Posted on 10/31/2008 10:14:57 AM PDT by managusta
A Harvard political scientist finds that diversity hurts civic life. What happens when a liberal scholar unearths an inconvenient truth?
IT HAS BECOME increasingly popular to speak of racial and ethnic diversity as a civic strength. From multicultural festivals to pronouncements from political leaders, the message is the same: our differences make us stronger.
But a massive new study, based on detailed interviews of nearly 30,000 people across America, has concluded just the opposite. Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam -- famous for "Bowling Alone," his 2000 book on declining civic engagement -- has found that the greater the diversity in a community, the fewer people vote and the less they volunteer, the less they give to charity and work on community projects.
In the most diverse communities, neighbors trust one another about half as much as they do in the most homogenous settings. The study, the largest ever on civic engagement in America, found that virtually all measures of civic health are lower in more diverse settings.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
No, the work of Edward “Ted” Kennedy and his massive failure called the Immigration Reform Act of 1965.
And our left-leaning public education system.
Here's some very interesting and controversial reading on Mr. Putnam's work:
http://amren.com/ar/2007/09/index.html
(Sorry, can't provide a direct link, but you'll find the cut & paste worth the trouble...)
- John
From my perspective the solution is quite clear. We need a new cabinet-level department charged with insuring that the basic tenents of diversity, as percieved by those who promote it as an end unto itself, are delivered to the diverse. This is what an all-caring and just government would do and we should spare no expense in bringing it about.
I think this is proof of the failure of the “one nation, many cultures” idea of the left.
“Multiculturalism” breaks down any hope for common ground on purpose in promoting cultural islands that must be preserved at all costs. The costs in this case are any sense of community and any desire to participate in it.
I think we need to be careful to distinguish between multiculturalism and multiracialism. A country can be made up of different racial and ethnic groups but, so long as everyone shares common cultural values, that isn't an issue. On the other hand, even a monoracial country can have issues if there is no shared cultural identity.
Remember- The opposite of diversity is UNITY and we can’t get Democrats elected if we have that!
Whatever happened to the melting pot? People from all backgrounds go into the melting pot, and we all come out Americans with certain core beliefs and principles based on Judeo-Christian ethics and the Republic’s founding documents.
Better question: There's an upside?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.