Pluralism

Pluralism is a circumstance in which groups have and preserve separate social and cultural differences, identities, and structures. The term describes the ways that subgroups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities. When practicing pluralism, ethnic groups may maintain components of their subculture while also coexisting with relative equality in a larger society. Racial and ethnic relations in the United States are often explored through the lens of cultural pluralism.

Horace Kallen was one of the founding scholars to write about pluralism. He argued that individuals did not have to sacrifice their unique cultural identities to participate fully in American society. He stated that separate cultural groups, with separate languages, religions, and practices were in line with democratic ideals and American values. He espoused that acculturation was not necessary and that the United States instead could be comprised of a mosaic of diverse cultures and individuals.

Many pluralist theorists argue that ethnic groups can maintain their distinct cultural identities while also being able to adapt to the dominant cultural norms of mainstream society. Such theorists state that in the United States, individuals are able to maintain a state of both diversity and unity because they are able to agree on a set of basic values. However, members of minority groups may associate mainly among themselves, work similar trades, intermarry, and live in distinct communities. An equation to describe pluralism may be A+B+C=A+B+C, while assimilation could be described as A+B+C=A, and amalgamation could be described as A+B+C=D.

Two major distinctions exist within pluralism— cultural pluralism and structural pluralism. In cultural pluralism, groups maintain their own identity by perhaps speaking different languages, advocating differing values, and having different religious beliefs. With structural pluralism, the coexistence of differing cultural groups may be less noticeable, but the groups may be segmented into dissimilar social positions. For example, differing groups may have the same accent and eat similar cuisine, yet they may be a part of separate social systems, such as attending different churches and schools.

There is a third type that can be described as the ability to integrate without experiencing acculturation. Such groups are able to achieve economic mobility without becoming Americanized (such as learning English and adopting norms). One example is an enclave minority group that establishes its own neighborhoods with interconnected commerce centers and businesses. Examples include Chinatowns and the Cuban American community in south Florida. Middleman minority groups, on the other hand, may be located throughout a broader area. Examples include Korean American grocers and hotels owned by Indian Americans dispersed throughout large geographic areas. Professional success among these groups is tied to support and aid among members of these subcultures.

Ethnic groups in the United States may lose aspects of their visibility when they experience acculturation. However, many may maintain a cultural identity by being prideful in their heritage and keeping relationships with fellow members of their cultural subgroup. A lack of tolerance toward diversity has been and remains a persistent problem within the United States.

The United States has been a pluralistic country since its colonial start, as early settlements were ethnic enclaves comprised of individuals of different nationalities and religions. Immigrants settled in clusters as a result of chain migration. For example, Germans and Scandinavians settled in the midwest, Polish immigrants in Chicago, French immigrants in Louisiana, Asian immigrants in California, Irish immigrants in Boston and New York, and Cuban immigrants in Miami. These groups were able to aid the adjustment of settling into a new land by establishing and living in neighborhoods that were microcosms or replicas of their homelands. There are examples of parallel social institutions, in which churches, schools, and other institutions from their original homeland are duplicated in their new homeland. Take, for instance, Dutch settlements in the 1800s, which were very similar to Holland counterparts.

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