Organizing Cultural Diversity through the Arts
Abstract
ORGANIZING CULTURAL DIVERSITY THROUGH THE ARTS JEAN J. SCHENSUL Institute for Community Research The United States is undergoing a demographic transition of dimensions unknown since the early 1900s. In the next decade, this country will contain the largest population of people over 65 the world has ever known. Its African-American, Asian, and Spanish-speaking populations are growing at rates ranging from 20% to 70% per decade. Immigration to this country from the countries of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and eastern Europe is occurring on a scale greater than that of the first decade of the century. These demographic changes are already challenging our communi- ties, workplaces, and educational institutions to respond. The works of writers such as Allan Bloom (1987), E. D. Hirsch (1989), and W. J. Bennett (1984) are an assimilationist response to this demographic change. World history suggests that assimilationist responses are likely to be ineffective in promoting national unity and, in the long run, will produce damaging conflict. This article supports an alternative approach based on cultural pluralism, dialogue and cultural transformation. It argues that the arts provide a critical vehicle for promoting cultural pluralism and cultural equity. It further suggests that cultural