t h i n k i n g a b o u t c u l t u r e Which policies does your college have that promote multiculturalism? In Chapter 10, culture helps us understand how various racial and ethnic groups have interacted in the United States throughout its history. 75 different cultures. Consider the variety of ethnic foods that you can choose from. Major U.S. cities today are likely to have restaurants featuring the food of many different cultures, including Italian, Mexican, Greek, Thai, Chinese, Ethiopian, and Indian cuisine, among others. Fairs and festivals celebrate the food, dress, music, and dances of various cultures. More signifi cantly, in communities that are home to a variety of cultural groups, you are also likely to fi nd institutions associated with these groups, such as temples, mosques, churches, and other places of worship. Businesses such as sari shops and halal butchers sell products not available in mainstream dress shops and grocery stores. Of course, the presence of different cultural groups often means a variety of languages, as well. Today’s major cities are often home to people who speak dozens of different languages—and their school systems must cope with this linguistic diversity. Because of the nature of a multicultural society, a significant number of people within it grow up and live their lives defi ned by more than one culture. If a student speaks English at school but a different language at home, that bilingual capability is a sure sign that he or she lives in two different cultures at the same time. Some immigrant families straddle the society and culture into which they were born and where they now live (Smith and Gurnizo 1998). Some travel back and forth to their countries of origin; others send money to aid relatives there. Some are even involved in the political affairs of their native countries (Levitt 2004). Television and the Internet help people stay in touch with the news and entertainment culture of their native countries, even while they live in their newly adopted homes. For example, the satellite service Dish Network offers a variety of packages with channels based on countries and regions such as Africa, China, South Asia, and Israel, produced by corporate conglomerates (Mosco 2009; Schiller 1989; Schor 2004). The stories children learn and the music people listen to are produced and marketed by multinational corporations like Disney and Sony. Corporations now sponsor a broad range of cultural creations, from rock concerts to museum exhibits (Rectanus 2002). From expensive tickets to major events to one-dollar DVD rentals from a kiosk, we spend much of our lives—and many of our dollars—buying cultural products. This focus on commerce has meant that the language and images of advertising have increasingly entered public and private space, surrounding us with pictures and symbols whose primary purpose is to get us to buy something. Some communities see this as a problem and are fi ghting back, however. In 2007, new “Clean City” laws went into effect in São Paulo, Brazil—a city of 11 million people—that essentially banned all outdoor advertising. As the president of the city council noted, “What we are aiming for is a complete change of culture . . . things were out of hand and the population has made it clear it wants this” (Rohter 2006). Since then, the law has been widely seen as a positive development that has helped beautify the city and encouraged fl ourishing mural and graffi ti art communities. With the ever-growing infl uence of commercialism, people increasingly tend to measure the value of most cultural objects by their profi tability. How many copies of that book or this CD were sold? What was the highest rated television program last week? What were the box offi ce standings for movies released this past weekend? Such concerns refl ect a culture in which the dollar sign increasingly denotes “success.” As we see throughout this book, especially in Chapter 14, the commercialization of cultural and social life—its packaging, promotion, and sale by major corporations—is an important feature of our changing world, both in the United States and globally. M u l t i c u l t u ralism Because so many societies today contain many subcultures and cultural diversity, there is an increasing emphasis on multiculturalism, the recognition, valuing, and protection of the distinct cultures that make up a society. Rather than assume that all people will adopt the ideas and practices of the dominant culture—a process known as assimilation—multicultural societies accept, accommodate, and even celebrate differences in language, religion, customs, dress, traditions, and beliefs. Institutions that acknowledge and accommodate different cultures, such as certain businesses and universities, can also be considered multicultural. As the Sociology Works box illustrates, understanding cultural diversity is crucial in today’s business world. Because they live in a multicultural society, many people in the United States are exposed regularly to a number of A multicultural society accommodates various cultural groups. One way such societies cope is by making voting materials, health care information, signs in public places, and other important information available in the languages spoken in the local community.
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