74. Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism at the individual level has been conceptualized and measured in various ways, but a comprehensive review of the literature across five disciplines defines it as “the degree to which someone has knowledge of, identification with, and internalization of more than one societal culture.” In other words, multicultural individuals (a) have knowledge of more than one culture’s values, norms, beliefs, and behaviors, (b) see themselves as a member of more than one culture and value such membership, and (c) have internalized more than one society’s cultural values, assumptions, beliefs, and practices as their own. The more widely known concept of biculturalism is a specific case of multiculturalism, referring to individuals with exactly two cultures. While informative, it is more limiting than the term “multiculturalism,” which encompasses not only exactly two cultures, but also allows for one hybrid culture and more than two cultures. As such, multiculturalism is the more general term.