tutes cultural IMPERIALISM. This ideological movement
infused U.S. education (especially university educa-
tion) and politics (especially the DEMOCRATIC PARTY)
with alternative viewpoints (for example, African-
American literature alongside Shakespeare; HOMOSEX-
UALrights; New Age spirituality, etc.). Multicultural
perspectives claim that non-Western philosophies have
been underrepresented in U.S. education, economy,
society, and government. Its political program, then,
was to advance the “diversity” of non-Western, non-
Christian, noncapitalist ideologies and persons.
Minimally, multiculturalism asserts the absolute
EQUALITYof all cultures (rejecting the traditional view
that Western civilization, Christianity, economics, and
democracy are superior to African, Asian, Chinese,
Islamic, etc. systems and assumptions). In its extreme
form, multiculturalism claims that established West-
ern (and U.S.) culture is bad—the source of all
oppression, EXPLOITATION, war, racism, sexism, clas-
sism, and homophobia.
Conservatives often fault multicultural education,
media, and politics for excessive EGALITARIANISM,
destruction of valuable Western cultural traditions and
standards, and deceived self-interest.Muslim See ISLAMIC.214 Muslim