Course Description
The diversity that we see everywhere around us in today's world can be both good and bad. It is hard to imagine a world without this diversity, but living with differences can be challenging. We all live multiculturalism today, whatever we may call it. Differences of cultures, religions, lifestyles, and many other aspects of life enrich our world but also seem to generate fears and concerns.
To live with such diversity we need to understand what it is about, and how we can face the challenges and problems that our societies face. In this course I will discuss with you a number of issues that I have been researching, teaching, and writing about for the last twenty years.
We will explore the questions raised about the death of multiculturalism, and ask if diversity is a good or bad thing. I will highlight six key challenges of multiculturalism, including understanding the process of living with differences, the threat of conflict, differences based on economics and identity, the importance of education, and the role of religion within the challenges of multiculturalism. As illustration of this last point, I will highlight the problems of fear of Islam and Islamophobia as a form of racism.
In conclusion I will give a brief overview of some questions about diversity and change in the UK, and highlight how - whether we want it to be or not - the twenty-first century is one that is dominated by diversity and multiculturalism. It is something that we need to learn about and understand.
This course is a short introduction to my interests in multiculturalism, and is aimed at anyone who has an interest in these questions. It does not expect any knowledge of the subject, and will hopefully make you think about the world that we live in.
What are the requirements?
No previous knowledge of the subject is required.
The course is taught as a general introduction to some key issues in today's world. Anyone who has an interest in the issues of diversity and the challenges that living with differences create will find this course interesting.
The most important requirement for the course is a curiosity about the big questions of the twenty-first century, about how we can learn to live with and understand the diversity that is all around us.
What am I going to get from this course?
Over 17 lectures and 2 hours of content!
By the end of the course you will have a taste of some contemporary ideas about diversity and multiculturalism
You will have explored some of the good and bad things about multiculturalism and diversity
You will have considered the question of the death of multiculturalism, whether it is try, and why some politicians might say this
You will have examined six key challenges of multiculturalism, including issues of avoiding conflicts, economics, identities, education, religion, and the need to see it as an ongoing process
I also hope that by the end of this course you will be inspired to explore the topic further - it is so much a part of the world we live in
What is the target audience?
Anyone who has an interest in multiculturalism, diversity, society, and the world we live in
The course is taught at an introductory level, with the aim of it being easy to follow, but also critically engaging.
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