The Forgotten Evil
Diversity…the Forgotten Evil
City Journal: (uh oh! shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! don’t tell the leftinistra)
Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, is very nervous about releasing his new research, and understandably so. His five-year study shows that immigration and ethnic diversity have a devastating short- and medium-term influence on the social capital, fabric of associations, trust, and neighborliness that create and sustain communities. He fears that his work on the surprisingly negative effects of diversity will become part of the immigration debate, even though he finds that in the long run, people do forge new communities and new ties.
Putnam’s study reveals that immigration and diversity not only reduce social capital between ethnic groups, but also within the groups themselves. Trust, even for members of one’s own race, is lower, altruism and community cooperation rarer, friendships fewer. The problem isn’t ethnic conflict or troubled racial relations, but withdrawal and isolation. Putnam writes: “In colloquial language, people living in ethnically diverse settings appear to ‘hunker down’-that is, to pull in like a turtle.”
In the 41 sites Putnam studied in the U.S., he found that the more diverse the neighborhood, the less residents trust neighbors. This proved true in communities large and small, from big cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Boston to tiny Yakima, Washington, rural South Dakota, and the mountains of West Virginia. In diverse San Francisco and Los Angeles, about 30 percent of people say that they trust neighbors a lot. In ethnically homogeneous communities in the Dakotas, the figure is 70 percent to 80 percent.
Diversity does not produce “bad race relations,” Putnam says. Rather, people in diverse communities tend “to withdraw even from close friends, to expect the worst from their community and its leaders, to volunteer less, give less to charity and work on community projects less often, to register to vote less, to agitate for social reform more, but have less faith that they can actually make a difference, and to huddle unhappily in front of the television.” Putnam adds a crushing footnote: his findings “may underestimate the real effect of diversity on social withdrawal.”
Neither age nor disparities of wealth explain this result. “Americans raised in the 1970s,” he writes, “seem fully as unnerved by diversity as those raised in the 1920s.” And the “hunkering down” occurred no matter whether the communities were relatively egalitarian or showed great differences in personal income. Even when communities are equally poor or rich, equally safe or crime-ridden, diversity correlates with less trust of neighbors, lower confidence in local politicians and news media, less charitable giving and volunteering, fewer close friends, and less happiness.
Putnam has long been aware that his findings could have a big effect on the immigration debate. Last October, he told the Financial Times that “he had delayed publishing his research until he could develop proposals to compensate for the negative effects of diversity.” He said it “would have been irresponsible to publish without that,” a quote that should raise eyebrows. Academics aren’t supposed to withhold negative data until they can suggest antidotes to their findings.
Nor has Putnam made details of his study available for examination by peers and the public. So far, he has published only an initial summary of his findings, from a speech he gave after winning an award in Sweden, in the June issue of Scandinavian Political Studies. His office said Putnam is in Britain, working on a religion project at the University of Manchester, and is currently too busy to grant an interview.
Putnam’s study does make two positive points: in the long run, increased immigration and diversity are inevitable and desirable, and successful immigrant societies “dampen the negative effects of diversity” by constructing new identities. Social psychologists have long favored the optimistic hypothesis that contact between different ethnic and racial groups increases tolerance and social solidarity. For instance, white soldiers assigned to units with black soldiers after World War II were more relaxed about desegregation of the army than were soldiers in all-white units. But Putnam acknowledges that most empirical studies do not support the “contact hypothesis.” In general, they find that the more people are brought into contact with those of another race or ethnicity, the more they stick to their own, and the less they trust others. Putnam writes: “Across local areas in the United States, Australia, Sweden Canada and Britain, greater ethnic diversity is associated with lower social trust and, at least in some cases, lower investment in public goods.”
Though Putnam is wary of what right-wing politicians might do with his findings, the data might give pause to those on the left, and in the center as well. If he’s right, heavy immigration will inflict social deterioration for decades to come, harming immigrants as well as the native-born. Putnam is hopeful that eventually America will forge a new solidarity based on a “new, broader sense of we.” The problem is how to do that in an era of multiculturalism and disdain for assimilation.
John Leo is the editor of the Manhattan Institute’s mindingthecampus.com.
I am sometimes amazed at the idiocy of the Leftoidal Gooberheads. The sudy performed is a good thing I suppose, it provides data to use to fight illegal invasion of the Country. But isn’t it also just plain old common sense?
and BTW, good job digging it up snooper.
I read a lot. I scan a lot. And I write a lot. There is a lot of common sense out there but CONgress is allergic to it.
They would “Rather” listen to trolls because trolls swallow.
In my estimation I think congress should READ our Constitution. Of course first it will help if they learn how to read.
Snoop it’s this way Bush made up his mind that this is what he wanted and no one or nothing was going to stop him.
Election coming up want to invade congress?
