Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

The three individuals that I spoke with this week concerning culture included three different ethnic groups:  White, Arabic and Black.  This group included a co-worker, a parent in the programs that I work for and a friend.  When I questioned them of their definitions of culture their definitions were pretty similar.  They referred to culture as the values, beliefs and traditions that they have.  They all believed that their culture is important to them and that every person’s culture should be respected.  When speaking to them about diversity and their definition of the word they thought that it meant the differences between individuals and groups no matter their ethnicity or culture. 

The definitions that I received from all three of these individuals are similar to those the definitions that have been studies thus far in this course.   The beliefs, values and traditions all represent culture and diversity meaning each person is uniquely different and should be respected. 

I believe that when listening to others definition of culture and diversity as opposed to my own and what I have learned thus far is that each person’s culture is important to them.  They want to be valued and respected no matter their cultural background.  A person’s culture can help you to understand a person and shouldn’t be looked down upon, instead you should try to understand why others may react differently than most, why their traditions and beliefs may differ from your own and you should respect them for those differences and appreciate that without this diverse world there would be no uniqueness.