About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

16 Geo. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 807 (2018)
The Paradox of Diversity

handle is hein.journals/geojlap16 and id is 824 raw text is: The Paradox of Diversity RYAN MULDOON* ABSTRACT While there has been considerable literature that suggests that diverse groups are more capable at a variety of tasks than more homogenous ones, there has also been literature that suggests that diversity creates significant social discomfort. In light of this latter work, there have been proposals to cre- ate a broader we to smooth away the challenges posed by diversity. I argue that this approach is mistaken. Instead, I suggest that the benefits of diversity come about in part because of the discomfort that it creates, rather than in spite of it. If this is correct, then we must choose between two different models of so- ciety: a more rewarding but more complex diverse social environment, or a sim- pler, more homogenous, but less rewarding social environment. Depending on which literature you read, social diversity is either the goose that laid the golden egg, or a major source of our social ills. Some literature link diversity to significant increases in productivity,1 enhanced creativity,2 and other clear material benefits.3 Others connect diversity to diminished community4 and lower happiness.' One might think that each present reasons to downplay the conclusions of the other. However, that would only be the case if we were trying to make a very coarse-grained judgment about whether diversity is helpful or harmful. Happily, we can think about diversity in a more nuanced way. What I aim to show is that we can straightforwardly rec- oncile these two positions, and once we do so, we can better understand the political options available to us. If we examine the literature on the harms generated by diversity, we can learn something about the mechanism behind how diversity's social benefits come about. Indeed, I argue that some of the benefits of diversity are only possible if we accept some of the purported harms. This is important, as it suggests that a rather prominent line of reasoning-that we can gain the benefits of diversity and * Ryan Muldoon is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University at Buffalo. His primary work is on social and political philosophy, with a focus on the benefits and challenges of living in diverse societies. He is the author of Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance (Routledge). © 2018, Ryan Muldoon. 1. Giovanni Peri, The Effect of Immigration on Productivity: Evidence from US States, 94 REv. ECON. & STAT. 348 (2012). 2. Poppy McLeod et al., Ethnic Diversity and Creativity in Small Groups, 27 SMALL GROUP RES. 248,248-64 (1996). 3. Sheen S. Levine et al., Ethnic Diversity Deflates Price Bubbles, 111 PRoc. NAT'L. ACAD. SCI. U.S. 18,524 (2014). 4. Alberto Alesina et al., Public Goods and Ethnic Divisions, 114 Q.J. ECON 1234, 1234-84 (1999). 5. R.D. Putnam, E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture, 30 SCANDINAVIAN POL. STUD. 137, 137-74 (2007).

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most