I do wnat to Thank the 35 Senators that had the people’s wishes in mind with their vote.
“I read a lot. I scan a lot. And I write a lot.”
Do you ever leave the house for fresh air and sun? LOL!
sometimes…not often
It ain’t over until the aliens win…
“sometimes…not often”
LOL! No wonder why you think America still supports the war. You should get outmore often.
Poor troll…I obviously get out more than you do and I don’t cheat my employer like you do.
It is nice being retired. I go where I want when I want.
Seriously… next time you’re out in public, ask someone about this war. 7 out of the 10 people you ask will say it sucks and they want our trooops home. They’ll call President Bush a idiot too. Try it once.
I have NO doubt that people say that war sucks. It DOES suck. I know. I’ve been there and done that. When will that sink into your retarded brain?
No. Desert Storm didn’t suck. The invasion of Afghanistan didn’t suck…. catching and bringing Osama Bin Laden to justice doesn’t suck.
I can’t believe I keep go rounds with you Kooks about the saaaaame thing OVER and OVER and OVER again. LOL!
Look… Stay blind. It just helps us out during elections. After Iraq and the immigration thing, don’t plan on winning another election for the next 30 years. Please.
BTW… Don’t even bother responding. Your word is worthless to me.
Ditto right back at ya and I have been saying that same thing to you for a very long time. Now that I have kicked your ass AGAIN, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
I had you touching everything in the room. You got whooped. You couldn’t even hang. I posted so many facts today and you couldn’t honestly disprove a single one.
Good night.
If you’re lucky I’ll be back tomorrow to bring excitement back to your blog.
Out
What?!?! Everyone knows Diversity=Strength, or hasn’t the Left repeated it enough to make it true yet?
#14: “If you’re lucky I’ll be back tomorrow to bring excitement back to your blog.”
I’m probably going to check this out tommorrow, so I’ll be sure to go out of my way to let as many black cats as I can cross my path until then.
Too bad for you nevada/LOC/ZERO/whatever IP you feel like using today…you lost big time and are now whimpering away. Go ahead and believe the Leftinistra poll tripe. You deserve each other…dumber and dumbest.
mdvp…aren’t these trolls dumb or what?
I’m pretty sure that’s the only variety they come in. Yours are exceptionally dumb, though.
“you lost big time and are now whimpering away.”
LOL!
You kicked my a** in what? Again… I posted so many facts today and you couldn’t honestly disprove a single one. Prove to me Americans support this war. I dare you. Put SOMETHING on the table. Are you chicken?
Too dumb to realize how dumb they really are. I’m surprised this goat herder can find his own keyboard.
Dear moron…already done that one. You WON’T accept it. You got your ass whooped. Run along. Class dismissed.
“I posted so many facts today and you couldn’t honestly disprove a single one.”
Is there an echo in here? It’s getting pretty annoying.
I know. And they follow me everywhere. Like lost puppies they are, whimpering because they cannot convince me their opinions are facts backed up with nothing substantial except some retarded poll that some leftie outfit put out.
Prove to me Americans support this war. I dare you. Put SOMETHING on the table. Are you chicken?
The 61% “somewhat” poll I tore apart earlier is a joke. Ask your boy solo, he’ll tell ya…. LOL!
“I know. And they follow me everywhere.”
You need me. If I wasn’t here stirring up conversation, no one would stay. Trust me on that one.
Now I know you are ZERO…n o one is as full of themselves as that loser…LOL!!! Run along now. The Grown Ups will arrive soon and children are to be dismissed. TATA.
Only in your wet dreams, loser…LOL!!
You know, funnily enough, the dumber they get, the more arrogant they are.
The other night my presence almost crashed Wordpress. LOL! Remember you had to create that open thread when we stuffed 90+ comments in a thread? LOL!
BTW… A daily “open thread” would be helpful. I can post many more facts and create much more excitement if you would create one daily.
hey mdvp, i’ve noticed you and garfish here a lot–where do y’all hangout?
PEEK-A-BOO!
Create one daily? What for? You? Not hardly. Stay on topic. I was kind this evening. Only drooped 2 of your comments against Cassy…not tolerated.
Start your own thing. Then again, hardly anyone would be there.
mdvp…that is a true statement. The trolls think the world is about them.
“I can post many more facts”
As opposed to the amount of facts you post now, at a resounding 0?
My (pretty new and still growing) blog is wwww.mdvp.wordpress.com, which I think I mentioned here before once. If you skim through the large amount of raw news I’ve been posting lately and find my opinion, I’m sure you’ll see why I’m here a lot.
insulating foam against reality, i think
Extra ‘w’, typical of me. For your convenience: www.mdvp.wordpress.com.
Troll School…I wonder where it is…
mdvp…sorry man…I thought I had you in my blogroll. My bad!
