University students’ metaphors for Canadian multiculturalism: Diverse perceptions

Abstract

This study investigated the beliefs of university students at a university in Canada regarding multiculturalism and multicultural society, through examining the metaphors they use to talk about these concepts. We interviewed 50 students about their perceptions and experiences of multiculturalism in Canada and then asked them to explain their choice of metaphors. Many of the metaphors could be grouped under more general metaphor themes, such as a multicultural society is a varied multicomponent piece of art/craft (comprising, e.g., mosaic and tapestry metaphors) and multicultural society is a container to mix things (comprising, e.g., melting pot and salad bowl metaphors). According to the literature, the former theme is compatible with the view that multiculturalism involves integration while preserving diversity, whereas the latter is associated with the notion of assimilation. Canadian students appeared to be more inclined than international students to use the (positive) varied multicomponent piece of art/craft theme relative to the other metaphors in the total data set. The interview data also revealed marked differences among participants as regards their awareness of metaphor but prompting them to reflect on their choice of metaphors often had an awareness-raising effect.