Mosaics, Melting Pots, and Moral Relativity: A Conversation on EDID and Cultural Norms

Earlier tonight in my doctorate class, my supervisory group had an organic and philosophical discussion about equity, diversity, inclusion, and dbut ecolonization (EDID). We discussed the seemingly shifting political climate regarding EDID and how corporations and institutions are shying away from supporting EDID movements and commitments. Ultimately, we agreed that the bottom line is this: diversity is our reality. Organizations, like the University of Alberta, are renaming their EDID departments, while others are abandoning the movement altogether. Regardless, the diversity is here and in order for groups to function well, they better be inclusive.

Then, the conversation veered off into sociology, where we discussed the Canadian multicultural mosaic and the American melting pot, their differences and how each approach manifests itself differently for equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization. While the multicultural mosaic is a buffet of diversity for the privileged in Canada, it can also be a confining silo for individuals with access to only one culture, such as recently landed immigrants or refugees. Using my lived experience, I remarked that my parents, who have lived in Canada for over 20 years and have gained their Canadian citizenships, are still significantly imprisoned in their Korean silo of the multicultural mosaic, living their daily lives in Korean and interacting with other Korean Canadian members of the diaspora. Meanwhile, those with fluent English and economic capital can navigate between cultural silos of the mosaic and enjoy the benefits of such a societal structure. This creates a society of people with power and those without it, leading to inequality and inequity. In such a scenario, I wonder if the American attitude of all newcomers assimilating to the great melting pot allows for improved integration and cultural fluency in society. Of course, the melting pot has its own challenges, such as the erosion and eventual erasure of ancestral cultures and languages, although the same occurs in Canada after a few generations. So then is there a difference between the Canadian and American societal structures? Perhaps one is just more slow compared to the other.

Regardless, the group also pulled out a few interesting examples of diversity and how it needs to be fostered and encouraged. For example, one colleague living in Korea mentioned how the placement of his bowls and dishes at the lunch table drew shock and criticism from his students. After discovering that there were cultural norms and rules for such a trivial thing in Korea, he reported playing with those norms and purposely straying from the rules. Being Korean myself, I was shocked by his report and realized how deeply socialized I was into the Korean table mannerisms: placing the rice on the left, the soup on the right, and the side dishes beyond those two bowls. Even the placement of the spoon and the chopsticks were ingrained in me. When I heard about my colleague's experience, I wondered where this table manner originated and why it was passed down as tradition in my culture. I assume it has some sort of significance. But I also voiced my alternate comparison: when I first came to Canada, I learned that you chew with your mouth closed. If I had purposely attempted to break this established table etiquette to widen my Canadian peers' habits by chewing with my mouth wide open for all to see, it would have provoked similar shock and ridicule. This started a conversation about the spectrum between following prescriptive and normative rules and embracing diverse, new ideas and possibilities. Then the notion of moral relativity was presented by a colleague, where morals across the planet are relative and there are no definitive and innate way to live as a human being. Being in Canada and educated in liberal ideas however, we did agree that there are fundamental human rights and ways of conducting oneself around other humans to demonstrate respect regardless of one's culture and language differences.

Overall, it was a very fascinating few hours of open and free dialogue about theories behind society, culture, and human nature.