Forest Opine…Fighting Against Stupidity One Liberal at a Time…LOL!! I love it!!
Nice blog, mdvp.
Since we’re promoting blogs.
http://nogibbons.blogspot.com
Can I get on blogroll? Right.
BTW… You can find the video of Ann Coulter getting slapped around by Elizabeth Edwards on my blog.
http://nogibbons.blogspot.com
mdvp–linking to mine–putting you on a couple of my blogrolls (snooper’ll tell you I don’t bite too hard unless i’m riled)
No problem. And it looks like the trolls have spilled over. Saw the first post and made some comment about Christian conservatives being as bad as Islamic fundamentalists. Didn’t think it was smart enough to realize that it was a link to my blog.
urgh….
Thanks Miss Beth! I’ll add your blogs too then.
BTW, saw that you’re a traditionalist Catholic. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.
INRE #40…check the blogroll, silly
Oh, now I almost feel bad because it complimented my blog. Oh well, I’ll get over it. Thanks, though.
LOL…yes, I noticed your header picture of that incredible “square”
Snooper,
Right on. I’ll return the favor. Good looking out.
I also see you’re a fan of IMAO–Frank J. over there gave me permission to use his Fred Thompson “facts”, which I need to compile for this week, as long as I gave attribution…just got permission from Catholic League for the same thing using their alerts and emails—I’m sure you could do the same, as long as you attributed!
Really? I’ll have to look into that. Actually, i just found out about IMAO very recently after someone told me about the Fun Facts About the Ron Paul Supporter(s)and where to find them. Everything was so hilarious, I just added them to my blogroll.
they have a john edwards “facts”, too and totally skewer him
oh, and frank j has a link to fred’s you tube page–he was the only subscriber, i subscribed just now but it’s now showing up yet…
oops, NOT showing up yet
I’ve seen them. I like the new lolterizts thing they just did the best, though.
What makes Fred so special? Likes to marry younger women (25 years younger)? He pretends to drive a red pickup truck? Cuban cigars? He got nothing done in the senate?
What is it about Fred? He isn’t Rudy, Mitt or McCain?
Fred…so what about the age of his wife or how many girl friends he has/had or wives. Rudy, Mitt, McLame AIN’T it.
Neither is Barack, Hitlery or Breck Girl.
Fred will trample any and ALL contenders.
Wanna bet? I’ll bet cash money that a Democrat will win the white house.
Again… What makes Fred so special?
When tweekers swim:
http://www.local6.com/news/13567201/detail.html
What’s Fred’s plan? The staus quo in Iraq?
go to the youtube page and watch the videos–he’ll tell you all about his plans in plain language, not gobbledygook
what’s the libs fascination with his wife? jealous they can’t get one like her?
First… Go to his website and search “Iraq”. LOL! Nothing.
oh good grief…so show me edwards plan other than turning his yellow belly and running while trying not to muss his hair? at least fred is identifiable as a male of the human species…edwards isn’t even on the species list approaching human, much less male
and don’t try to give me orders–it doesn’t work here and you will be flushed
“what’s the libs fascination with his wife?”
His wife is hot. A hot stripper looking chick with Double D’s as first lady? Thanks but no thanks. I’d rather have Michelle Obama or Elizabeth Edwards as first lady. They’re smart and can tackle issues facing middle class Americans unlike the stripper chick.
so simply based on her looks, you assume she’s a stripper and has no brain–talk about shallow
“so show me edwards plan”
Show me Fred’s.
John’s plan:
The first step is by immediately withdrawing 40,000-50,000 troops from Iraq, with the complete withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq within 12-18 months — allowing the Iraqis to assume greater responsibility for rebuilding their own country.
“you assume she’s a stripper and has no brain”
What has she done? Cite some accomplishments.
you want accomplishments, go look them up yourself–we don’t do your work for you here
and you’re the one making assumptions about someone’s abilities based on their looks so back it up with some fact instead of your idiotic assumptions because you’re jealous fred has her and you don’t
I can care less who Fred sleeps with on his own time. I don’t him or his stripper looking trophy wife in the White House. They’d be horrible for this country. It would be like a Bush presidency all over again.
Just because he’s 6′5″ with a deep voice and starred on Law and Order doesn’t make him the right man for the job. America wants change and Fred is status quo.
Fred’s wife is 40 years old. I think she’d be better off volunteering for duty in Iraq.
well, she’d certainly be a lot more attractive and definitely lend more grace and elegance to the wh than billary
and if you don’t care who he sleeps with, why do you keep bringing it up?
what are YOUR credentials for running this country since you think you’re such an authority of the position?
I see the trolls are showing their bigotry again.
In re: the thread’s title. It surprises me that it takes a study to figger out that peeps like to hang with their homies. Just let a honky take a stroll in the wrong neighborhood and see how quickly Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton scream racism when the perps who murdered him get arrested.
