What’s Happening to Pluralism?

While we’re on the subject, you might find this report on pluralism and democracy from PRRI interesting. It’s chockful of interesting graphs and charts.

Consider this one:

It tells me that my life experience is very different from that of many if not most Americans. I spend most of every day as one of the few people I encounter who is of European descent. I interact with people who differ from me on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and politics very nearly on a daily basis. I’m nearly always the oldest person in the room. I’m generally the only Catholic. It doesn’t bother me at all. I navigate it with aplomb, armed primarily with a commitment to treating everyone I encounter with courtesy and consideration.

What does bother me is bigotry and bias. I also experience bias on very nearly a daily basis although generally not at work.

8 comments… add one
  • Guarneri Link

    I couldn’t get past the basic premise of figure 4. I don’t recall a time in my (at least, adult) life when such percentages applied. Every day is more like it. Where do these people live, Fargo??

  • For me it’s certainly every day. As I noted in the body of the post on most days I’m the only person of European descent in our office. Several of my neighbors are gay; my neighbors are of every race and religion of humankind. There are states (like Oregon, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, etc.) which have low percentages of black or Hispanic population. Minnesota has 5% black population and 4% Hispanic, nearly all of whom are concentrated in the Twin Cities. Californians like to think of Oakland as very black but the reality is that it’s more like Chicago—split fairly evenly among black, white, and Hispanic. It’s just black in comparison with most of the rest of the state. In some states the black or Hispanic populations are highly concentrated; many white folks rarely encounter them other than to see a Hispanic man mowing his lawn.

    Even in states with very large black populations like Mississippi the black population tends to be very concentrated—mostly in the Delta. Yazoo City is 90% black. Walnut, MS on the other side of the state is 85% white and 0% Hispanic.

  • Gray Shambler Link

    If you don’t interact with certain people, doesn’t mean you avoid them. Some places they just aren’t there.

  • That’s right, GS. In many places in the country unless they go out of their way the only place white folks even see black folks is on TV.

    Nebraska, for example, is nearly 90% white and most blacks or Hispanics live in the larger cities. When you get outside of Omaha, Lincoln, etc. most of the people are white.

  • Andy Link

    I guess I’m not surprised. If people work with a small group of people (or alone), and then spend all or most of their free-time with family, I can certainly see how exposure may be limited. And, in many cases, you may meet or know people and have no idea what their religion, political preference or sexual orientation are. And religion often runs in families.

    A very liberal friend in my Facebook timeline relayed a tale of meeting this nice helpful neighbor. After two weeks of interactions, the guy was in his yard wearing a MAGA hat. She had trouble wrapping around the idea that this nice guy was a Trump supporter. Point being, she didn’t know his political affiliation until he wore his colors.

    In my own personal experience, I avoid asking people about their religion, politics and sexual orientation, so for many interactions, I simply don’t know if these people share my own situation. But as a political heterodox I assume pretty much everyone thinks differently from me.

    But I do have a diverse group of friends, coworkers, and family which I attribute to living in many different parts of the country as well as outside the United States.

  • Guarneri Link

    Why do people feel the need to refer to blacks as “folks?” But I digress.

    I’ve been to the top 2-3 cities (and more of the smaller ones than I care to recall ) in every state but Maine. Plenty of color, different religions, gays and so on. Yes, even in Nebraska or Montana. (Where the dental floss tycoons are).

    That graphic, like so much agenda driven disinformation these days, is just pure crap.

  • Andy Link

    “That graphic, like so much agenda driven disinformation these days, is just pure crap.”

    The other explanation is that people like you and I have exceptional experiences. I still know people from my High School days who never left the neighborhood we grew up in and have never been overseas. Most people, at least in my experience, have not had the need or opportunity to travel as much as we have.

  • Steve Link

    I work with a very diverse group and our pts are very diverse. Friends and church group are diverse. However, my family in small towns in the Midwest and the people who live in small towns in cost country don’t seem to have a very diverse group at all. When I worked in West Philly it certainly seemed like the people there had a pretty limited circle of people they knew.

    Steve

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