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Why Is Diversity In The Workplace Important?

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Hello, Belinda!

Being culturally competent in society today is so important, no matter what career field we plan to enter. As you said well, we live in a diverse world. If we view that world through our own ethnocentrism, there is a probability that eventually we will fail to recognize or underestimate how different someone else's experiences have been. I have an off-book but relevant example that I would like to share with you. I just began a new job, as I shared during our course introductions. One of the interview questions that was asked was about diversity, e.g. "Why is diversity in the workplace important? What are the advantages and disadvantages of diversity in the workplace?" I answered the question well, I thought, citing various definitions and examples that I had learned in my sociology classes. During the first week at work, I had met a few people around my age that had been very helpful as I strove to acclimate. I had some Welch's fruit snacks, and shared some of the packs with those people one day. I got a message from one of the girls that she wasn't able to eat fruit snacks because they were made from pork. I had not considered that there would possibly be a
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I felt, to a certain extent at least, that I was culturally competent. I understood that not everyone had the same upbringing and experiences that I have had. My life course may not allow for true levels of comprehension for the struggles that others have experienced, but I like to think that I do have a mature level of empathy for others. Despite all of this, and all 3.5 years at UNCP, I am still so unaware of the diversity around me that I didn't even consider the implications of what I had considered to be an act of kindness. I'm so thankful to be taking this class, and I hope that the information I learn in it helps move me to an even deeper level of appreciation and understanding of the diversity in our world
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