And about Fred, he’s in favor of the Fair Tax and term limits. What else needs to be said?
“what are YOUR credentials for running this country ”
Am I running for President? Is my wife? LOL!
go to bed loc…you’re spinning in circles and we’re tired of you
Oh! and by the way, when a DNC troll says it’s posted ‘fack after fack’, it really means it’s put its demagoguery, hyperbole, and or propaganda out and you are just too stoopid to be blind enough to think it’s the truth.
oh–you mean because we don’t like the kool aid?
Libert,
Are you ok? What in the world are you talking about?
go to bed loc
Yes’m.
They toke up, snort up, shoot up, tune in, drop out, and suddenly, they have the world all figgered out.
Don’t talk about Rush Limbaugh like that. LOL!
Geez Beth… It’s not even 10pm here. Can I stay up a little longer?
i guess it’s that alternate reality from mirror, mirror? you know, the one with purple skys and pink clouds and lots of insulation from reality?
And, BTW Beth… Kiss my a**. How bout that?
#83
You forgot the words crappy and lame. Try again.
your ass isn’t worthy of my kiss–and no you may not stay up later…you’re babbling and need your sleep
“your ass isn’t worthy of my kiss”
Wanna bet? LOL!
The sky in their world is psychedelic.
And when one of them invites you to kiss their ass, you should ask them to pick a spot, because they are all ass.
LOL…loc, the fact your ass is attached to a liberal makes it completely unworthy of my kiss!
Also, note, no refutation of the comment about Fred, their bigotry, or the scenario I posited.
The purple haze must be getting pretty think.
Or thick, as the case may be….
TRUE!…and I have to hit the books pretty quick for some research…like the song says, “the answer my friend is blowing in the wind”…just like libs that don’t want to answer questions
America supporting Iraq = The purple haze must be getting pretty thick
LOL!
Goodnight, Kooks. See you tomorrow!
Not even original…
Haaaa haaa haa!
Good night, Miss Beth. You’re one of my heroes…
thanks liberty card–right back atcha! now, where did i put that citator? sometimes, my boss thinks I have the law degree! urgh!
Quotes from the “Brainless Wonder:. Shazaam!
“The 61% “somewhat” poll I tore apart earlier is a joke. Ask your boy solo, he’ll tell ya…. LOL!” Wrong again potlicker. Your math doesn’t work and your assumptions are worthless…..so what else is new….same old left wing liberal diatribe.
“You need me. If I wasn’t here stirring up conversation, no one would stay. Trust me on that one.” HAHAHAHAHA! This one is particularly funny. Trust you? HAHAHAHAHAHA. Not in this life.
“Can I get on blogroll?” NO. We are doing a diservice by allowing your inane, irrelevant posts to continue. The people who come here for information are appalled at how utterly stupid you are. Your lies indicate a serious mental deficiency the likes of which can be found at many other lefty-liberal web sites.
You are a prime candidate for a straight jacket and electric shock therapy. Perhaps you have escaped the asylum that once housed you and the rest of your sycophants. Classified as paranoid delusional parasitism with grandiloquent Hitlerian overtones exposes you for what you really are. A “0″…not even worthy of the name “IT”.
Run along now boy…back to your handlers and those much needed injections. And..uh..you might want to ask your indoctrinators to turn up the “juice” in your electric shock treatment.
Pass. Listed under Lib Blogs….HAHAHAHA. Fitting.
No wonder I missed it. Still a waste of space.
Have a nice day.
What don’t the dems have any brain cells, I know they need em. CELLS that is, bars.
Since the nuts in congress are he!! bent into making this a socialist Country, I think we should send them( the dopes that voted for this bill) OUT into society.
In the future it will be the big companys that profit from this immigration bill, yes we have more problems with it but it makes common sense.
Put the bloody fence up and all of it you spineless wonders….
“Waaa. Cry me a river.” HAHAHAHAHA.
“Willing to raise taxes on top tier Americans to pay for that fence?”
Why would we have to raise taxes? Cut out government waste on idiotic liberal programs and there would be more than enough to build the fence 10 times over.
Plus we could fire the idiots who voted for amnesty and employ them building the fence at minimum wage. Might help Ted “I-like-’em-wet” Kennedy shed a few pounds.
You don’t want the fence? Great! Do you dopes want to turn America into a third world country? Stupid, asking a left wing nutjob that question I know, afterall you left wing nutters hate America.
Take away illegals benefits and you’d have money moron.
Also I agree with solo.
You want a river fool jwh, go to the border and you’ll have lots of shells coming to you.
Just where do you think all this money is going to come from ? It makes perfect sense to put all the fence up.
You nut if this bill goes through there won’t be a middle class.
Take away illegals benefits you’d be surprised how much money you’d find.
RINOS & dems suck eggs.