Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

diversity

Powerful Essays
2212 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
diversity
What makes America such a great place to live is the experiences and the positive gains from ethnic diversity. In America, you can take an adventure and learn to speak Spanish, eat Indian food, dress like the Japanese, listen to Australian music with a group of Brazilian friends and still be American. Building optimistic synergy through cultural assortment is what makes the United States of America an original place. However, it is not the greetings we learn or the languages we can speak, it is the ability to converse with each other, whether we are Asian or American, white or black. Now, we live the dream of Martin Luther King, which is really no dream at all, for it is reality.
Everywhere you turn, there are different people with varieties of nationalities and backgrounds. Even from.....
Diversity is not our challenge but it is our blessing. It is the most wonderful thing in America. We have a change to learn good things about other culture and apply them to ours real life. And we also have an opportunity to exchange ours culture to them.
Recently, for an example, there are many Non American's restaurants opened to served ours needed. It would be so boring if we just eat only American foods all the time. There are Chinese, Thai, Italian, Japanese restaurant in this country so you can taste and eat your favorite foods without traveling internationally to other country.
If there was no diversity, we would be trapped on stupidity and selfishness. We need to open up ours country, ours hearts in order to do ours exploration and exchanging our culture to all country around the world.
A second important consideration is to understand what is meant by cultural diversity. Cultural diversity involves more than just the static representation of multiple cultures in a single place. In addition to the simple recognition of different cultures, cultural diversity requires interaction between these cultures; this interaction rarely, if ever, occurs by chance, but instead occurs only with careful and deliberate planning (Hayden & Thompson 2000). In addition, although it may sound a truism, cultural diversity must be diverse. In many instances, in an attempt to achieve ‘equality’, recognising diversity has involved "flattening out the depth of difference" in cultural practices
Finally, it is important to note that the implications of cultural diversity for global education will vary depending on the level at which that education takes place. That is to say, the implications of cultural diversity at an elementary school level will differ from those at a high school level, which in turn will differ from those implications at a post secondary level. Another method to ensure quality and diversity in the curricula of global education is to focus on empowering students to see themselves as an integral part of a global society and on preparing them for life in an increasingly interconnected world (Mackenzie 2000). To achieve this, Mackenzie suggests developing in students a combination of the awareness of different aspects of knowledge and intellectual and/or ethical attitudes.
The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe. That is to say, we never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves (Berger 1972: 8-9)
Once individuals can identify and interact with their own "consciousness of individuality" as social actors (Ibid: 10), they can then become actively participating agents with other individuals, regadapting their teaching methods to the different cultural learning styles of all children, or (2) paying greater attention to the school culture and the hidden curriculum (Cueva-Álvarez, 1999; Pérez-Domínguez, 1999). Acting as if that does not reflect the spirit of a multicultural teacher, the first step to becoming a good teacher and a good teacher educator is, as Sonia M. Nieto (1996) accurately maintains, to first be a multicultural personardless of culture
She believes that it is important to prepare teachers to understand pupils, their families and colleagues from all over the world through a respect for "the diversity of languages, lifestyles, projects, behavior and religions, to confront conflicts and resolve them in order to maintain the cultural enrichment of everybody." This view is supported by San Román (1992a, 1992b, 1993, 1994, 1997) and Merino et al. (1994), among many others in Spain, including ourselves. San Román (1994) claims that institutions have the potential to develop intercultural programs and projects along with processes for positive orientation. After all, if teachers are not involved in, or are perhaps insensitive to intercultural issues, and if they are not credited with original ideas or fail to receive appropriate preparation, any institutional policy/program will fail. Merino affirms that teachers are a key element in the process of change. the conflict between home and school languages, social values, attitudes and behavior create the need for teachers to understand the very essence of what education is about. Initial teacher preparation, therefore, should encourage a continuing program for the exploration of interculturalization enhanced by a comprehensive and systematic support network to enable teachers to express fears and gain confidence (García-Parejo, 1994).
Diversity finds its origin in the word diverse, meaning different. Difference in what? Difference in basically anything - cultures, ideas, values, lifestyles, classes, goals etc. No two people placed side by side will portray the same sets of values or ideals or any of the other factors mentioned above. Take a group of people and the diversity range will further broaden. Diversity does not mean divide, mind you. It just means a difference, which is essential in today's times - but why is diversity important? Let us find out through the following article:

The globalized world of today finds an amalgamation of different cultures, all brought into one common place, which is what diversity is. How and why is diversity important in society? Let us study a few scenarios and try and understand this concept.

Why is Diversity Important in Society?

What does diversity do? Diversity, first and foremost, teaches us to accept differences in others and look beyond the base emotions of language, culture, race and color that makes us racists or sexists, for example. It teaches us to be more open and accepting of things that are different than us and in that process makes us more adjustable and open. That is why, intercultural communication is an important factor that accepting diversity brings along with it.

