I was inspired by
this discussion to examine the various differing definitions of the term
multiculturalism (and
multicultural), that people may have here.
Its a prevalent assumption, that "nationalism" and "multiculturalism" are two opposing forces - two opposing ideologies, that are eternally incompatible and directly opposed. While for the most part, I would agree, then I only agree based on a number of presumptions.
Nationalism and multiculturalism are both, in themselves, generic terms, that can be used to refer to a wide range of ideas and states, which can lead to exceptions from this incompatibility, depending on the definitions applied. It is a semantic, and not an ideological question before anything else.
If one person uses a lax definition of nationalism as any belief that centers around the importance of the nation, and the other person, or the same person, has a lax definition of multiculturalism, as any belief or state (as in current way things are) that concerns or involves multiple "cultural(ism)" components/parts or "cultures", then the two would not necessarily conflict.
Most, if not all nations of Europe, are in some way the product of what we can call multiculturalism. Most, if not all cultures of Europe, are derived from multiple cultures, or cultural components. Most, if not all peoples, are also derived from multiple peoples or components. In this aspect, most if not all European countries are multicultural (generic), even in themselves.
Another such paradox to a contradiction between nationalism (generic) and multiculturalism (generic), is the fact that a large proportion of people that consider themselves/are "nationalist", would willingly accept (limited) immigration by a people outside their respective nation, from within Europe (
here). This again, in the terms generic/non-specified form, is a form of multiculturalism.
But it is not against the more prevalent ways, in which multiculturalism is defined. It is not against the reality of interactions within one cultural context/zone - it is not against "multiculturalism", in this respect.
Which leads us to the following. We can conclude that the way multiculturalism is typically (popularly) defined, both here on Stirpes, and elsewhere, is as such:
(NOTE: this is not how I define it, or the generic definition, but one that is often used, by both people in general, and people here on Stirpes)
As a quality/aspect/state of a society (
multicultural): a culturally plural society or entity, with significant cultural diversity; e.g., containing significant minorities of people in the society from not just a foreign nationality/culture, but from another non-western cultural zone or context, often with a foreign religion (e.g. Islam versus Christianity, Western/European versus non-Western/non-European).
As a political ideology (
multiculturalism): advocating and accepting significant or mass immigration of non-western immigrants, refugees, etc, and accepting their culturally pluralizing presence in society.
Whereas the generic definition would be something like this:
Multicultural, multiculturalism -
1, of or relating to the quality/attribute of multiple cultures, such as in plural societies 2, of or relating to the political ideas advocating multiple cultures or cultural components in one context.
I will provide you with a number of vote options, so you can designate what the term means to you, in relation to how you define your political ideas.