Towards inclusion through polyculturalism: A critical review of cultural hybridity

Abstract

High levels of global migration have increased the complexity of the relationship between individuals and cultures. Multiculturalism has emerged as a prominent ideology to support inclusion by calling for the recognition and celebration of cultural differences and inviting cultural groups to maintain their distinctive cultural identities. Assuming cultural influences to be constant, general, categorical, and steady, the multicultural ideology may inadvertently exclude individuals positioned in-between cultures, not quite identifying with either culture but settling in hybridity. Polyculturalism has recently emerged as an alternative ideology arguing that cultural influences are dynamic, situated, partial, and plural. This paper critically reviews existing interdisciplinary literature to better understand individual outcomes of early immersive cultural mixing as a revelatory case of cultural hybridity and discuss the impact of the multiculturalism ideology on cultural inclusion and belonging of this population. We propose a polycultural mindset—cultural self-awareness embracing hybridity, plurality, and partiality; openness to other cultures and cultural compositions; and openness to the dynamic change of cultures and cultural associations in self and others—as an alternative to fostering an enhanced sense of belonging. We contribute a more nuanced understanding of the influence of multiple cultures on individuals and discuss the implications of adopting a polycultural ideology and mindset on social inclusion.