Why is Diversity Important in Education?
Schools and colleges where knowledge and education is imparted, is the perfect place to teach children the importance of diversity and how to be more accepting. Schools and colleges are the perfect places and offer the perfect time period when young minds can be developed to be accepting of diversity. But why is diversity important in college and school? These are some of the reasons that drive the point of the importance of diversity home:
Understanding that there's a whole new and different world out there will help them become more learned and educated.
Studying about different cultures, their habits, dressings, eating habits and value systems will help them to take the good points from their systems and become better individuals.
Encouraging cultural diversity in the classroom will help them to appreciate their own culture as they will go back to their roots to find out more.
If they ever travel to any other part of the world, adjustment will be minimal because they are used to being with a diverse group of people.
Feelings of superiority, prejudice and bias will be eliminated and therefore they will become world citizens at an early age.
Why is Diversity Important in the Work Place?
You cannot have a homogeneous group to work with anymore. In at least 70% of all international companies, the work force will be a mixture of diverse cultures, religions and races. In such a scenario, it becomes important to promote ethnic, gender related, social and cultural diversity in the workplace. Let us see what the advantages of promoting intercultural communication in the workplace are:
It provides for better approaches to the same problem. Imagine if everyone is brought up in the same manner, with the same set of values and thinking styles - they will tend to solve a problem in a similar way. Which directly translates to limitations. If there are different thinking styles then there are different ways of approaching the same problem and a probable better solution for it.
Diversity at the work place is essential because it allows for the best ideas to come forward and gives a wide choice of solutions.
Diversity improves the effectiveness and productivity of the work force. A woman will approach a problem differently than a man would. Given a chance, a man or woman could prove their mettle by providing solutions that no one else has thought about, which is made possible because they are diverse in their thoughts and approach.
It helps in promoting one's business and makes it possible to take it to an international level. Diversity in the workplace refers to the way a business is backed by varied diverse thoughts and cultures, thus the best of all worlds can lead to success.
Why is diversity important in today's times? It is because of all these reasons and more. With the world becoming more and more global, one will obviously wonder is globalization good or bad? Well, it is to be understood that no matter what, it will become more and more diverse and nothing is going to stop the world from becoming a melting pot of cultures and different diversities. So instead of it being a negative thing, diversity helps to bring a positive reform in society.

Having a diverse group of students simply means recognizing that all the people are unique in their own way. Their differences could consist of their reading level, athletic ability, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs, and the list goes on. There has always been diversity in the classroom, but in today society it is important to embrace it and make positive use of it. Teachers should value diversity and they need to model this attitude to their students. When people value diversity, they recognize and respect the fact that people are different and that these differences is generally a good thing. For example, when attempting to solve a problem, it is better to assemble a diverse team with many skills and many different ways of approaching the problem than it is to assemble a team that has all their strength concentrated in one area.
What can teachers do to encourage, value, and promote diversity?
Teachers must provide students with an environment that is conducive to learning. If a student feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or not respected, then their chances of success in that class dramatically decrease. Also, as our society becomes more diverse, it is important that students learn to value and use diversity to the greater good. Teachers already have a number of roles in the classroom; yet, valuing diversity is one of the most important ones a teacher must fill. Below is a list of just a few things that teachers can do to create an environment where each student feels valued and respected.
Take the time to learn about your students' background, interests, and learning style.
This will allow you to create an environment that is conducive to each individual student.
Allow time for the students to learn about each other and gain an appreciation for the diversity they bring to the classroom.
Remind them how boring it would be if we were all alike and there were no differences among us to make each person unique.
Teach students that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. When working in teams encourage students to take advantage of the strengths of the team members in order to produce the best possible results.
Bring in different people to the class as resources that students might be able to connect with.
Search out people that are different from yourself and that might share certain qualities with your students.
Students need role models. Many times when they see they are connected in some way to a person they will be more apt to listen and learn from them.
Never tolerate bullying, teasing, and other put-down behavior at any time in the classroom.
Implement a "zero tolerance" for anything that is disrespectful, hurtful, or intolerant of diversity.

able to relate to children and their families a keen desire to teach children willing to learn good problem-solving skills sound literacy and numeracy skills high level of planning and organisational skills enthusiasm, tact, patience and a sense of humour prepared to work out of school hours.
We as adults have seem to lost this energy, curiosity and enthusiasm.
Sometimes breaking the rules helps. The “Do Not Rock The Boat” phrase doesn’t apply to children as they are always ready to rock the boat and try to get things done. We adults seem to be so engaged in doing things a certain way, we tend to forget that there are other ways to get things done. Learn from the children and break the rules every once in a while, as long as you can get something done effectively without any adverse effects

