The problem, though, is that there's no "forced" interaction with others outside your own interests/background.
When I was in school, I was a white kid from a white neighborhood in a school that was 50% black. Had I been homeschooled, even if I had interactions outside of home, I would not have been exposed to the diversity of cultures.
My anecdotal experience with homeschooled kids (my son is not old enough yet) is that the lack of 'forced' exposure at school is more than compensated by the habit of indulging and exploring one's curiosity. Especially because it applies not just to social aspects but to any area of knowledge, activity and culture. By the time the child's direct interests and background start showing their limits (9-ish years old?), they will have plenty of opportunities for interaction outside that circle (extracurricular classes, sports, travels, etc). Homeschooled does not mean hermit.
Agreed. My three oldest were public schooled, my two-youngest are home schooled. And what do they do after school hours? They're outside with their friends in the neighborhood, doing kid stuff.
I would say that "forcing" interaction is not a correct way of attempting socialization because if a child is forced to do something that they do not wish to participate in, then the outcome is often less than optimum.
I went to high school in the Deep South, it was more or less evenly balanced between black and white. Tribalism was in effect in this "forced" environment, granted this is going to be different from area to area. The black friends that I had were because we shared a common interest/background.
But again, if a parent wants to "force" such an interaction upon their child that is homeschooled, then chances are there would be ways of achieving that with after school programs. My local YMCA didn't turn away black children at the door for example.
Coercion is not the way to teach kids we should deal with everybody with respect for their rights. Respecting everybody's choices is far more consistent with that purpose.
I'd rather kids develop their own ability to choose than to force them to make what I think are the right choices.
To believe force is the answer is to ignore the role of force in setting up segregation to begin with. Separate facilities that the oppressed are forced to finance, for example.
People adopt beliefs that fly in the face of reason BECAUSE of threats of violence and actual violence. Thou will be going to hell unless you believe. I will be harassing daily until you profess the same beliefs I do. That's how many parents of haters operate.
I went to public school. The tribalism existed there in full force. One just had to look around the lunch room to see all the blacks at one table, all the asians at another, all the whites at their own tables further subdivided by various labels.
When I was in school, I was a white kid from a white neighborhood in a school that was 50% black. Had I been homeschooled, even if I had interactions outside of home, I would not have been exposed to the diversity of cultures.
I feel this will lead to a form of tribalism.