Introducing duoculturalism

I would like to introduce the concept of 'duoculturalism'.

I use this term to describe a society where individuals identify with a both a traditional culture (as in multiculturalism) and also a common shared cultural of the current overall society in which they currently reside.

The concept of duoculturalism is that each individual has both one (or more) traditional cultural heritage, and in additional a modern contemporary culture. The further step is that celebration of culture should include both the traditional culture, and a more widely inclusive contemporary culture that extends at least to a national level.

The difference from Multiculturalism.
Modern societies consist of people of diverse ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Multiculturalism focuses on celebrating and embracing those traditional backgrounds. Multiculturalism celebrates the diversity. The difference with duoculturalism is to still celebrate the diversity, but to additionally celebrate the new common culture of today's world that binds across all traditional cultures. Duoculturalism is making an additional statement that the world is rapidly changing and we all on a journey together. We celebrate our past and the cultures that made us and make us diverse, but we celebrate together with the common future we face together.

For example, consider modern Britain. Today's multicultural British society include a large number of sub cultures, but lets consider a 'British Indian' (see Wikipedia for perspective of another author). This is a widely accepted term, and I would suggest a term already reflecting the reality of 'duoculturalism'. It is important not just hat the 'British Indian' has an Indian heritage, but also that they are part of modern Britain. The point of duoculturalism is to keep this duality in mind for all groups. If in (for example) Britain, an area with a high concentration of immigrants from, for example, Poland, is not a 'Polish area', but a 'British Polish' area. The people chose, and were accepted, to live in Britain and that becomes part of their identity.

What about the 'Natives'?
Staying with Britain for now, where does this idea leave the traditional 'British'? The question arises that, if all your ancestors have lived in Britain, does that mean you miss out and only have one culture?
Once the concept is understood correctly, the answer becomes clearly 'no, no one misses out'. A key concept of duoculturalism is that the world of today is different from the world of anyone's heritage. Today's Britain has the internet, mobile phones, twitter, reality TV and a vastly different mix of people people than the Britain of only 50 years ago. A person who's heritage is solely in Britain can rest assured that their ancestors lived in a very different world, and it is still a world worthy of celebration. The concept of duoculturalism is that every one now lives and a new and different world than any one in the past lived in, and that produces a new and unique culture we all share. But everyone also has a heritage and a past and in every case their heritage is a world different than the world we share today.

Why 'Duo'? Why stop at two cultures?
An objection could be raised that many people already have more than one ancestral background, with for example, living in New York with a Chinese mother and an African American father? The answer is again to understand that the concept is 'a heritage, and a today'. The heritage may be a complex mixture, but it is still a heritage. Everyone has a heritage, which may be very diverse, and everyone has a today that we all share. Celebrate the diversity of the heritage, and be bound together in sharing the common today.

Culture as a product of Environment
Cultures will normally reflect not only customs that were simply adopted by society without reason. Far more often customs will reflect the environment where the culture emerged. Clothes of a culture reflect local weather, terrain and conditions. Foods associated with a culture will normally reflect the foods that were available and styles of cooking will suit climate and other needs of the original environment. But consider how different the environment of traditional cultures are to the needs of today. Modern transport gives us access to foods from all over the world no matter where we are. Modern refrigeration eliminates the need for curries or other methods as food preservation.

An important concept is to recognise that the modern world has changed so much, that the human environment of the last 100 years has produced a greater change than the change of moving from culture to culture 100 years ago. Consider the Europeans discovering Japan or China. They were amazed, but nothing like the amazement someone from 100 years ago would experience moving to the world of today. All cultures 100 years ago had more in common with each other, than any of them has with the world of today.
Today's world would eventually give rise to a whole new culture, if it does not change before the new culture has a chance to become established. New differences between countries would emerge again, which is why a 'British Indian' is different from 'German Indian' or an 'Australian Indian'. Each of these has both a new and an old culture to celebrate. Just as a person of Indian descent living in India has both a modern culture and a traditional culture to celebrate.

How does Duoculturalism improve on Multiculturalism?
1. Inclusion
Multiculturalism tends not to automatically recognise difference between the past and today. This can easily create and 'us an them' mentality between immigrants seen as bringing a new culture, and long term inhabitants who see their traditions as under threat. Duoculturalism attempts to recognise that there is change, from technology and from other sources, and that no one is living in the world of their heritage. I suggest that while multiculturalism preaches tolerance and celebration of diversity, in failing to recognise what we all have in common it can lead to division and by appearing to exclude those seen under multiculturalism as having a different culture, can at the same time foster misunderstandings and leaving some people feel excluded. The lack of a concept of a separation of 'tradition' and 'today' can actually further divisions while instructing in tolerance.

2. The lack of unity
People are by nature tribal. Multiculturalism seems to say 'rise above your tribal nature', where as duoculturalism is saying yes we are all different, but also look at how we are now the same. By also celebrating the modern society we all share, there is a focus on celebrating how today we are part of one diverse tribe. Each nation with a common team at the Olympics, not a team for each subculture. The unity of celebrating this common 'today' is additional element to celebrating difference.