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How Cultural Diversity May Occur

The term cultural diversity comes with a lot of context- what culture are you defining? What level of diversity do you want to include? There is no universal definition for this term, so depending on your definitions, you can get different answers. The most basic way to define cultural diversity is to think about how […]

By
LNGFRM Team
Published December 15, 2022

The term cultural diversity comes with a lot of context- what culture are you defining? What level of diversity do you want to include? There is no universal definition for this term, so depending on your definitions, you can get different answers.

The most basic way to define cultural diversity is to think about how many cultures there are in the world. This includes things like having diverse nationalities, speaking multiple languages, and practicing certain religions.

Many people refer to these as markers of cultural diversity. By including these in your life, you show that you belong to an existing culture. You may not be from one of the cultures mentioned above, but you probably know at least one language or practice one religion.

This article will talk more about why cultural diversity is important and some ways we can promote it. However, before then, let’s look at two cases where cultural diversity isn’t very high.

Differences in culture

how cultural diversity may occur

In addition to diversity due to race, there is also diversity caused by cultural differences. This includes things like nationality, language, religion, and tradition.

This can be very powerful as it allows for greater understanding of other cultures. While being exposed to different cultures may challenge your current beliefs, it is important to do so.

Research has shown that those with more exposure to diverse groups are less likely to hold racial biases. Furthermore, they tend to perceive others as more similar to themselves which helps reduce conflict.

Furthermore, researchers have found that people who grow up among many cultures become more open-minded and tolerant when they get older.

Differences in language

how cultural diversity may occur

Speaking different languages can help you understand how other cultures think and feel about life. Not only do non-English speaking countries use their own language, but they may also use different vocabulary and grammar to express themselves!

By being familiar with another language, you will be more aware of what things mean for people who speak that language. This could include terms like ‘home’, ‘work’, ‘family’ and ‘life’ which are used differently across cultures.

The word ‘success’ has many different meanings depending on the country it is spoken in. A success in one culture might be having a lot of children while a success in another could be achieving your dreams or moving up the ladder at work.

These differences get even sharper when there is a difference in religion or race. For example, Europeans tend to associate family as including parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins whereas Asians often exclude parents from the concept of family.

Differences in religion

how cultural diversity may occur

There are many different religions in this world, with most people belonging to at least one! This is due to religious beliefs changing depending on who you ask, what culture you were raised in, and so on.

This is important to know as a kid of any race. It’s very easy to assume things about someone else’s religion because they went to the same place to school every day and live close to each other, but not everyone is like that.

It can be hard to understand the differences between some faiths if you don’t attend the same church or teach at the same university as them.

So, how could your kids learn more about different religions? Here are our top five tips for teaching students about religion diversity.

1. Have conversations

Talking about religion is always a good thing. Even though there are an infinite number of ways to talk about God, there are still lots of topics to cover.

Ask questions such as ‘What does his/her name mean? What do you believe he/she wants from us?’ and then let student answers flow from there.

2. Use examples

Religion uses stories and metaphors to explain concepts. A great way to get your child talking about their faith is by asking about certain parts of the Bible or Quran.

Differences in values

how cultural diversity may occur

In today’s society, cultural diversity is seen as more important than ever before. People of all cultures come together to celebrate their shared humanity.

This is different from earlier periods when only certain groups were allowed to exist. For example, during the Victorian era, people with dark skin could not enjoy popular culture materials like novels, movies, or TV shows that feature characters with darker complexions.

These types of media are considered “white-centered” because they focus on experiences that include white protagonists. This is why some people refer to these products as “whitewashed stories.”

However, this isn’t very informative for anyone who doesn’t have light skin. It can leave individuals with dark skin feeling excluded and/or ashamed of their ethnicity.

Differences in food

how cultural diversity may occur

There are many ways that different cultures include, exclude or value foods differently. Some may not have certain foods at all while others may only eat specific types of food.

Some diets are more nutritious than others. This is because some vegetables and fruits are health benefits and should be included in your diet, but you would need to know what kind of balance you have before judging which ones are too much (or not enough).

There are several reasons why some people seem to enjoy only meat and potatoes with little variation. It can be due to cultural traditions like Muslim religion where eating pork is forbidden or Buddhist culture where vegetarianism is popular.

Other things that contribute to this include fear/avoidance of certain foods, cost, and preference.

Cost is a major factor for some who don’t consume foods that expensively. For example, someone whose family doesn’t spend money on junk food might pass up an Italian meal just because it can be very pricey.

For other individuals, even if they liked the food, they wouldn’t believe it was good for them unless it had less than a specified amount of sugar or fat. These concepts come from beliefs about how healthy foods should be so individual differences can play a role in whether or not something “healthy” looks appealing.

Preference also comes into play. People differ in their preferences for flavors, textures, and nutritional content of foods.

Differences in dress

how cultural diversity may occur

Recent studies show that how you dressed influenced how people perceived you. Certain clothes make you feel good about yourself, which can affect your perception of other people. This is what we call positive social influence.

Other studies have shown that when others think you’re rich or fashionable, they too begin to imitate this look. This is called externalized impression formation.

The way you dress also reflects how you perceive yourself and your place in society. For example, if you are trying to convey an image of prosperity, then don’t wear sweatshirts.

Another important factor at play here is stereotype threat. Stereotypes describe a generalization about a group of individuals based on their shared characteristics.

For instance, there is a widespread assumption among most cultures that white males are the top income earners. Therefore, when you enter a room full of such individuals, it may subconsciously put pressure on everyone else to follow suit by acting like more affluent members of the community.

Differences in behavior

A large part of cultural diversity is due to people doing things differently. For example, when you move into an area with different cultures, there will be some behaviors that are unique to those cultures.

In America, we have socialized our culture to emphasize individualism. We believe that if someone does something good, they should get recognition for it. This doesn’t always work outside of American culture though!

In many Asian countries, community members don’t typically invite just anyone out to eat, instead choosing friends who are within their circle or group. This makes eating out more expensive since you have to pay extra to go somewhere else each time you want to order food!

In other words, individuals from diverse cultures may do things independently, but they also rely on each other for help and support.

Differences in the way we live

how cultural diversity may occur

There are many ways our lives differ depending on where you reside and what culture you belong to. These include how you dress, how you structure your day, how you value education versus career, how you celebrate holidays, and more.

As humans, we develop relationships with people of other cultures. We learn about them and they us! This process is called cultural exchange.

We also find similarities between ourselves and others. For example, most people want something better for themselves so they work hard to achieve that goal. Some place a high importance on having fun, and not too life goes beyond that.

This article will discuss some examples of how differences arise from the way individuals within different cultures relate to each other, and the society they comprise.

Author

  • LNGFRM Team

    Frank DiBernardo handles LNGFRM's Foodie and Miscellaneous writing tasks. He's always getting ideas from users, so don't be afraid to send an email to the editor.

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