What Diversity and Multiculturalism Mean to Me
By
David Meads
What does Diversity and Multiculturalism mean to me? I believe that diversity has become so much more than just the basic qualities of race or gender. It now includes all qualities that make everyone unique, as individuals or as part of a larger group. It is also the acceptance, respect, and understanding of these unique qualities that makes diversity work in a given society. Multiculturalism is the system that is centered around the respect for and the promotion of ethnic and or gender diversity in the society. Multiculturalism is the status of several different ethnic, racial, religious or cultural groups co-existing in the same society. Today, in the U.S. we already
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They were born on Air Force bases. In just about every small town and most medium to large cities, there is a “black” part or section of town. I grew up in a very small town but the part of town I lived in was very big to me. Everyone had the same ideals, beliefs, and expectations. We all knew each other very well. We went to the same church, played in the same park, ate the same type of food, and we listened to the same music. There were no unique individuals, no one really stood out. My town had harmony; a feeling of well being - for lack of a better word. I did not realize that I lived in a culture that had very little diversity. I knew that there were people out side my little world who spoke a different language, dressed different, and ate strange food. But it never occurred to me that I would ever meet anyone very different from me in every way. During the late seventies, when Carter was president, a lot of the restrictions were lifted on student loans. This made it easy for low income families to send their children to college. I quit my factory job and off I went to college. I chose a college as far away from home as I could – a whole three and a half hour drive away. That is pretty far for someone who has never been more than an hour from home for more than two days. On the first day, during registration, I realized that a whole new world opened up right in front of me. I experienced so many
Diversity, equality and inclusion will be explained and examples give throughout. I will also look at ways in which setting can promote the different values, and looking at the different examples form by own settings. I will also briefly look at the different laws and codes relating to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Diversity means to value and respect the differences and individuality of people. This means to embrace the differences between people and to treat a person’s race, culture, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientation, gender, physical and mental characteristics etc. with respect.
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ― Maya Angelou.
The concept of globalization, which is the increasing integration and interdependence of different countries from one another in terms of economic, communication, and technological aspects, leads one to address the concept of cultural diversity or multiculturalism. Cultural diversity in the health-care system touches lives of many Americans in one way or another. No matter what our own cultural background is, when we go receive medical care, we may encounter a care giver who comes from a different cultural background than ours(Naylor 1997,291).. In the concept of cultural diversity, it can be recognized that two terms are equally important. The first concept is culture, which refers to the total way of life of individuals, and the unique
Another goal of mine is to be able to practice cultural humility, a term I learned in a multiculturalism course in my undergrad. I plan to work with as many populations as I can throughout my career. I have my biases and generalizations of people and I want to be able to address them in a diverse classroom environment before going into the work field. I am most interested in working with and learning about Children, Youth and Women during my advanced year of study. Specifically with adolescents because of my plans to work in the CSEC field.
Regardless of my town’s homogeneous population, I grew up accepting diversity and valuing individual differences even amid the same racial group. One of the first experiences of diversity I can vividly recall is the various religious beliefs within the Black community. My parents believed “exposure to the world around you” was one of the primary factors for raising a well-rounded individual. Therefore, we often visited different churches of various faiths.
People are not alike. Everyone is different. This essay will start by giving a detailed description of what diversity is and how it applies in today's modern society. Although sometimes linked to equality and used interchangeably, the terms ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ are not the same. It will therefore be necessary to define diversity. For the purpose of this essay diversity will be used in the societal context, the word societal will be used in relation to human society and its members, social institutions, societal evolution, societal forces and social legislation. The essay will take a very brief look firstly at the history of diversity but will focus mainly on the current perspective. The essay will follow on by giving several in-depth
There have been developing numbers of concepts and exploration in regards to race, ethnicity and gender which includes many theories exposing the knowledge of different ethos and the affects in today society. One theory to explore is the pluralistic or multicultural theory. Multicultural or Pluralistic theory is theory that interprets American culture to have many different sub-cultures that incorporates their values, beliefs and traditions and integrates them on to a bigger cultural scale such as subcultures like Hispanics and African Americans. Steets (2014) explains each human child experiences a pluralism of "significant others “in essential socialization and grows as a self in discovering a method for coordinating the diverse parts allotted to him or her. Hispanics and African Americans are two different and unique subgroups in the American society.
