What Diversity and Multiculturalism Mean to Me
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 live in a diverse, multicultural world, where popular culture has introduced us to others’ foods, music, histories, customs, and more. Moreover, the predictions that a multiplicity of infusions from culture to culture will continue unabated – and that we must develop a respect for others if we are to be active, engaged participants in the new world order (Green, 1998). These are the formal explanations and definitions of diversity and multiculturalism. What does these two terms mean to me? I believe that diversity is learning from others that aren’t the same as me and being able to pass down what I’ve learned and experienced to my children. I want my children to know that there is richness in learning the beliefs, customs, and histories of other cultures. That being different in someone else’s eyes isn’t all the time a bad thing. I have expressed to them many times that as the world continues to expand globally, you are going to have to learn with, work with, and get along with people with different backgrounds and beliefs. They will be exposed to more cultures, personalities, talents, customs, religions, races, ethnicities; attitudes and opinions than I at there age. They started their experiences with different
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 live in a diverse, multicultural world, where popular culture has introduced us to others’ foods, music, histories, customs, and more. Moreover, the predictions that a multiplicity of infusions from culture to culture will continue unabated – and that we must develop a respect for others if we are to be active, engaged participants in the new world order (Green, 1998). These are the formal explanations and definitions of diversity and multiculturalism. What does these two terms mean to me? I believe that diversity is learning from others that aren’t the same as me and being able to pass down what I’ve learned and experienced to my children. I want my children to know that there is richness in learning the beliefs, customs, and histories of other cultures. That being different in someone else’s eyes isn’t all the time a bad thing. I have expressed to them many times that as the world continues to expand globally, you are going to have to learn with, work with, and get along with people with different backgrounds and beliefs. They will be exposed to more cultures, personalities, talents, customs, religions, races, ethnicities; attitudes and opinions than I at there age. They started their experiences with different
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