Robert D. Putnam, a distinguished political scientist and Carter administration official, waited for five years to release his research findings that ethnic diversity decreases trust and co-operation in communities.
In the presence of [ethnic] diversity, we hunker down. We act like turtles. The effect of diversity
is worse than had been imagined. And it’s not just that we don’t trust
people who are not like us. In diverse communities, we don’t trust
people who do look like us.
Fragmented Future
In the presence of [ethnic] diversity, we hunker down. We act like turtles. The effect of diversity
is worse than had been imagined. And it’s not just that we don’t trust
people who are not like us. In diverse communities, we don’t trust
people who do look like us.
—Harvard professor Robert D. Putnam
Could this American research apply to multicultural Singapore? Perhaps the overarching "Asian" identity helps to overcome our cultural biases. Using English as the common and neutral language almost certainly helped. Still, Professor Putnam does make some strong arguments.
Steve Sailer's article in "The American Conservative" also has some politically incorrect observations on trust and how its built. Not easily.
Fragmented Future
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