The Downside of Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Downside of Diversity - Essay Example Diversity produces lower civic health, which is a detriment to society. Robert Putnam, a Harvard political scientist, conducted in-depth interviews with 30,000 people across the United States (Jonas, 2007). What Putnam found was that neighbors in diverse communities trust each other roughly half as much as they do in communities that are made up of one predominant culture. This is due to the cultural differences that exist between members of diverse communities. Further research found that diversity makes us feel uncomfortable in social settings; however, diversity can thrive in the work environment. This is because a wider range of thoughts can strengthen a plan or objective because all the weaknesses are covered. Putnam’s research also supports that of some of his contemporaries, who argue that people in diverse communities do not contribute to common needs and goals of the community. Diversity results in a decline in social capital, a term first coined by Putnam himself in some of his previous studies. Social capital refers to friendships, religious institutions, and community associations, which are more likely to suffer when diversity is present in the community (Jonas, 2007). This is because people feel disenfranchised from the very societal groups that are set up to help them. Putnam claims that high social capital makes a community a better place to live, neighborhoods are safer, people are healthier, and more citizens vote (Jonas, 2007). Putnam’s survey, which was conducted in a number of diverse communities across the United States, questioned many ethic groups (black, white, Hispanic, and Asian) about how they felt about their neighbors, community, and local government. Putnam’s results showed that most people did not engage politically or socially with members of other cultures (Jonas, 2007). Finally, living in diverse communities brings out the turtle in all of us. What

Discussion based on Abhijit Banejee and Esther Duflo's readings Assignment

Discussion based on Abhijit Banejee and Esther Duflo's readings - Assignment Example Living under such harsh conditions make it difficult to have access to the basis necessities of live, which puts a question mark on their ability to survive. The available evidence on this is not complete in many ways. However, some new researches have recently added a sufficient amount data on this huge part of the global population, which provide enough information to form an understanding on how the poor people live their lives. The assigned report details of a survey that was conducted in 13 different countries (Banerjee and Duflo). In addition, they have added two surveys, which were conducted in India (Udaipur District), which is one of the poorest districts of India. It is understood that there is a strong association between poverty and malnutrition. The poor has few real choices to make. Their earning is barely enough to fulfill their basic needs and therefore, they are majorly underfed and weak. The authors also highlight that one of the major reasons for the poor to spend the lowest on their food is that they often give more importance to other obligations or activities rather than for acquiring food. The study by authors indicates that the poor spend a lot on alcohol and tobacco in different countries such as Papua, New Guinea, and India. According to the survey, Udaipur tops the list of being on the poorest districts of India, which spends highest on festivals. People feel an obligation to spend a large amount of their budget on occasions like weddings, funerals, and other religious festivals. They choose to spend more on non-food items and festivals than on food. Moreover, the extremely poor rarely spend on entertainment. Another interest ing finding from the study reflects that these people do not seem to be as hungry as one may expect. It is a common understanding that the poor will always search for ways to fulfill their food needs in the least expensive way.