In E Pluribus Unum, Putnam describes the issue concerning social capital, diversity, and solidarity. Something I found quite interesting about this article was the exploration of the different hypotheses mentioned. Living in the city, it’s interesting to think about these ideas in the context of where we live and go to school and who we interact with in these places. The first theory is the contact hypothesis, which says that diversity encourages “interethnic tolerance and social solidarity.” This hypothesis is arguing that the more we come in contact with people who are different than us, the more we get used to interacting with them making us trust them more. This is a more optimistic idea arguing that more contact with people who are different than us will rid us of ethnocentric feelings and foster trust and solidarity. This idea makes sense to me; however, Putnam continues to describe another hypothesis that is very different than this. The conflict hypothesis says that diversity creates distrust and solidarity within the same ethnic group. This is saying that contact with people of different races causes us to trust our race more and to trust the others less. Thus, diversity and solidarity are negatively correlated. Putnam also proposes a third idea, the constrict hypothesis. This idea argues that diversity decreases solidarity within one race and amongst multiple races.
It was interesting to see that most of the evidence in the surveys showed that the conflict theory was most prominent. For example, in one test the participant was asked if they trusted the ethnic categories. It was found that in more homogenous areas, interracial trust was high; however, in heterogeneous areas, interracial trust was low. Another study showed that in more diverse neighborhoods, people trusted their neighbors less. Also, trust of one’s own group was lower in more diverse areas. Another survey showing ethnocentric trust (trust in your own race minus trust in other races) showed that maybe the constrict hypothesis is a better way to describe America today.
Putnam says that people living in diverse communities often withdraw from collective life, distrust their neighbors regardless of their race, and withdraw from close friends. He also says these people expect the worst from their communities and their leaders, volunteer less, give less to charity, work on community projects less often, and register to vote less. Putnam says people in diverse areas tend to agitate for social reform more, but do not believe they will make much of a difference. These people also tend to watch a good amount of television.
Ultimately, Putnam, like many other people I suppose, hope for a way for all people to live together in a way that will bring us together and bring us together. He looks forward to creating a sense of “we” that connects our identities without pushing us into solitude. Putnam hopes to create an America in which the ideal, E Pluribus Unum, or out of many, one, is reflected.
Some questions I had about the reading: Why do immigrant groups have higher fertility rates than native-born people? Why does the income of native-born people rise more rapidly when they work in places with more immigrants?
