In a speech earlier this year, prime minister David Cameron argued that what he called ‘state multiculturalism’ has failed:
Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and apart from the mainstream. We’ve failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We’ve even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run completely counter to our values.
The speech echoed some of the concerns raised by Heidi Mirza, in her contribution to the OU module K802 Critical Practice with Children and Young People (though it’s fair to say the author probably wouldn’t agree with all of the prime minister’s conclusions). In a chapter in the module Reader entitled ‘Walking on egg shells: multiculturalism, gender and domestic violence’, Professor Mirza, who is based at London University’s Institute of Education, argues that an ‘overly sensitive multicultural approach’ has had negative consequences for black and minority ethnic young women, particularly those who are victims of so-called ‘honour’ crimes. The argument of the chapter is complex and difficult to summarise here, but it challenges those who work with children and young people to think about how sensitivity to cultural diversity might conflict with a respect for universal human rights – including the rights of the child.
Mirza’s chapter is a key text in Unit 2 of K802, which goes under the heading ‘Culture, diversity and practice’. Another important resource for this unit is an article by Pragna Patel of the campaigning organisation Southall Black Sisters, which explores the impact of multiculturalism on schools and highlights the dangers – particularly for girls – of over-emphasising a ‘singular religious identity’ which might come into conflict with their identities and needs as young women.
Marise Gowenlock of Multicultural Family Base, Leith, interviewed for the K802 DVD
The issues raised by Mirza’s chapter and Patel’s article are difficult and controversial, but of vital importance to professionals working in increasingly diverse, multi-ethnic settings. One of the DVDs produced for K802 is a case study of Multicultural Family Base, a social work project in Leith, Edinburgh which, as well as working directly with a variety of ethnic communities, seeks to prepare professionals to work with children and families in a multicultural society. The DVD includes video footage of social work students interacting with groups of young people and parents, as well as audio interviews with both trainees and experienced professionals.
The unit on culture, diversity and practice forms part of the first block of K802 – which explores the conceptual context of work with children and young people. The blocks that follow look in turn at the changing organisational context, and the overlapping personal and professional contexts, of everyday practice.
If you work with children and young people and want to contribute to this debate, feel free to leave a comment on this post. Better still, why not register for K802, and take part in discussions with students from a variety of backgrounds in different parts of the UK, about this and other key issues facing today’s workers in children’s and young people’s services?
