1. Pluralism is a broad term referring to heterogeneity in some context. When talking about a society, it refers to one where a variety of different beliefs and/or identities coexist in some sense. It can also refer to the moral ideal that such a variety should be encouraged, usually to champion tolerance, peace, or whatnot. In the context of TAAPA, Rick Steves talks about pluralism in relation to the post-Yugoslav states. Yugoslavia contained a great variety of ethnicities, and its horrific implosion in the early '90's was a direct result of extreme ethnic and religious tensions. The modern "nation" states carved out of Yugoslavia's corpse are often anything but and face big problems of ethnic hostility and sectarianism. For example, Steves talks about the struggles of a Muslim bar owner who owns a shop across a Catholic church frequented by nationalistic Croats (pg. 44) This is only a microcosm of the conflict that resulted from a failure to take pluralism seriously, and it cost many their lives or a part of their bodies (pg. 45). In the US, pluralism is a big issue simply because of how diverse we. Often, this diversity has spiraled into conflict between some, a pattern which has appeared time and time again in this country. The core of Steves's statement is that if we can't all learn to live together, we will learn to hate each other.
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Some of the little triumphs Steves talks about in this chapter are the ability of parents to give nice things to their children like violins in spite of their countries' conditions (pg. 51); the survival of strong faith throughout so much conflict (pg. 50), and the desire of so many to continue on creating a better life for themselves in spite of their surroundings (pg. 45). My life has been very privileged, so I can't really say that I've triumphed over many real troubles. I suppose a teeny, tiny, little triumphed I've experienced has been my continued improvement at the violin in spite of my work ethic and frustration.
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