tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-4272183745750848072007-05-31T11:20:00.000-04:002007-05-31T11:20:00.000-04:00<I>advocate the salad bowl rather than the melting pot</I><BR/><BR/>Many of us that advocate the "Salad Bowl" (or mosaic, as we Canadians call it) rather than the melting pot, object to the forced conversion of immigrants to the melting pot viewpoint. It goes against notions of liberty and freedom.<BR/><BR/>That being said, a social group encourages some melting together, but that is more likely a passive result rather than an active melding. (The point may be raised, do social groups cause individuals to conform, or do they just attract the like minded in the first place?). <BR/><BR/>The logic of "the melting pot" approach breaks down for me on several fronts. <BR/>A) One has to define the parameters of said pot, what makes it unique from other pots. A very difficult task, especially at a national level. What is a prototypical American, Canadian, Australian? If you don't meet the definitions, does that mean you don't belong?<BR/>B) Once the parameters have been defined, policies have to be put in place to co-opt new citizens to change to fit the mold. Goes against notions of liberty, and freedom of expression.<BR/>C) The parameters, once defined, are static, and ignore the evolution of any society. Treats it as a closed system. The America of today is the the America of the 50s. So how does one account for that in a melting pot mindset?<BR/><BR/>A "salad bowl" or mosaic approach is a more natural understanding of the interactions of individuals. It lets them define their own "pots" through their own forms of self-expression.Closet Liberalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com