Cultural Diversity: An Example Of A Collectivist Culture

Cultural diversity can be defined as the cultural differences that exist between people such as, language, traditions, and the religious beliefs along with the way society carries itself. It is inevitable in the United States to notice the wide variety of cultures that with the years have come to share this land with Americans.

Merriam- Webster defines cultures a particular society that has its own beliefs and way of live and diversity as the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization. I would define of cultural diversity would be the existence or variety of people in from different environments with different states of mind.

The United States of America is a perfect example of cultural diversity. Starting with the Mayflower landing in Massachusetts Bay in 1620, to the Great Migration from 1915 to 1930, to the continual immigration into our country today this country has seen its culture grow and reshape itself over the years. The culture of the United States is diverse but understanding and appreciating various cultures does not always exist within today’s classroom or in today’s society. Understanding or even defining cultural diversity , identifying the challenges cultural diversity brings, or how to face cultural diversity are all issues educators face in today’s classroom.

For the most part, culture is the shared of basic expectations learned by a group as it find possible alternatives or ways to solve its problems. On the contrary, diversity as stated in the textbook, is the different values and cultures among members, and is more than simply an understanding of black versus white. For instance, culture could by identify through artifacts which include visible signs on the wall, how people display emotions, and the ways people address one another. Although, diversity are differences among people that could impact a work environment due to a social identity. For example, there is an increasing number of women and people of color in the workforce.

Ronald Takaki writes a very powerful introductory paragraph to show that people need more education on culture diversity. Takaki describes his experience when he was racially profiled by his taxi driver on his way to a hotel. He introduces his setting as Virginia which according to the census bureau has a 70.2% white population to show he is in a predominately white area. He also describes his driver as a “white man in his forties”(539) to portray him as the “average american”. Meanwhile Takaki gives no clue to the reader about his ethnicity or background so we can interpret how his driver was stereotyping Takaki in the following conversation:“How long have you been in this country?” he asked. “All my life,” I replied, wincing. “I was born

In the three articles, Schlosser et al (2015), Sereni-Massinger (2015) and Thurber (2015), they explain these types of diversity. In the article by Sereni- Massinger, she talks about cultural diversity, which can be defined as a variety of cultural, ethnical groups in a society. In the article by Schlosser, it covers ethnic diversity, which is defined as groups of people and people based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, religion, and sexual orientation.

We hear about different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups, their values, practices, and beliefs, but do we really understand? Cultural diversity refers to the country where someone was born, their race, or their ethnicity. However, cultural diversity can also refer to other group differences, such as gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, language, region variables, presence of a disability, and socioeconomic

The book also explores how despite immigration seeing as a normality in the Silicon Valley area, most of the interaction is shaped by differences in ethnic and racial traits. Jimenez explains that “the way that interviewees articulated the “us” and “them” in their lives comported with social-scientific research that emphasizes ethnic and racial differences as sources of both unity and division” (Jimenez, 2017). Although the cultural diversity is so ingrained in the community of Silicon Valley, this diversity is also a constant reminder of the racial and ethnic differences in the community which could sometimes generate negative outcomes. It does not only serve as a source of unity, like with the mixed culture it generates, but it also could

Throughout history there has been a cluster of tension and conflict between police and minority communities within the United States. The job of a police officer is to enforce the law and protect all citizens regardless of their race, gender, or sexual preferences; however, more and more police departments across the United States are being accused of targeting and harassing those who are different. State and local police departments have been left to their own devices on how to police minority communities and improve cultural differences among their officers by seeking out a reform recruitment and adjusting policies in hopes to attract a significant improvement of minority applicants, all while training other officers in understanding

Cultural diversity continues to become more common in the workplace. Diversity refers to qualities and features that are different from our own. These differences include race, gender, age, personality, talents, and nationalities. Diversity includes how one identifies themselves as well as how others perceive one. The ability to appreciate the qualities that make us individuals and embrace those who are dissimilar can help increase performance within an organization and prevent conflict.

Within Paul Pederson’s article, he defines culture as this, “ the construct culture broadly defined, goes beyond national boundaries, ethnic boundaries, or both” (Multiculturalism as a Generic Approach to Counseling, 1991). Cultural diversity, although generally similar to the definition of culture, it’s own complete definition. Cultural diversity is best defined as, “differences in race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, physical ability language, beliefs, behavior patterns, or customs among various groups within a community, organization, or nation” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US), 2006). Pederson also points out that, just because individuals share similar backgrounds or even a nationality does not necessarily mean they share the exact same cultural beliefs (Multiculturalism as a Generic Approach to Counseling, 1991). For instance, an individual may have an Asian background but that does not mean they automatically share the same cultural beliefs as another individual who comes from Asian decent also. With so many different outlooks on the word culture, having a full understanding on it can seem somewhat impossible. However, with the drastic make-up of America changing, the need of understanding has become even more

Cultural Diversity can define as the state of being different relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society. When discussing cultural biases, we are all made up of our cultural influences and inherit some of the racial, and gender, biases of our society. “Everyone (regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation) possesses biased beliefs, attitudes, and stereotypes toward others” (Sue & Sue 2013).

Jeremy, I enjoyed reading your discussion piece and found myself agreeing with your perspective. I too fell as though society is commonly uninformed when it comes to other religions. One of my favorite quotes comes from Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992) who stated that the most dangerous phrase in the language is “We’ve always done it this way”. I truly believe that education is the key to many aspects of life, including religion.

Since I started this class, I have a learned a great deal about cultural diversity in the classroom and abroad. My perspective has changed slightly but my knowledge of this subject has improved. In my family, my father taught me about the civil rights movement and the evils of segregation in the U.S. My parents taught me to be tolerant of all humans, no matter what they look like, how they dress, or their sexual orientation. My family has always been liberal thinkers who taught me the dark history of racism and bigotry in this country. As an educator I would be accepting to all race, creeds, and religious peoples.

This chapter outlines the effects of culture on diversity management in organizations in Kenya. Secondly, it highlights the literature related factors that affect culture and in turn diversity management in organizations in Kenya such as technology, level of skilled workers, policies enforced by organizations in Kenya, and the level of resources available to them. The chapter also analysed literature related to other aspects that effect diversity management in organizations in Kenya.