From Multiculturalism to Transculturalism: Constructing Meanings of Transcultural Learning as a Transformative Process

Canada is often held up internationally as a successful model of immigration and multiculturalism. For over half a century, multiculturalism as national policy and normative framework has been the subject of discussion focusing on social divisiveness, clash of cultures, and ethnic marginalization and stratification. Recent debate has shifted to the future of Canadian multiculturalism in an age of transnational migration and hyperdiversity characterized by multiple and circular movement across transnational spaces. Critiques claim that Canada's official multiculturalism is showing signs of crisis since it is no longer theoretically attuned to the demands of a rapidly changing and highly mobile complex world. As an alternative, transculturalism has been presented as a more complex mindset reflecting the dynamic interplay, diversification of diversity, and multiversality of belonging. Drawing on the concept of transculturalism, this article explores how people constructed meanings of transculture and transcultural learning out of their lived experiences in an era of transnational migration. Findings from a qualitative study reveal that transcultural learning is a holistic and transformative process that connects local to global, challenges taken-for-granted frames of reference, expands worldviews, integrates new practices, and transforms individuals. A holistic transformative approach of transcultural learning takes into consideration the stabilizing or destabilizing effect, social conjunction, historical conditions, integration or disintegration of groups, cultures, and power experienced on micro, meso, and macro levels.