In the social sciences, pluralism is a framework of interaction in which groups show sufficient respect and tolerance of each other, that they fruitfully coexist and interact without conflict or assimilation. The social sciences are a group of academic disciplines that study the human aspects of the world. ... Conflict is a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterized by physical violence. ... In the social sciences, assimilation is the process of integration whereby immigrants, or other minority groups, are absorbed into a generally larger community. ...

Pluralism is arguably one of the most important features of modern societies and social groups, and may be a key factor of progress in science, society and economic development. For the song by the California punk band Pennywise, see Society (song). ... // What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ... The word economy can refer to any of several things: The economy of the world — see world economy The economy of a country — see economics and economic system Economy is financial soundness or affordability. ...

In an authoritarian or oligarchic society, power is concentrated and decisions are made by few members. By contrast, in a pluralistic society, power and decision-making (and the ownership of the results of exercising power) are more diffused. It is believed that this results in more widespread participation and a greater feeling of commitment from society members, and therefore better outcomes. Examples of groups and situations where pluralism is important are: a firm, a political body and an economy, the scientific community. The term authoritarian is used to describe an organization or a state which enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against the population, generally without attempts at gaining the consent of the population. ... Oligarchy is a Political regime where most political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). ... Political power is a type of power held by a person or group in a society. ...

It can be argued that the pluralistic nature of the scientific process is a major factor in the rapid growth of knowledge. In turn, knowledge growth arguably leads to increased human welfare, due to, for example, greater productivity and economic growth and better medical technology. Accumulated GDP growth for various countries. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Pluralism also implies the right of individuals to determine universal truths for themselves. When someone sincerely agrees with an assertion, they are claiming that it is the truth. ...

See also

• List of democracy and elections-related topics
• Liberal democracy
• Particularism
• Pluralism (philosophy of mind)
• Religious pluralism

Politics is the process and method of gaining or maintaining support for public or common action: the conduct of decision-making for groups. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by... Particularism is exclusive devotion to ones own groups interests. ... Pluralism in the area of philosophy of the mind, distinguishes a position where one believes there to be ultimately many kinds of substances in the world, as opposed to monism and dualism. ... Religious pluralism is the belief that one can overcome religious differences between different religions, and denominational conflicts within the same religion. ...

References

• From Pluralist to Patriotic Politics: Putting Practice First, Blattberg, Charles. Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0198296886.
• Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory, 2nd ed, Lawrence M. Hinman, Harcourt Brace, 1998.
• The Open Society and its Enemies, Karl Popper, Routledge, 1945.