The meaning of multiculturalism for visible minority immigrant women.

Underlying Canada's mulliculluralism policy is Ihe assumption lhal mainlaining the herilage cullure is desired by ethnic groups. Every elhnic group researched thus far has shown strong suppon for heritage culture maintenance. However. Ihe groups which have so far been the focus of attention have enjoyed relatively positive status. By conlrast. this study focused on a sample of women from India. a visible minority group who enjoy less positive status in Canada. These women experienced psychological ambivalence towards the general issue of herilage culture mainlenance. yel strongly supponed Ihe retenlion of panicular aspects of the herilage culture. This apparent paradox is interpreted in the light of the discrimination and social isolation reponed by these women. An important development in the field of social psychology over the last decade has been a greater focus on the issue of intergroup relations generally (Billig, 1976; Tajfel, 1978, 1982; Taylor & Moghaddam, in press; Turner & Giles, 1981; Worchel & Austin, 1986), and minority group behaviour specifically (Doms, 1983; Moscovici, 1976, 1980; Moscovici, Mugny, & Van Ameraet, 1984; Mugny. 1982; Ripastamou, 1983, 1986). This increased concern is partly a response to the greater desire shown by minorities in ethnically pluralistic societies for social and political independence. However, within this growing literature there is as yet insufficient research on a promising new approach to intergroup relations that is entailed in the Canadian policy of multiculturalism (see Berry, 1984). The policy of multiculturalism, first introduced in 1971, involves a number of fundamental social psychological assumptions about intergroup relations. Implicit in the policy is the assumption that heritage culture maintenance is desired by ethnic groups. This central assumption of multiculturalism gains some support from evidence which suggests that both minority and majority groups are positively disposed towards heritage culture maintenance. A study of non-official languages found strong support among ethnic minorities for the retention of their heritage languages. as well as moderately strong support for the policy of multi­ culturalism itself (O'Bryan, Reitz, & Kuplowska, 1978). In a study of Greek Canadians. Lambert, Mermegis, and Taylor (1986) reported a strong rejection of the assimilation option and an equally strong desire to maintain the heritage culture in Canada. Finally. in a study of majority group attitudes, Berry. Kalin. and Taylor Requests for reprints should be senl 10 Fathali M. Moghaddam. McGill University. Psychology Depanmenl. 1205 Dr. ~nfield Avenue. Montreal. P.O. H3A IBI. CANAO. 1. BEHAV. $cUREV. CANAD. SCI. COMPo 19(2). 1987 122 MOGHADDAM & TAYLOR (1977) reported a relatively positive attitude towards heritage culture maintenance all1on~ En~lish and French Canadians. There is, however, an importantlimitatiun tothis literature, in that it has llx:used on groups that enjoy relatively positive status in Canada by way of their history, numerical importance. or organization. A number of questions arise with respect to heritage culture maintenance with groups that may have had the' negative experiences of prejudice and discrimination associated with their cultural distinctiveness. First, what are the attitudes of such groups towards the issue of heritage culture maintenance generally? Second, to what extent do they feel motivated to maintain specific aspects of the heritage culture when these are singled out in a negative fashion? Third. can we learn more about their views on multiculturalism by examining the social interaction patterns. infonnation networks. and self-perceptions of these groups? Women from India are a classic example of a visible minority group. They suffer the potential for "multiple discrimination" (Ghosh. 1984b) and are at the lowest levels of the status hierarchy in the Canadian context (Berry et al. 1977. p. 106). Among the studies carried out on immigrant women in Canada (Amopoulos. 1979; Boyd, 1977; Danziger, 1974; Denis. 1981; Ghosh, 1984a. 1984b; Labelle, Meintel. Turcotte, & Kempencers, 1984; Naidoo, 1984; Ng & Ramirez, 1981; Proulx, 1984; Ramkhalawanasingh. 1981; Saunders, 1975), few have produced evidence bearing directly upon the extent to which visible minority immigrant women. such as women from India. wish to maintain their heritage culture. The purpose of this study. then, was to explore the extent to which a group of visible minority immigrant women are positively motivated towards heritage culture maintenance. In order to gain a more in-depth understanding of attitudes towards heritage culture maintenance. we examined the social interaction patterns. infonnation networks. and self-perception of this group. I