Ethnic Opening and Closing in an Open System: A Canadian Example.

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to test Klapp's (b) position that a strictly open social system will be entropic. Data on seven ethnic groups in the Winnipeg area are used to test this claim. The data indicate that opening alone seems to be related to a state of entropy. Both the Poles and the Germans experienced considerable opening and very limited closing. This seems to cause marginality where individuals of each group could identify neither with their ingroup nor with the host society. The other five ethnic groups experienced both opening and closing in various combinations. The French and the Jews developed substantial subsystems which provided ingroup means for closing, while the British and Scandinavians opened up to the larger Canadian society which resulted in a more assimilated means of closure. The implications of this are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]