Final answer:
The salad bowl metaphor represents the concept of pluralism, which is the coexistence of multiple distinct cultures in a society. It's false to say that the Gestalt notion agrees that the whole is equal to the sum of its parts; instead, the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The salad bowl approach to understanding culture is cemented in the idea of pluralism, where various cultural groups maintain their distinct identities while contributing to a larger whole. This metaphor parallels the Gestalt theory in psychology, which posits that the whole is perceived as more than the sum of its parts. However, concerning the specific phrasing of the question, it's false that the whole is equal to the sum of its parts according to Gestalt theory; the whole is actually different from and often greater than the sum of its parts.
The salad bowl model reflects a society where different cultures coexist as separate components that together make up a collective entity, such as American society. This model suggests that each culture adds to the flavor of the society without losing its distinct identity, thus rejecting the notion of a melting pot where individual cultures are amalgamated and lose their distinctiveness. Therefore, the intergroup relationship represented by the "salad bowl" metaphor is one of pluralism, not assimilation.