Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Ask each person to share:

Their definition of culture according to four of my co-workers: (Four female, one male)

#1.  Lifestyle, traditions and beliefs. Why a person or group of people share including dreams and language.

#2. The practice and rituals of a particular segment of society.

#3. The behavior or characteristics of a particular group or entity. Classifications of a particular way of living, operating, or governing procedure.

#4. An ethic group or society that lives, think, and practice certain beliefs within their ethnic group or society.

#5. Ones background or ethnicity. (Male)

All of my respondents have different religious background and different work ethics.

Their definition of diversity

#1. Differences in persons or group of people from one culture in society.

#2. Represent the cultural blending of different teachings and practices of many ethnic groups.

#3. The uniqueness of a person, place, or thing. The differential aspect as it pertains to a specific criteria.

#4. To be able to adapt to situations that involve more than one ethnic group, social situation, or medical situation within daily lifestyles, i.e. work, school, or social setting.

#5. A variety of background and/or ethnicity.

Then reflect on the answers you received and ask yourself:

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

The aspects that I have studied that are reflected in the answers given are that all of the respondents knew that people of different cultures have different beliefs, different lifestyles, ethics, some even mentioned different languages.  The dictionary defines culture: the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture. Diversity is defined as variety; multiformity. A point of difference. My respondent’s definitions, some were similar using words like blending of different teachings and practices, situations that involve more than one ethnic group.  

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

Nothing has been omitted. For the most part on all respondents and their understanding is kind of misled. The definitions given were short of meaning. I did not allow them to use dictionaries or think about the question too long. I was pretty surprised at the answers. My co-workers all have had some college or have a degree in Business and/or Human Resource and I think one of them is a Psychology major.  I guess it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

This may sound a little selfish, but I am happy to know that I can teach them something. We all can learn from one another, not matter how many degrees we have.

The diversity of people in my immediate surroundings is very like me, but so unlike me.