Define pluralism, and explain the ways it differs from assimilation.
Pluralism is a state of society where groups with distinct ethnic, racial, religious, or social orientations come together ad coexist but still maintain their respective identities. In a pluralistic society, these groups remain separate ad their traditional, cultural, and special interests persist over time. Assimilation, on the other hand, refers to a process where groups that were formally separate and distinct come together to share a common culture and unite socially. Societies that have undergone assimilation usually have few differences because they strive to conform to a particular way of life. This is completely different from pluralism because each group retains its own distinct culture.
Why has an interest in pluralism increased?
There has been increased interest in pluralism because migration and intermarriages have compelled people to shift from their societies to new ones. As such, there arise conflicts in terms of the expectations of a certain society to conform to their traditions and culture. There is a need to embrace pluralism in this modern times because of our cultural diversity and multidimensional way of life (Janjuha-Jivraj, 2019) . It is all about respecting and acknowledging people’s traditions and their way of life. Everyone must feel comfortable and free to practice their religion and live out their culture.
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Explain the difference between and cite examples of structural and cultural pluralism and cite examples of each
Cultural pluralism exists where groups have failed to acculturate and each maintains its specific identity. The groups might coexist but speak different languages and might even have different religions and value systems. They live in the same society but it is easy to distinguish them with their way of life (Burgoon, 2017) . A good example of cultural pluralism is the American society, which is made up of Native Americans, who maintain their traditional language and culture, and other minorities who maintain their tradition and way of life. Structural pluralism, on the other hand, entails a society whose groups have acculturated but not integrated. In this case, there might be very few cultural differences however these groups occupy different locations in the social setup. The groups may speak the same language and even subscribe to the same value but tend to have different organizational systems like attending different schools and places of worship. Essentially, the groups here share a common culture but they have different institutions, and as such their interaction is less (Last, 2016) . This notion is illustrated well in the United States where Christians of different denominations coexist in the same society. Different ethnic groups and races also have different denominations. This is a clear picture of structural pluralism.
Describe enclave minority groups in terms of pluralism and in terms of Gordon’s model of assimilation
Enclave minority groups set up their neighborhood and depend on a series of interconnected businesses which are usually small to ensure they survive economically. The businesses are meant to serve the group first then the larger society later. The Chinatowns in America is one illustration of such.
According to Gordon's model of assimilation, these enclave minority groups enter the institutions and public sectors of the dominant society. This integration is what makes assimilation inevitable. In the end, they will pick up some cultural aspects of the dominant group.
How have contemporary theorists added to the concept of pluralism?
Contemporary theorists have developed new ways of viewing pluralism and its impacts or relevance on many other fronts. They are not just focusing on the cultural aspect; they are widening their focus to political pluralism. Philosophical pluralism builds on the notion that the character of value is plural, conflicting and non-reductive. These are some developments that theorists have come up with concerning this concept.
References
Burgoon, B. (2017). Practical pluralism in the empirical study of social investment. Oxford Scholarship Online . https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198790488.003.0014
Janjuha-Jivraj, S. (2019, July). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaheenajanjuhajivrajeurope/2019/07/10/harnessing-the-power-of-diversity-through-pluaralism/?sh=37246928729b
Last, K. (2016). Cultural pluralism and the return of cultural heritage. Accommodating Cultural Diversity , 133-154. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315565477-12
