The internet has been a-buzz with diversity talk since August 5th when Michael Jonas published his Boston Globe article "The downside of diversity" about Robert Putnam's work. Putnam's research prompts soul-searching for those of us committed to increasing tolerance and respect among people in our diverse communities.
What does this research mean for our program design? What will bring about the results we want - a community where diverse peoples live fulfilling lives, support their neighbors, and engage in the life of the community?
This special series of five posts reviews Putnam's findings and shares some initial reflections from Dominick Brancato and Mike Baver, our Mosaic Coalition coordinator. In addition, we provide some links and thoughts about where to go from here.
We've also included a brief, decidedly unscientific poll we'd like you to complete. How different are you, our readers, from the general population when it comes to civic engagement? We'll share the poll results with you.
We encourage you to read the complete Jonas article and visit the links to Putnam's Sagauro Seminar and Better Together websites as you think about the implications of this research for your community and for your work.
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