Is a multicultural society good for the world and for different countries? Does multiculturalism renewal different countries, or does it make their own basic national culture disappear? Should the government support multiculturalism? There are many different views around those questions. There are also many other questions about multiculturalism, which are up in the light today.
When thinking of diversity one is either thinking of division or unity. There are many views upon the subject that says otherwise. Throughout society today diversity is happening everywhere, which leads to a mixture of everything going on. In which you never know what to expect. Our society is going through a crises of either the bad or good of diversity. Through the years there have been an sort of diversity with religion, gender, and race. In a weird way all three of those subjects are very much connected. Because of diversity different religions, genders, and race had made it their duty to cast others out. When they don't even have the power to do so. Just because someone is different doesn't mean they don't have the
The United States school districts have transitioned into a multicultural learning center supportive in the role of teaching students, families, and communities about the benefits of embracing diversity and the positive impact it stimulates in promoting equality. Schools share the responsibility to assist in preparing student development for life after school in a multicultural society. The involvement of schools to provide successful integration for students from all ethnic backgrounds will prove supportive as school’s diversities continue to increase further into the 21st century. In this paper, a discussion of my school’s affirmation for diversity will be included. The next section will include how affirming diversity impacts multicultural education. Third, I will include some of the ways in which teachers and schools can support students for whom English is not a native language. Fourth, I will include an explanation of why schools that serve economically disadvantaged and culturally marginalized students are more likely to have arts programs cuts, including what researchers say about this trend, and how it affects student achievement. Fifth, explain why the choices between assimilation and affirmation are somewhat different today than 100 years ago. Finally, include some of my ideas for affirming diversity in PK-12 settings.
Diversity to me is understanding the everyone is exclusive, and understanding that people are different. By different I mean by: race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical, and religious beliefs. Diversity is about learning and understanding each other and moving beyond judgment to embrace and love the different diversity within everyone. Also, it means being willing and able to learn other people ways of living rather it is the difference in their culture religion, race or education. When you are exposed to different diversity you learn different perspectives. Diversity is not only about race/ethnicity but it also includes everyone from similar and different backgrounds with very different life experiences. Diversity should
Every time I hear the word diversity I watch as people around me shift their eyes to the brown faces in the room, mine included. I know what they’re thinking, “If an African-American person is in the room, how much more diverse can we be?” The truth is that, embodying diversity does not end with race. Diversity can often be accomplished by taking initiative, creating, or submerging yourself, in new programs, experiences, and cultures. This Spring I chartered the first chapter of the Pre-Law Division of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at my university. At Indiana University I noticed a need for a minority focused pre-law organization and decided to take action. Through BLSA I am hoping to encourage minority students to attend law school and increase the number of competitive minority law school applicants.
By the year 2050, nonwhites will represent close to half of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau projections. By 2005, the ethnic minority share of the workforce is expected to grow to 28 percent, up from 18 percent in 1980 and 22 percent in 1990. Although the African American population is now the largest minority group, the Hispanic and Asian populations are growing much faster. In 1994, the African American population was estimated to be 33 million, or 12.7 percent of the total population, up from 11.7 percent in 1980.
According to Carl R. Rogers, “The only way to understand another culture is to assume the frame of reference of that culture,” a statement that could not be further from the truth, since it is something constantly expressed through centuries of multicultural works. Multiculturalism is all about featuring characters and themes from countries around the world. In terms of literature, writers of all kinds of different ethnic backgrounds such as David Henry Hwang, Luis Valdez, and Harriet Jacobs express their ideas and values through these methods in their works to get readers to examine them in detail and get a feel of the experience of what it truly means to be a part of that specific culture throughout history from the perspectives of those