ABSTRACT
Plural ism is a c o n d i t i o n i n w h i c h members o f a c o m m o n society are in t e rna l ly dis t inguished b y fundamenta l differences i n the i r ins t i t u t i o n a l pract ice . Where present, such differences are n o t d i s t r i bu t ed at r a n d o m ; they n o r m a l l y cluster, and b y the i r clusters they s imul taneously i den t i f y i n s t i t u t i o n a l l y d i s t inc t aggregates or groups, and establish deep social divisions be tween t h e m . The prevalence o f such systematic dissociat ion be tween the members o f i n s t i t u t i o n a l l y d i s t inc t col lect iv i t ies w i t h i n a single society const i tutes p lu ra l i sm. Thus p lu ra l i sm s imul taneously connotes a social s t ructure character ized b y fundamenta l d iscont inui t ies and cleavages, and a cu l tu r ed complex based o n systematic i n s t i t u t i o n a l d ivers i ty . I n this essay I t r y t o isolate the m i n i m a l cond i t ions essential and suff icient to cons t i tu te p lu ra l i sm. I t r y also t o show h o w such cond i t ions generate and sustain social cleavages tha t d is t inguish p lura l i t ies , w h i l e o ther combina t ions o f i n s t i t u t i o n a l and social differences d i f fer i n the i r s t ruc tura l expression. Having summar i ly ind ica ted some o f the p r i n c i p a l forms tha t social p lu ra l i sm may take, I review b r i e f l y the modes and cond i t ions b y w h i c h i t m a y be stabi l ized or t ransformed.
