Diversity as such is, as you say, more of a weakness than a strength--unless that diversity is integrated into a coherent whole. For example, the last I heard Sikhs in India were over-represented in the armed forces. I suppose you can say that India has been pretty expert at integrating diversity into a rigid but coherent system (except for Muslims, with whom they've had an unhappy history). I'm not persuaded of the goodness of their system, though. Maybe think of Irish policemen and Scots-Irish in our military instead.
But we not only no longer seem to believe in the existence of a coherent whole, we are also allergic to the notion that one group might be better, and therefore over-represented, in certain niches than others. Which is sort of the definition of integrating diversity into a unity. The powers-that-be are trying to persuade us that we can be both diverse and completely homogenous.
Diversity as such is, as you say, more of a weakness than a strength--unless that diversity is integrated into a coherent whole. For example, the last I heard Sikhs in India were over-represented in the armed forces. I suppose you can say that India has been pretty expert at integrating diversity into a rigid but coherent system (except for Muslims, with whom they've had an unhappy history). I'm not persuaded of the goodness of their system, though. Maybe think of Irish policemen and Scots-Irish in our military instead.
ReplyDeleteBut we not only no longer seem to believe in the existence of a coherent whole, we are also allergic to the notion that one group might be better, and therefore over-represented, in certain niches than others. Which is sort of the definition of integrating diversity into a unity. The powers-that-be are trying to persuade us that we can be both diverse and completely homogenous.