As with many other concepts that you have learned, there is no single accepted definition. Therefore, if you are discussing multiculturalism in an essay or exam, you should make it clear how you are defining the term. The basis of multiculturalism is that almost all societies in the Western world are characterised by cultural pluralism — that is, their populations consist of people of many different ethnic groups, religious and political beliefs and cultural practices.
How multiculturalism is defined can result in different social policies and attitudes. One meaning is that governments and the wider population should show respect and tolerance for different religious and cultural beliefs and practices, and the rights of groups of people to retain these should be upheld, provided that these do not conflict with the laws of the host country.
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