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ON COMMON GROUND Guide for Teachers and Students
4. Melting Pot or Symphony?
The melting pot image has been used to convey the unifying force of American culture, making unity out of diversity. Investigate "God's Melting Pot!" and read the two related documents.
· Where did we get this image of a melting pot?
Do you think this image is a good one? An accurate one?
Explore Horace Kallen's idea of the symphony, looking at "The Right to Be Different."
What are the challenges to the melting pot idea?
What does "cultural pluralism" mean?
What are the advantages of the symphony image of making unity out of diversity? How does Horace Kallen think that differences and oneness should be negotiated in a democracy?
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What is the "triple melting pot"? Examine "A Three Religion Country," and read the excerpt from Will Herberg's Protestant, Catholic, Jew.
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Why does Herberg call America a "three religion country"?
What does he see as the dynamics of the melting pot?
5. Being American: Voices and Perspectives
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of religious and ethnic diversity in his speech "The World House." In the documents section of "A New Multireligious America," read the excerpt from this speech. Read the Islamic contribution on being a Muslim American, and read the speech by the Buddhist on the occasion of the Bicentennial. Look back at the previous section and find what John F. Kennedy had to say about being a Catholic candidate for president.
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Using Herberg's arguments, do you think we will now have multiple melting pots, for example, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, and Hindu?
• What do these voices contribute to the discussion of what it means to be an American today?
What do they have to say about religious diversity in America?
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6. What Are Stereotypes?
We often have fixed images of people of another religion, some of which may be distorted, partial, incorrect, or negative. Look at "Stereotypes and Prejudice," with its related documents and various connections. You might also investigate "Violence and Vandalism."
What kinds of stereotypes and prejudice do these sections describe? What do you think is the cause of prejudice and negative stereotypes? Cite other examples of stereotypes or prejudice from your own experience.
