Two midwestern cities were studied to evaluate how support for the basic values of widespread information and the use of specialized knowledge by the public and leaders is related to community structure as measured by homogeneity and heterogeneity. The public in the more heterogeneous community was more likely to support wide distribution and use of information. There were fewer differences between leaders in the two communities. The authors suggest that as social differentiation increases, information is evaluated in terms of perceived relevance for specific social ends.
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