Final answer:
The fruit salad or salad bowl metaphor is associated with pluralism, where cultures retain their unique identities while contributing to society. The melting pot analogy aligns with amalgamation, where cultural identities are expected to merge into a new, unified culture. The salad bowl represents a more diverse and inclusive society.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing cultural diversity in Mauritius or any multicultural society, the comparison between a melting pot and a fruit salad often arises. The melting pot analogy describes a blend of cultures where distinct identities merge to form a new, singular culture. In contrast, the fruit salad analogy, also known as the salad bowl, represents pluralism, where different cultures coexist and contribute to society while maintaining their unique identities and characteristics.
Given this context, the fruit salad model is seen as a more accurate representation of the ideal of the United States as a diverse society based on pluralism. Here, each culture, like an ingredient in a salad, retains its own flavor and identity, yet adds to the overall “flavor” of the collective. This model fosters an environment where individuals are not pressed to assimilate fully, but rather are encouraged to retain their cultural uniqueness while participating in the broader society.
In contrast, the melting pot model refers to amalgamation, where cultural distinctions are expected to dissolve as people assimilate, leading to a more monolithic culture. This has been critiqued as it can imply that one must give up their native identity to be considered part of the collective, which can be seen as a form of cultural erasure or even racism.