ABSTRACT
Cultural dissonance has developed, to some degree, in communities all around the country. On the eve of the twenty-fi rst century, America has become a splintered society, with multi-ethnic towns . . . refl ecting a nation more diverse than ever. [T]he term cluster . . . refers to population segments where, thanks to technological advancements, no physical contact is required for cluster membership. . . . [T]he clusters simply underscore realities already apparent, such as the widening gap between the richest and poorest Americans. . . . Sociologists say global competition and the cyber-revolution have widened the gap that divides the haves from the have-nots. . . . “No longer are Americans rising and falling together, as if in one large national boat,” former labor secretary Robert Reich observed. “We are, increasingly, in diff erent, smaller boats.” And not all are assured of life raft s.
