that occurs is slow.
economic, political and socio-cultural dominance often occurs.
In another sense, multicultural societies appear to live together despite different races, religions, and ethnicities (segmented), but in their daily lives they often prefer to be friends or associate with people from their areas because they are considered easier to communicate, have an inner bond the same, and have a lot in common.
Characteristics of Multicultural Communities
Pierre L. Va den Berghe, a leading sociologist, explains the characteristics of multicultural societies and predicts the consequences of daily life as follows:
There is segmentation into distinct sub-cultural groups (Primordial). Multicultural societies that are segmented in different sub-cultural groups are societies that are divided into small groups based on race, ethnicity, each religion and in association separately because individuals prefer to interact with people of one tribe, race, or religion alone.