The Downside of Diversity, from the Boston Globe.

A thought-provoking article on the touchy subject of ethnic diversity. In short, a study of 30,000 Americans found that in communities with greater diversity, individuals have weaker social relationships, vote less, volunteer less, and are less charitable - and these effects apply not only between cultures, but within cultural boundaries as well.

It’s a pretty bleak conclusion, all the more interesting because the political scientist who published it is firmly on the side of racial harmony, so I respect that he’s willing to present his findings (albeit with maybe more qualifications than a typical paper), knowing full-well that the data is fodder for bigots.

On the positive side, it should be noted that the tension produced by diversity does seem to be a catalyst for improved productivity and innovation, likely because it challenges people to to think outside their comfort zone and approach problems from different perspectives.

I would be interested to know if this is one of those rare examples where Canada really is different than the United States - it seems that at least a shared perception of tolerance might help to offset at least some of the symptoms. Somehow I think Toronto culture isn’t quite as doomed as the article might indicate.