Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the mixture of cultures in today's world.

For most countries multiculturalism is the norm. During the last few generations many people have experienced living in a multicultural society and even learnt to somewhat adapt to such a lifestyle. Nonetheless, both the positive and negative effects of multiculturalism are actively debated all over the globe, with multiculturalism having both its supporters and its critics.

A mixture of cultures in a country and, on a larger scale, in the world is normally down to immigration. Immigration is constantly occurring in varied amounts all over the world. Turbulence in a country or even in a continent trigger mass immigration to a more stable environment where people of different ideals and traditions are forced to cohabit and respect each other's cultures.

One of the main benefits of multiculturalism is the idea of a better united society. Supporters of this form of society claim that it's possible to achieve interculturalism, a chance for different cultures to learn about and influence other cultures' philosophy, art, literature, music and cuisine. The main deterrent of this being reached is that it's not always possible to amalgamate two separate lifestyles together without losing something substantial from both. Also, people may feel that the state of mixed cultures present in their society has been forced on them, therefore without their consent. This generates a rather problematic situation for those vying to attain interculturalism considering the people are unwilling to participate.

There are a number of multicultural policies to facilitate the assimilation of cultures, including recognition of multiple citizenships, Government support for sources of media in minority languages, support for minority festivals, holidays and celebrations, acceptance of traditional dress and support for arts and music of minorities. This of course brings foreigners closer to their new home and helps people understand the foreigners more. This is another advantage of a culturally mixed environment. People are more likely to accept minorities and their traditions with an open mind in a place where the government tries hard to include them.

Some countries, however, choose to adopt the "Melting Pot" method when it comes to accommodating immigrants. This system features the cultures of the immigrants mixing and amalgamating with the country's own without the involvement of authorities. The Melting Pot process was notably used in the US where groups of immigrants incorporated into American society at their own rate improving their income and social rank in the way. Oftentimes, this system ends up isolating minorities and creates a gap among the different ethnic groups and may ignite hatred, which is one of the most feared aspects of multicultural society.

Although a blend of cultures in society make it more vibrant and accepting of social minorities, problems are still liable to arise. Authorities therefore, must take necessary action to protect the original customs while at the same time try to introduce new ones. Alienating minority groups would only serve to undermine the country's economy whereas embracing them and their cultures would only reap benefits.