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Danay Diaz
Professor Kubler
English 115
September 3, 2014

Putnam and Lennons View

Diversity. One simple word says so much: pride, love, religion, ethnicity, racism,
war, and so much more. In this non perfect world, its practically impossible to deny the
differences in each other.
The way people deal with differences has evolved for the better over time, but
still hasnt fully been eliminated. In Robert Putnams article: Diversity and Community in
the Twenty-first Century, Putnam expresses many different reasons as to how diversity
impacts the world today. Putnam introduces a hypothesis by Gordon Allport which has
to do with trust. Allport states, if [people] have more contact with people of other ethnic
and racial backgrounds we will all begin to trust one another more (2). In other words,
Allport is stating that once a person steps out of their own comfort zone, into other
cultures and ethnicities, it is easier for that person to trust more than just their own
culture. This theory goes on to talking about how trusting your own and not others
increases ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is when one culture judges another culture.
However, Putnam put this hypothesis into play. Putnam discovered that Americans
distrust not merely people who do not look like them, but even people who do (3). With
that being said, diversity isnt the only problem within distrust in the United States. Its
the fact of people not trusting each other. But why is that? The United States is one of
the most diverse countries in the world, if not is the most. It is obvious that living in such
a diverse world impacts the lives of all. Not just the common people, but people who are

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seen as idols. Such as John Lennon, from the Beatles, who has a song titled Imagine.
The song goes on to talk about what he believes would make a better world. According
to Lennon, its easy if you try (1) to imagine a perfect world. In his song, Lennon talks
about heaven/hell, other religions, different countries, and no greed or possessions.
However, Lennon himself says, you may say Im a dreamer . . . I hope someday youll
join . . . and the world will be as one (1). Making this comment, Lennon is evidently
stating that its nearly impossible for the world to change, but together it is possible to try
and mold a better world.