Australian politician Pauline Hanson voiced the following sentiment in her first parliament speech:

"I and most Australians want our immigration policy radically reviewed and that of multiculturalism abolished. I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians. Between 1984 and 1995, 40 percent of all migrants coming into this country were of Asian origin. They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos, and do not assimilate." (Hanson, 1996)

It's been more than two decades since Hanson's speech. Appraise current global attitudes towards multiculturalism by examining the multicultural policies and approaches adopted in Singapore and two other countries. You are to introduce your findings on the current global state of multiculturalism in the form of a report to be presented at the next Multiculturalism Conference.

Use the following points as a framework to guide your report on the importance of multiculturalism in today's societies, and highlight the key factors that policymakers ought to note when designing multicultural policies:

• Relate the sentiment reflected in Hanson's speech to the current context and examine whether her sentiment is valid in today's society. Your argument should be supported by theoretical and/or empirical evidence.
• Develop your understanding of the multicultural policies and approaches adopted in Singapore and two other countries by conducting: i) a critical review of the current policies towards multiculturalism adopted by the three countries; ii) a comparative qualitative analysis of their efforts towards multiculturalism, and iii) an analysis of the outcomes of these policies or efforts in each respective country.
• Explain the basis for your selection of the countries to be analysed and the policies (or lack of policies) adopted in each country. You are also required to operationalise the variables you will be assessing in your comparative study of the selected policies.
• Apply the findings from your analysis and Berry's model on acculturation, and analyse the key factors that influence each mode of acculturation (i.e., assimilation, integration, marginalisation, and separation). Discuss the implications of these factors and propose what policymakers should take note of when designing multicultural policies for their respective country.

Required reading:

Ng, K. (2017, August 8). The policies that shaped a multiracial nation. Today. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/policies-shaped-multiracial-nation

Recommended reading:

Browne, J., Coffey, B., Cook, K., Meiklejohn, S., & Palermo, C. (2018). A guide to policy analysis as a research method. Health Promotion International, 34(5), 1032-1044. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/day052