Multiculturalism is not dead

It was a sobering weekend in Sydney and in many other countries around the world as Muslim extremists took their offence to the movie “Innocence of Muslims’ to the streets.  Violence between protesters, police and bystanders escalated when property was damaged and both police and protesters were injured.

Many Sydney residents were worried about a tipping point - a point at which Anglo Australian society would turn, not just against the extreme trouble-making element, but also, against anyone of Islamic culture.

And so it began.  Radio shock-jocks, social media commentators and elements of the news media blamed multiculturalism for the extremist violence that had unfolded on the streets of Sydney, as though multiculturalism and not a handful of radical extremists were responsible for allowing these hateful attitudes to manifest and explode within Australia.  The idea being put forward was that century old prejudices and ethnic tensions were being imported into Australia and that by encouraging a respectful and welcoming attitude toward cultural difference, we have somehow permitted such hatred and prejudice to fester.

Far better writers than I have written about this issue and by sharing balanced and wise perspectives, they have identified some of the sources of tension and disaffection.  Waleed Aly’s article in the Sydney Morning Herald provided one of the most insightful accounts of the escalating situation.

Appearing below Aly’s article was a comment made by a reader called ‘Appalled Muslim’, epitomizing the fears that I had as a consequence of the riots.

‘I'm embarrassed to be at work today - it doesn't matter that I had nothing to do with it. Not even sat yet and the cutting remarks have started flying across the office floor. It's going to take generations to fix this ugly hate crime.

Reading this comment, I felt real sadness that this employee works in an environment where he/she is demonized for the behaviours’ of a select few.  Within this work group ‘Appalled Muslim’ is not seen as a fellow colleague or an individual, but as a representative of a larger cultural identity, which for a variety of reasons is regarded as strange, different and bad.  

At work, the lens of us and them, cannot afford to exist.  At work we need to be colleagues, recognized as individuals with differing strengths and values, working together with shared goals and a common identity.  Unfortunately, our unconscious bias can make that difficult. 

Research shows that it is easier to spot differences among those of our own culture and more difficult to spot differences in other cultures.  When shown a sequence of faces, we are more likely to correctly identify those we have already seen if they are from our own race.  When confronted with faces from different races, we are not always sure if we have seen them before .  “They all look the same to me” has an evidence base. 

This phenomenon is referred to in the literature as ‘own race bias’.  This bias is often shown to be an unconscious bias in that even people who believe they are not biased are often surprised to find they do have an inherent bias.  This makes it difficult because until we are aware of our biases, we cannot hope to change them.  Many workplaces have been developing training programs for their employees by raising their awareness around bias and encouraging them to meet people as individuals.  Building cultural intelligence is one way to achieve this.

Those who operate with high CQ (cultural intelligence) are often more aware of their biases.  They are also aware of generalisations and stereotypes.  People with high CQ seek to meet people as individuals, recognizing that most people are not stereotypes of their culture.  We all bring our own varied backgrounds, experiences and personalities to work.  This is what fosters innovation and creativity.  This is the multicultural workplace that has been created in Australia.

I don’t believe that multiculturalism is dead or will die in Australia. However, I do believe, that right now, we need courageous people who can reach beyond their own backgrounds, build relationships with others and stand up against the unhelpful comments and cutting remarks wherever they come from.

“There will be a time when leaders of courage begin to call out the best in the Australian people and a message of compassion, generosity and fairness begins to resonate with the Australian values - the human values - that unite us.’ Brad Chilcott, Director of Welcome to Australia