Social Representations of Multiculturalism: A Faceted Analysis

This paper reports a study that examines how Australians are responding to the policy of multiculturalism. The aim of the study was to define different social representations of the policy. Multiple scalogram analysis (MSA) yielded 3 facets of social representations of multiculturalism (active/passive, substantiaVminimal, and threatlbenefit). Using these fac-ets, subjects were categorized into social representation groups. The results illustrate the methodological utility of using facet theory techniques to study social representations. In the last 20 years, countries such as Canada, the United States, and Austra-lia have attempted to change the way they deal with cultural diversity. These nations have moved from policies of assimilation to policies of multiculturalism. While the policies of multiculturalism differ in each country, all of them endeavor to administer cultural diversity in a manner that is neither racist nor eth-nocentric. They attempt to recreate definitions of self, identity, and nation. Given that cultural diversity and the way it is managed are of great importance, analysis of the success of these policies is vital. This article reports research that intended to ascertain how Australian society is dealing with and responding to multicultur