multiculturalism
Definition
Multiculturalism refers to a societal condition defined by three components: Multicultural Ideology, meaning a widespread valuing and appreciation of diversity; Multicultural Contact, meaning diverse ethno-cultural groups interacting rather than leading parallel lives; and Multicultural Policies and Practices that support and accommodate diversity. When these criteria are met, multiculturalism is proposed to ensure cultural maintenance and equitable participation for all ethno-cultural groups, with perceived multicultural norms positively associated with trust, national attachment, and psychological well-being for both minority and majority group members. However, acculturation science has examined multiculturalism almost exclusively in the context of immigrants and their descendants, largely overlooking the 476 million Indigenous Peoples on whose lands much of the world's intercultural contact occurs. From the perspective of Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand, a functioning multicultural society must be grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and centered on Manaakitanga, and support for multicultural policies remains conditional on those policies not overriding the bicultural partnership and Indigenous priorities the Treaty established.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
Related Terms
- acculturation (1 shared article)
- Indigenous (1 shared article)
- Māori (1 shared article)
- Braided Rivers (1 shared article)
- decolonialization (1 shared article)
Applications
Multiculturalism and Acculturation
Multiculturalism is one of the primary conditions shaping acculturation processes and outcomes, alongside factors such as historical context and diversity ideologies. Acculturation research has consistently prioritized the study of integration and multiculturalism as conditions conducive to positive psychological and social well-being, yet this work has centered immigrant populations while leaving Indigenous acculturation experiences largely unexamined. Extending acculturation studies to Indigenous Peoples challenges existing theory by demanding that the contemporary context of multiculturalism be considered alongside the historical context of colonization.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
Multiculturalism and Indigeneity
Indigeneity and multiculturalism have developed as two largely independent bodies of literature, with minimal conceptual overlap between scholarship emphasizing colonization and scholarship emphasizing immigration and multicultural conditions. A primary concern identified by Māori is that multicultural frameworks risk positioning Indigenous Peoples as just another ethnic minority, thereby undermining indigeneity and eroding the distinct political status that pre-existing treaty relationships confer. The defining features of multiculturalism found in acculturation science therefore overlap only partially with Indigenous perspectives, and additional social, political, and historical issues must be addressed before multiculturalism can be considered genuinely beneficial to Indigenous communities.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
Multiculturalism and Psychological Well-being
Perceived multicultural norms, assessed across dimensions of contact, ideology, and policy, are positively associated with psychological well-being for both minority group members and, frequently, majority group members in culturally plural societies. These perceptions become normative and shared among individuals, thereby shaping attitudes and behaviors in ways that can promote positive social outcomes. Whether the same relationship holds for Indigenous Peoples remains an open question, as research on this population's experience of multiculturalism as a context for well-being is only beginning to emerge.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
