ABSTRACT
Some proponents insist that multiculturalism enriches our society economically, socially, culturally, and politically, whereas some opponents claim that it preserves ongoing barriers to equality, participation in and access to services, social inclusion, and multidimensional approaches to disadvantage. The proponents tend to promote social stability and cohesion, whereas the opponents tend to preserve ethnicity and Indigeneity. Regardless of the pros and cons of multiculturalism, there are great campaigns to promote particular values and beliefs as actions (e.g., liberal individualism, communitarian social cohesion, national identity, and ethno-centrism). Such underlying assumptions of cultural diversity and cultural identity are often concealed beneath the rhetoric of political slogans. In this context, this chapter focuses on how cultural diversity and cultural identity are understood in relevant literature and how each is positioned for intercultural interaction.
