Sociology 211

December 6, 2004

Attitudes about multiculturalism

From the Survey of Student Attitudes and Experiences 1998. This was a survey of seven hundred plus University of Regina undergraduates in the Fall semester of 1998. The survey was conducted as part of the Social Studies 306 class, Applied Research Methods – Quantitative Approaches. Students in the class took the fourteen page questionnaire to classes and students in the classes completed the questionnaire. There was a cross section of undergraduates, with reasonable representation in many of the characteristics we were able to check against enrollment figures at the University.

The responses below are student responses to the question “What does multiculturalism mean to you?

Schematic diagram for Expression aspect of multiculturalism

Condition (288)	Process/Activity (50)	Cultures (57)	Relationship (67)
allow (8)	form (5) create (8) blend (6) combine (18) incorporate (4) integrate (9)	Distinctiveness: variety (3) diverse (12) distinct (5) separate (4) division (2) ↕ Processes: practice (12) retain (5) express (7) maintain (7)	coexist (13) get along (5)
exist (10) bring together (4) put together (4) consists of (2) present (2) composed of (4) live/live in (60) made up of (14)
come together (14) function (3) live together (63) ------------------ mixture (13) experience (5) interact (23)			peace (14) harmony (8) cooperate (4)
			equality (15) freedom (5) rights (3) ----------------- no (5) without (10) racism/ discrimination
work together (35) contribute (3) participate (2) involved in (2) join (2) share (15)
Product (45)	whole (5) union/unity (11)
	melting pot (10) mosaic (10) not assimilation (4) Canada (5)

Note: Numbers in brackets indicate the number of times each word was mentioned by student respondents. From Gingrich (2003).

Process/Activity

• People of different ethnic backgrounds combining to make a new "multiculture."
• Blending cultures and learning to live together by learning from each other.
• A web of many cultures formed to create a whole society.
• Where the views, need, traditions etc. of all cultures are incorporated (yet indiv[idually] recognized) in one culture "Canadian."
• Multiculturalism is a culture that has integrated different people and their beliefs in one common place.

Relationship

• Putting together people from different cultures so they can learn from each other and so they can live together peacefully.
• Many cultures and religions living together harmoniously.
• Many differences of people working, cooperating to achieve common goals, needs.
• People from different ethnic backgrounds living together cooperatively, yet retaining their cultural identity.

Product

• Canada, the country of many cultures
• Is what Canada is - a multicultural country - a country of many cultures living together as Canadians.

• Multiculturalism is the union and interaction between many cultures.
• Cultures can unite together without discrimination.
• Several different cultures living and working together as a whole community.
• Many cultures working together as a whole. No discrimination.

Images of multiculturalism

• A melting pot of cultures and beliefs and the collapse of the moral society.
• Cultural mosaic. Living in unity with individuals who possess an array of knowledge, everyone capable of teaching each other because we are all so different. Fun.
• Mosaic of people and their beliefs, morals, etc.

• Like a tossed salad, the more you add the better it is.
• Like mulligan stew, a carrot there, a potato here a piece of meat there, some celery.
• Diversity is the spice of life.
• Jazz music. Because it's a combination of European harmony, African and Latin rhythms, instruments from every culture, East Indian philosophies.
• A web of many cultures formed to create a whole society.
• A patchwork quilt of cultures, people and activities.

Source: Survey of Student Attitudes and Experiences 1998. University of Regina.