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Essay / Multicultural Policy Essay - 1267
Although multiculturalism is considered one of the core values of Canadian society, the criticisms of multiculturalism outweigh the benefits. Multiculturalism holds promise in providing individuals from unique cultures a chance to express themselves through government funding to present themselves publicly and contribute to the broader Canadian cultural landscape. This cultural image is flawed because there is little unity and a lack of cohesive culture due to government recognition of differences, cultural conflicts, and emphasis on material culture rather than core cultural values . By recognizing differences, there is an implicit hierarchy of cultures where all "other cultures" are placed below true white "Canadians". The cultural clashes that tend to arise in times of economic disparity stimulate dialogue about biases that widen divides between cultures and weaken the sense of unity and coherence. Finally, by celebrating the materialistic subjects of culture, we lose true culture. Many groups tend not to celebrate aspects of their culture outside of the 3 Ds, which causes a lot of confusion between communities. The misrepresentation of culture in this case prevents Canadian culture as a whole from benefiting and achieving the intended goals of multiculturalism. In theory, this policy was designed to protect the Canadian cultural landscape. Rather, it has had the effect of perpetuating differences and weakening national unity and