Sometimes I think people use the word in a way that misses the main point, which is a much, much older concept than multiculturalism, which is, “People in different groups do different things, but beneath all groups’ cultural exteriors are the same, individual people, who, as individuals, are looking for the same things as any person: Dignity, Meaning, Connections with other Individuals, and Recognition.
Multiculturalism seems to be away of reaching towards that by promoting the importance of understanding different groups of people.
Sometimes, though, the people promoting it forget to explain that it’s only important to understand different groups of people because it helps you to get THROUGH the cultural barriers that, while valuable to those who practice them, can be roadblocks in the way towards truly seeing individuals of a different group who, because of their different culture, may SEEM to be very different and unrelatable, but who, really are the same people as anyone and wanting and needing the same things (dignity, meaning, etc...).
I think all of that can help in reducing clashes and conflicts between people, which reduction is never a bad thing (it’s only the political class and their hyper-wealthy cronies who seem to ever benefit from the massive death and destruction of war).
So yeah, I think you’re right. Lots of people use multiculturalism just as a measure of conformity and don’t really stop and think about it’s implications, which seem, to me at least, to be really important and beneficial to every person as an individual.
If what I’m conceptualizing as multiculturalism is valid (which it very well may not be), then isn’t that a different type of thing than people flippantly mumbling “multiculturalism” while drinking overpriced sludge passing as coffee?