Study paints bleak picture of ethnic diversity

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
If a black (or Arab or whatever) person moved into your neighborhood or wanted to get a job in your office, would you have a problem with that?

How can I answer without knowing anything else about them?

[OzzyKP]

You are the one who thinks we should question the very notion of diversity.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Cort Haus


Yep. Hoodies, not skin colour are the prime determinate of fear in UK society. In fact the white-working class are the demographic most likely to be considered a threat at the moment.

Not surprising to me. The only times I have ever been physically assaulted or verbally abused is by kids dressed as I described. The only time I've ever had to dial 999 was after a gang o' lads in hoodies were smashing up the windows of a neighbour's house.

Of course I wouldn't term them as working class. My neighbourhood is anything but and these kids are from middle class backgrounds. It's all about attitude and fomented mentality.

[Japher]

You are the one who thinks we should question the very notion of diversity.

Not the notion of it, just the manner of the execution.

Ozzy:

The only solution to diversity is more diversity, till we are finally color-blind like we should be

That's absurd. People are, and should be, proud of their race, heritage, ethnicity. They should flaunt it, show it, want to share. However, at the same time, they should be encouraged to learn about others.

We have to recognize the difference. The problem is that it has become taboo to even acknowledge the differences, if we do so we are racist. The only thing we can do is say, "Hey! I'm different." And God forbid anyone agree.

Hypocritical.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The problem is that it has become taboo to even acknowledge the differences

It's taboo to speak of inherant differences. The only people really against ethnic groups flaunting their backgrounds are reactionary types that think those Mexicans should be "acting 'Merican" and whatnot.

I don't think Ozzy means color blind as in we don't acknowledge cultural differences, but rather in the sense that we don't have preconcieved notions about people based on the color of their skin.

[Arrian]

That's absurd. People are, and should be, proud of their race, heritage, ethnicity. They should flaunt it...

Pride is a dangerous thing. Don't ya'll Christians think it's a sin or something?

-Arrian

[Dr Strangelove]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't the English been distrusting their government for a long time? England has a long history of a proletariat working class distrustful of the ruling upper class. After all, that's what the Labor party was originally all about. Isn't it likely that the neighborhoods most diverse are also the poorer neighborhoods? Aren't the poorer neighborhoods more likely to distrust the government?

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

The problem is that it has become taboo to even acknowledge the differences

It's taboo to speak of inherant differences. The only people really against ethnic groups flaunting their backgrounds are reactionary types that think those Mexicans should be "acting 'Merican" and whatnot.

I don't think Ozzy means color blind as in we don't acknowledge cultural differences, but rather in the sense that we don't have preconcieved notions about people based on the color of their skin.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Ah, so we should accept diversity without question?

Diversity is already there - what other options than to accept it do you have?

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by Dauphin
The only times I have ever been physically assaulted or verbally abused is by kids dressed as I described.

yeah, sorry about that.

[Dauphin]

Sorry I had to whoop your asses back too.

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

The problem is that it has become taboo to even acknowledge the differences

It's taboo to speak of inherant differences.

Inherent differences do not go away simply because it is taboo to speak of them.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by aneeshm
Inherent differences do not go away simply because it is taboo to speak of them.

Inherent differences don't usually exist.

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


Inherent differences don't usually exist.

They usually do, but the intra-racial variation is so much greater than the inter-racial variation that to speak of "racial differences" as if they're key determinants of individual identity is plain incorrect. It is quite possible for a white man to genetically be far closer to a black man than another white, even though the visible characteristics may wildly differ (our innate tendency to exaggerate differences makes the races appear far more different than they would to, say, a Martian geneticist).

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Japher
We have to recognize the difference. The problem is that it has become taboo to even acknowledge the differences, if we do so we are racist. The only thing we can do is say, "Hey! I'm different." And God forbid anyone agree.

Hypocritical.

I disagree that it is taboo to recognise the differences. Official diversity policy tends to encourage some groups (not all) to celebrate their difference, to construct a strong sense of identity, and possibly even make demands based on that identity. This, to me, is very different from a sense of civil equality across the board.

In the US, people are considered Italian-Americans, African-Americans, Irish-Americans, Polish-Americans and so on, and it seems that they are encouraged to take pride in this identity. What though, for the person that has Italian, African, Irish and Polish roots in equal quantities? Presumably they are just Americans, which is fine, but they get no special badge of pride, despite being highly diverse within themselves.

The goal of 'colour-blindness' is a worthy one, but I don't see how it can be advanced while people have these ethnic labels attached to them.