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Diversity is what founded the United States, an idea that allowed individuals to immigrate to this country with an ability to escape secular violence, poverty, or to pursue a higher education.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The information that I have learned about diversity in the United States of America has helped me better understand and relate to others in many ways. The United States of America is a giant melting pot of several different races, ethnicities, and cultures. What I have learned is that each group has their differences and similarities. With these differences in culture they have taught me how to be tolerant and accepting of them no matter how different from me they appear. By accepting the differences in our diverse society I have learned new thoughts and ideas of living, different perspectives of thinking, and have been introduced to a variety of foods that I have never tried before. All in all, it seems in the end that many racial and ethnic groups are different, but they share one common interest which is to love one another and be happy. The most beneficial thing to our society would be the focus on the main interest of all, instead of focusing on how different we are when compared to one another. Focusing on the differences between one another and judging others based on them was something that was done in the past. However, I had come to realize that focusing on the differences and closing the opportunity to learn about other cultures, races, and ethnicities was hindering me in life.…

    • 1635 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    As tolerance in each other’s differences begins, so does our hope of progress. America being built upon the foundation of all men being created equal is often questioned for it truly is the unique diversity that impacts the country. In fact, many would agree on the “little point… [of isolating] anything… resembling nation character” as it is…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ETH 125 final paper

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Diversity is an important part of American culture. Cultural diversity has helped to shape the way we live everyday as well as the different foods we eat. What really thought me about diversity is that it is not limited just too racial or ethnic groups but other minority groups. The new information I have learned about diversity still has not changed my views. I think it is important to learn about others cultures and backgrounds. Without knowledge about other cultural groups we would only have stereotypes to go off of. Stereotypes without proper knowledge can lead to discrimination or prejudices.…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In being so diverse, the lives and beliefs of many different cultures here in America are accepted. One major example, is religion. Jews and Arabs, who are enemies in there Jammal 2 countries, live in the United States in harmony. Another example are the Muslims and Hindu's, who hate and kill each other in their countries, and yet can live in America side by side in peace because of Thomas Jefferson's vision of "Life". I come from a very diverse background.…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Understanding our diverse America is important, because it allows us to grow as a country. It allows us to be more than just another place. It shows us that Americans can become so much more when we come together as…

    • 133 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Diversity also means reaching out to others to see if they face the same challenges as me. I had the amazing opportunity of becoming a People to People Student Ambassador and traveling to Spain, France, and Italy. While in Spain, I had a host-family who didn’t speak English. It was a huge language barrier but we communicated through hand gestures. I learned that they are just like us.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    This paper addresses the many dimensions of cultural diversity. How these dimensions affect which cultural, ethnic, or other groups people identify with, and how these groups affect our social circles. The difference between diversity and inclusion is identified as well as the importance of diversity training within the workplace and how workplace culture is affected by diversity.…

    • 1894 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States of America is becoming a very diverse society. There is no real way around it. It will only become more diverse as the years go on. Every year more migrants and interracial couples show up in the US. It is time for all to embrace the different cultures. Many things affect how people embrace this diversity.…

    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cultural Diversity

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages

    * The United States is a melting pot of many cultures, races and ethnicities. I have learned that each group has differences and many similarities. With these differences they have taught me to be tolerant and accepting of them. By embracing the differences through our diverse society, I have learned new concepts of living, new ways to think, and have been introduced to a variety of foods that I have enjoyed. It seems in the end many of the groups that are so different have a common interest which is to love and be happy. It would be beneficial to our society if we would focus on the main interest of all, rather than focusing on how different we are from one another. Focusing on the differences and judging others based on them is something that was done in the past upon realization that closing the opportunity to learn about other cultures was hindering me in life.…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Diversity can be differences in race, heritage, gender, beliefs, physical appearance, mental capabilities, etc. Diversity should be respected and valued because nobody is completely the same as anyone else, even within the categories above. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together without causing problems for each other.…

    • 2116 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Diversity can be differences in race, heritage, customs, belief systems, physical appearance and mental capabilities. Diversity should be respected and valued because nobody is completely the same as anyone else, even within the categories above. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society.…

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unit 203 Business

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Diversity can be differences in race, heritage, customs, belief systems, physical appearance, mental capabilities; etc Diversity should be respected and valued because nobody is completely the same as anyone else, even within the categories above. People tend to reject what is different. We must value our diversity in order to work together.…

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    CYPOP37 4.1.

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Diversity means valuing differences and treating others with respect. Different people have different hopes, beliefs, prospect, and responsibilities. We should remember that people from different background can bring fresh ideas and perceptions. Diversity can be differences in race, heritage, customs, belief systems, physical appearance, mental capabilities, etc. Diversity should be respected and valued because nobody is completely the same. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Media Stereotyping

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages

    America is a relatively young country born in war and to this day continues to struggle with its identity. What makes this country strong is the ideals of freedom and equality. “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created”. This is the ideal makes America strong, that no matter where you come from rich or poor that you as an American can achieve the American dream. We have had our struggles, but that is what makes us strong. It is not been an easy journey, we have paid dearly for our freedoms and our way of life. Some people have paid more than others to struggle for the freedoms guaranteed from being an American. Diversity can be traced all the same lines as civil rights movement in America. There is been a fierce battle for independence of different peoples spread across this land. From the deep South and the marches of Martin Luther King Jr. to the Northeast and the persecution of the Puritans. The Southwest has become the new battleground for diversity with the battle against illegal immigration.…

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics