Modes of Cultural Coexistence

Despite the fact that many developed societies recognise multiculturalism as the preferred mode of cultural coexistence, no-one can deny that increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the society can cause problems that need to be addressed. The first part of this paper analyses what are the properties of multilingualism and multiculturalism that can create, and often do create problems. The second part gives an overview of the processes that prototypically operate for resolving or at least reducing the scale of these problems in human society. It is argued that consolidation is the optimal process reducing the negative impact of diversity. The third part of the paper presents a model that makes explicit the combination of these forces that lead to diversity reducing processes. The final part is devoted to the possibility of consolidation in European multicultural societies. 1. Functional aspects of language and culture Multilingualism is a part of cultural diversity which is a well recognised creative resource. As the “UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity“, adopted by the UNESCO's General Conference in November 2001, puts it: “as a source o