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Understanding the differences between Canadian multiculturalism, cultural plurality and interculturalism

Posted in : Blog
Posted on : June 13, 2025

By Iván Barradas

In 2002, the Canadian government designated June 27 as Canadian Multiculturalism Day, “a celebration of the contributions of Canada’s diverse people to Canadian society”.[i] It is a day set aside to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of cultures that exist within Canada, also serving as an opportunity to acknowledge the valuable contributions that various cultural communities have made to Canadian society.

Although the clarity of the concept of multiculturalism is remarkable, as well as its understanding by the majority of the Canadian population, in my professional practice as a DEIA educator, I have noticed on several occasions that this term presents certain confusion, specifically, with respect to the use of the terms ‘cultural plurality’ (also known as ‘pluriculturalism’), and ‘interculturalism’ (as the latter has been applied in Quebec). Thus, the purpose of this blog is to clarify the use and pertinence of these three concepts, which are essential to understand the diversity of opinions and the socio-historical and cultural divergences in Canada.

Let's take it one term at a time.

Multiculturalism (in a broad sense) is the coexistence of multiple cultures and ethnicities within a society. But in Canada, it is more than that. It is a federal policy (and this word is key!) established in 1971 “to preserve individual cultural freedom and recognize the contributions of diverse ethnic groups”.[ii] Said policy was amended several times and was later incorporated into a law in 1988. Thus, from then on, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act recognized the cultural diversity of all Canadians, “as regards race, national or ethnic origin, colour and religion as a fundamental characteristic of Canadian society”.[iii]

It is also important to mention that this law highlights the importance of the Official Languages Act, the Citizenship Act, and the Canadian Human Rights Act, three regulations that are paramount to understand the characteristics of multiculturalism in Canada. This can be justified by the social, demographic, and cultural context of the period when the Act came into effect. By 1988, the racially-biased restrictions applied to the immigration policy since the 1960s and 70s had been removed and, as a result, Canada had seen significant migration from eastern Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and South America – especially in the large urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.

These communities started to express a growing need to recognize their cultural backgrounds through concrete measures of social cohesion that could show their integration to the dominant ethnic group. Also, in 1988 Canadian population was about 26.5 million, and some concerns of an aging population were starting to emerge, at a time when the economy was recuperating from the major recession that had occurred in the early 1980s.

In short, these are the reasons – and the context – why Canadian multiculturalism encourages all individuals to maintain their cultural identity, festivities, traditions, languages, and practices, promotes inclusion without demanding full cultural conformity and is rooted in a multifaceted model, where many cultural identities coexist.

One of the many examples of multiculturalism in Canada is the African Descent Festival, held annually in Vancouver. It aims to rejuvenate the heritage for the people of African Descent in Vancouver Downtown, British Columbia and Canada and, in doing so, aligns with Canada’s multiculturalism policy by celebrating cultural distinctiveness within a broader Canadian context, without requiring cultural blending.

Let’s now talk about ‘Cultural plurality.’

‘Cultural plurality’ – or ‘pluriculturalism’ – is the presence of multiple distinct communities within a society.[iv] In this regard, it is equivalent to multiculturalism. However, cultural plurality does not necessarily imply active policies that promote or celebrate diversity and inclusion. It does not translate into state-endorsed policies or the active support of cultural differences. On the contrary, it possesses a simple and descriptive approach, oriented to recognize the fact that multiple cultures coexist, but without the same structured integration and official recognition that multiculturalism advocates.

An example of pluriculturalism in Canada would be a second-generation immigrant navigating school and home cultures. More specifically, a ‘Mexicanadian’ student in Halifax who speaks English at school, Spanish at home, and celebrates both Canadian holidays (e.g., Canada Day) and Mexican traditions (e.g., Day of the Dead). In doing so, the student moves between multiple cultural spheres and integrates aspects of both, so their cultural identity is not fixed in one community but fluid, depending on social context.

