Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

1.2. Multiculturalism as a Policy Model for the Managing of Ethnocultural Diversity

As has been noted above, there is ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity in the majority of countries, which is the result of objective, historical processes. One way to manage this diversity is multiculturalism. Multiculturalism in the narrow meaning of the word reflects concrete state policy or a policy model concerning the ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity in society. But

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    when defining the essence and importance of multiculturalism and
    

its role in managing ethnocultural diversity, multiculturalism should first be considered as a social phenomenon. Multiculturalism is a product of the development of society, which emerged under the influence of events under way in society.

Multiculturalism as a social phenomenon exerts influence on other social phenomena, such as politics, the economy, culture, moral and spiritual values, different forms of social consciousness, etc., and is interrelated with them. Besides, as a social phenomenon multiculturalism ranks in importance alongside the concepts of social justice, equality of opportunity and democracy. Therefore, protecting the rights and freedoms of every ethnic, racial, religious and cultural group and ensuring their equality before the law meet the requirements of social justice and the norms of democratic society.

The following factors influence multiculturalism as a social phenomenon:

1. 
   The coexistence over many years of different nations in the same territory. For example, this is the reason for the coexistence of different cultures in Azerbaijan. Since ancient times different nations have lived in Azerbaijan in peace and security;
   

2. 
   The geographical location of the country. This refers to areas where different cultures and civilizations come together. The nations living in these areas made contact with different ethnicities, races, religions and cultures, establishing and developing economic, commercial and cultural relations with them. This in turn created favourable conditions for the formation of a multicultural environment. Geographical
   

location is a factor in the plurality of cultures that exist

in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is located at the intersection

of different civilizations, cultures and religions and the ancient Silk Road passed this way. Azerbaijan’s favourable geographic location played a positive role in its formation and development as an ethnically and culturally diverse society;

Section I

Chapter 1

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

3. 
   The flow of peoples to economically developed countries for social and economic reasons. Economic migration is considered the main reason for the multiplicity of cultures in the Western countries today. But recently the character of this flow has substantially­ changed. The flow of people from military conflict in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East and Africa,to the developed European countries is on such a large scale and so uncontrolled that it has become a political migration;
   

3. 
   Migration or resettlement policy of peoples conducted by colonial powers. The Russian Empire’s resettlement of
   

Armenians from the Middle East to the south Caucasus is a striking example of this policy;

3. 
   Migration of peoples from their countries of residence to other countries as a result of military conflict. Military conflicts continuing in a number of countries in the Middle East (Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq) have caused the members of different religious and ethnic groups to seek asylum in European countries. This in turn entails an increase in ethnocultural diversity in the countries where they find asylum.