Cultural Diversity: The Great Melting Pot

Social and Cultural Diversity

LaMesia Titus

Grand Canyon University

Introduction

Wikipedia defines cultural diversity as, “the quality of diverse or diverse cultures… The phrase cultural diversity can also refer to having different cultures respect each other’s differences.” It is important to understand the importance of cultural diversity. Our country, jobs, and schools have a variety of cultures, races, and ethnic practices and groups. We should learn from one another, but first we must have a level of understanding about each other to be able to collaborate and cooperate, function together as a human race. Although many of world’s people have grasped the concept of the ‘Great Melting Pot’, biases still

Encountering individuals of a different culture is a daily experience I some areas. Although these encounters should be used to embrace and encourage diversity, this is not always the case. There are certain individuals who use these encounters to fuel a flame of unjustified hatred and rage based on nothing more than preconceived prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination; social biases that have long plagued society (Keene, 2010). Today, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination are three words that are constantly used incorrect daily. Stereotype is an idea that is used to describe a particular type of person or thing. An example of a stereotype is labeling all African American males as drop outs. Prejudice is defined as an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. An example of prejudice is judging someone without prior knowledge. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of distinct categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. An example of discrimination would be if a boss offered black males a lower price for work while offering white males a higher price even though both the black and white males were completing the same tasks. Subtle racist is described as a person who has implicit racial or negative attitudes towards another group. The major problem associated with contemporary racism, as suggested by Sue (2005), is that

As a leader, it is my job to make sure every client is treated equally and is provided excellent resources. The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "so," with many shades in between. Another major aspect of communication style is the degree of importance given to non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes not only facial expressions and gestures; it also involves seating arrangements, personal distance, and sense of time. In addition, different norms regarding the appropriate degree of assertiveness in communicating can add to cultural misunderstandings. For instance, some white Americans typically consider raised voices to be a sign that a fight has begun, while some black, Jewish and Italian Americans often feel that an increase in volume is a sign of an exciting conversation among friends. Thus, some white Americans may react with greater alarm to a loud discussion than would members of some American ethnic or non-white racial groups (Lantieri, Patti, 1996). Strategies to build rapport will be different based on culture and