So, at this point, you might be wondering:

What’s the utility of understanding the meaning of ‘pluriculturalism’ and using it on a regular basis (especially working in the DEIA space), if we live in Canada, a country recognized by its laudable policy of multiculturalism, where we all celebrate the diversity of cultures and the equity of conditions to express ourselves, regardless of our national origin and communities of affiliation?

Multiculturalism seems to be a panacea for several countries with a multiethnic and multilingual composition, a harmonious history and common values, but it’s not.

As a matter of fact, multiculturalism has its limitations too.

In a plurinational country like Canada, there exist several historical nations (i.e. Indigenous nations, la nation Québécoise), as well as countless national and transnational identities (where many persons develop belongingness to distinct communities they feel part of). Using the term ‘multiculturalism’ to circumscribe the complexity of Canadian social challenges in 2025 can therefore be inaccurate and reductive.

Although it is true that multiculturalism celebrates the diversity of cultures, it does not promote mutual understanding among them, leading to the creation of cultural enclaves that remain isolated from broader society. In addition to that, it overlooks and minimizes the voices of several equity-deserving groups (such as Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons, and immigrants) whose struggles are rooted more in colonialism, displacement, and economic exploitation than in cultural appreciation. Multiculturalism might be considered as a barrier to reaffirm a distinct national identity, secure language protection, and strengthen secular values. Such is the case of Quebec.

Interestingly, after doing a quick check with other six DEIA colleagues (practitioners and educators) living in four different provinces of Canada, we all agree that the term ‘cultural plurality’ is more accurate when it comes to describe the society in which we live.

And here is when our third useful term emerges: ‘Interculturalism’ (as understood and applied in the province of Quebec).

Interculturalism is an approach to address cultural diversity in Quebec. It was firstly introduced by the provincial government as a reaction to the federal policy of multiculturalism (1971), and then gained support from academia, community spokespersons, and some artists (all of them living in the province). It emerged as a concept in the early 1980s, and since then, its characteristics have been clarified. Here are some of its key points:[v]

• It values cultural diversity (such as multiculturalism does) but also emphasizes the need for integration and dialogue between ethnocultural groups, which are known as ‘cultural communities’ in the province.
• It encourages permanent communication, interaction, and exchange between cultural communities rather than just coexistence.
• It affirms the primacy of the host culture as a unifying force. This means the dominance of the French-Canadian culture of Quebec, as well as its language.

Even though interculturalism is a model that has guided policy and discourse in Quebec for more than 40 years, it is important to mention that it has never formally been enshrined in law. Despite that, their directives have been uninterruptedly applied by the provincial authorities. In May 2025, however, the National Assembly of Quebec passed bill 84, Loi sur l’intégration à la nation québécoise, which aims to foster the vitality and preservation of Québec culture as the common culture and vector for social cohesion.[vi]

An example of interculturalism in Quebec is the provincial approach to immigrant integration, particularly through Bill 101 (Charter of the French Language), and Bill 96 (An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Quebec), which mandate French as the language of education and public life. In agreement with this approach, the government of Quebec encourages cultural exchange and immigrant integration, but around a central framework: the French language and culture.

Understanding the differences of ‘multiculturalism’, ‘pluriculturalism’ and ‘interculturalism’ is important because each concept reflects different approaches to diversity, identity, and social integration, which directly influence policies, community relations, and the lived experiences of individuals and equity-deserving groups in Canada.

Personally, I consider it not only beneficial but essential to clarify the dimensions of these terms as an example of the great divergence of opinions that converge in our society. These distinctions may seem complex (and they are), but at the same time, they demonstrate the high level of freedom of everyone’s ideas in a country where respect still prevails and where consensus is essential to reach agreements that allow the development of our cultural diversity.

 

References (click here to review the sources)

 

Tags CDNdiversity CCDI Diversity Inclusion Equity Accessibility DEI DEIA IDEA Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion