In Spring 1995, I performed a ``statistical simulation" in class 5/95, asking students to evaluate the weight and value of various factors. This process uncovered a a number of problems:

1. We chose the weight of the variable, and had to estimate it, and scale it.

2. Some variables might have different weights at diff. times in our history, and in different regions.

3. We sometimes tended to reward/penalize a group twice for the same trait, because the minus side of one variable may be the plus of another, i.e.

4. Perceptions differ as to who Is a German, a Finn, a this a that: groups may not see themselves as homogeneous; we rewarded e.g. Germans for something that may not have been true for all Germans. There may be diff. kinds of French speakers in Louisiana: Creole, Cajun, Black. Do they all get the same points, e.g. for pre-revolutionary/pre-US experience as official lang?

5. We often dealt in stereotypes, and rewarded our stereotypes: we had to decide what is e.g. great cultural dis/similarity: Protestant vs. Catholic; West european vs. East; Christian vs. non (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist), white vs. black, etc.

6. The value/weight/definition of Cultural dis/similarity changes as time goes on: early 19th c. notions of dissimilar (e.g. Catholic) becomes less and less important as we approach the end of the 20th C. Now being white may be enough to be similar, as compared to Black, Asian, etc.

7. Tolerance, e.g., expires, or may expire (e.g. for Spanish in Calif.)

H. Schiffman, Instructor. Wed Oct 1 09:23:38 EDT 1997