Madam, - Received wisdom had it that we ought to praise efforts aimed at creating multicultural and ethnically mixed areas as the most wholesome and healthy social option currently open to us. In parallel with this, there is a tendency to decry traditional homogeneous and ethnically unmixed communities as being somehow pathological throwbacks to a more unfortunate and unenlightened age.
Recently, however, this politically correct dogma has been challenged by research carried out by Prof Robert Putnam of Harvard. According to this research, people in ethnically mixed areas exhibit a tendency to retreat into their shells, are less trusting of their neighbours and live a more isolated existence, taking little part in community activity.
By contrast, people who live in more homogeneous, traditional communities enjoy greater "social capital" and are happier in themselves. In such areas local democracy tends to thrive and the economy works better.
It must be pointed out that Prof Putnam's findings relate to the situation in America. What is clear, however, is that in a rapidly diversifying country, native-born citizens are undoubtedly unnerved by what they perceive as new, threatening and "different".
Perhaps we should understand this and be sympathetic to their plight. In the light of this ought we not to query recent policy which has fostered the relatively unrestricted influx of immigrants into the country and review with concern the impact of large-scale immigration on local commun- ities? - Yours, etc,
THOMAS P WALSH, Faussagh Road, Dublin 7.