Culture makes up people’s everyday lives—what they wear, how they talk, and even how they act in certain situations—but one’s own culture is something with which he is so familiar that often he does not realize the implications of being defined by it. Being born into a culture and growing up in it makes it seem like the norm, but there are those who do not have that luxury. Some people feel isolated because their culture does not fit what mainstream culture sees as the norm. That is what the study of and push for multiculturalism in America is all about today: finding ways to incorporate into classrooms the diversity of all the different cultures that make up the people of America.
But what are culture, multiculturalism, and diversity? From one of the videos watched in class, culture has four components that define it: symbols, language, values, and norms. Culture is a group of people’s shared symbols, language, values, and norms
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Therefore, culture is how we speak, act, relate to others, and what we think is right and wrong. However, there are many different cultures, even within the United States, and this is what diversity is. As said by Tonia Durden about students, diversity is those “who are distinguished from mainstream society by their primary language, ethnicity, and social class” (2008, p. 403-404). In addition, in the video “Why Cultural Diversity Matters” by Michael Gavin (2014), diversity is discussed as being a difference in language, race, gender, sexual orientation, and any number of other factors within a group of people. Diversity at its most basic boils down to a difference in culture among groups of people. In a similar vein, multicultural education
Diversity is very visible in the schools within the United States. When you enter most classrooms you see students from different nationalities. As the immigrant population continues to grow in the U.S., teachers need to make sure they take everyone’s culture into consideration when teaching. It is important for teachers to create an atmosphere where all cultures are recognized and respected. Teachers should ensure to use culturally responsive practices in order to be able to engage all the student and their families, despite where they come from.
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.
This course focuses on important to teach students about diversity to help them develop empathy for others. We will read about diversity and cultures to help students understand what diversity really means and how it applies to them. Diversity focuses on race, gender, ethnicity, and cultural and how it pertains to the classroom and everyday life. This course is here to enlighten students of the differences of others and how to be sensitive to everyone’s cultures and beliefs. Consists of developing positive relationships among diverse groups and individuals to fight stereotyping and promote unity (Bank & McGee, 2013).
"As a Texan, I have known many immigrant's families, mainly from Mexico, and I've seen what they add to our country. They bring to America the values of faith in God, love of family, hard work, and self-reliance; the values that made us a great nation to begin with (Ortiz)". One of our great president, George W. Bush, said these enhancing words and it now concerns me in this day of time. That now the world wants to imprison the Hispanic culture all for varies stereotypes. With President Trump theory of the wall this will cause many more issues not only with Hispanic immigrates but within America itself. Without the construction of the wall, America wouldn’t be wasting money, it will keep generating diversity and wall wouldn’t go against our founding father's rules and regulations.
For over two centuries, the United States has a been a religious haven for anyone and everyone, regardless of religious belief. America has only been able to remain a powerhouse for this vast period of time because of their ability to accept and thrive upon diversity. Opportunities given in the United States allow and promote diversity, which brings forth understanding, perspective, and wisdom. Unfortunately, immigrants from certain religious backgrounds are not receiving the same opportunities that our forefathers believed each and every one of us are entitled to. Based upon the free exercise clause and the establishment clause of the first amendment, as well as section one of the fourteenth amendment, it would be unconstitutional to require immigrants to take a religion test.
In today 's ever changing world teachers need to understand the importance of a multicultural education. It’s becoming essential to provide opportunities for their students to learn about the many cultures represented in america and the world around them. Studies have shown that by the year 2040 as surveyed by the U.S. census bureau, that “white non-hispanics will make up less than half of the school aged population” (Smith) Our country is ever growing and it doesn 't seem right to exclude cultural education to students when our nation was built by immigrants. Building curriculums that acknowledge different cultures,
Cultural diversity, or multiculturalism, is based on the idea that cultural identities should not be discarded or ignored, but rather maintained and valued. The foundation of this belief is that every culture and race has made a substantial contribution to American history. However, many people remain opposed to the idea of multiculturalism, or cultural diversity awareness, while others often support it and yet have no clear idea of how it should be taught. The diversity of the United States is truly astounding, as many different ethnic and racial groups have contributed to the social,
People that are taught different things about their culture view their lives completely differently. Education is very important and is absolutely huge in preparing people for the real world and to live the rest of their lives meaningfully and with knowledge. A big part of this is education on culture. In Dianne Ravitch’s essay “Multiculturalism Yes, Particularism No”, Ravitch explains that there are two ways people are taught about culture, multiculturalism, or cultural pluralism, and particularism. The pluralist approach teaches people to recognize and embrace that there is one common American culture that has been created in this country and that it has been created by many different groups.
The United States is currently a country that is fairly diverse. In the near future the U.S. is projected to have no racial or ethnic group as it majority. As a result of this change our country would officially be a multicultural society. This change would bring some challenges as well as some advantages for some people.
The generic definition for diversity is the condition of having people of different races and cultures in an organization, such as a school. Culture is similarly generically defined as the beliefs, customs, and attitudes of a group of people or an organization. A deeper perspective encompasses sociocultural theory, where the social and cultural context of a person’s thought and actions are considered. According to sociocultural theory, we do not live in a vacuum. Interaction with social forces, or those omnipresent social influences that surround us, goes a long way toward explaining our attitudes, character, knowledge, feelings, and other individual attributes (“Diversity Consciousness”, 2010, 2004, and 2000).
High school students in the United States go to school with students of a diverse mix of races, yet many of them are not familiar with cultures other than their own. Today, people are dependent on one another to supply goods, to solve political debates, and to ensure international security, making understanding other cultures essential. This begins with individuals
The United States serves as a culturally rich country who opens its arms to individuals from many different ethnicities, backgrounds, and life experiences. It seeks to be the melting pot of a blended group of people, providing opportunity and equity for all. Consequently, our educational system is the cornerstone for providing equal opportunity for all persons. Therefore, as the United States continues to be immersed with individuals from various cultures, the educational system must consistently seek to assure that educational opportunities are equally distributed to our students. In order for this task to be accomplished, developing a well-defined illustration of what multicultural education is necessary.
What does culture and diversity mean? Culture is what, why and how we do things. The Cultural Competence: Guidelines and Protocols document describes culture as ‘the interplay of many elements which include behaviors, customs, beliefs, values and institutions’. Culture can also be seen as ‘a lens through which we view the world’ (Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, 2006). Therefore, culture is dynamic and relates to the contexts and places to which a person experiences and lives their every day life. It is important for teachers, students and their families to have an understanding and appreciation for
Education is one of the most important factors in every person’s life regardless of where they’re from, their race, or their culture. Becoming educated not only makes life easier for us but also can help people become more successful in all things. However with so many people of various races, ethnicities and backgrounds in the United States it is difficult to create an education system that attends to each student’s individual culture. Ones own culture influences their actions and lifestyle, therefore this can create conflict if it is different from their schools cultural teaching style. Multicultural and multilingual classrooms have become the norm in many educational and professional settings throughout the U.S. because of changing immigration patterns caused by globalization (Institute for Educational Leadership, p. 2). For teachers today, it is essential to understand the role of culture and have the ability to interact interculturally in the classroom to create an effective learning environment. Analyzing cultural issues or differences can help teachers to understand some of the unconscious processes that shape individuals’ actions and interactions, as well as their language use and communication. “Teachers who understand cultural diversity…are more likely to be successful in their multicultural classrooms” (Samovar, Pg.2).