Sunday, January 26, 2014

Week 3: Perspectives on Culture and Diversity


 

WEEK 3: Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

                The three people that I talked to were my director, mother, and one of my customers at my second job.

Customer: Culture is “beliefs, religion, way of living, jobs, language, and food. I guess. Diversity is how people are different cuz of those things.

Director: “Culture is everything we do. It ranges from the physical aspects like religion and language to the things we don’t think about. The way we move and look at others” Diversity is differences amongst people. We look and analyze our culture and others and compare and contrast to get our view of the diversity around us.”

Mother: “Culture is like how dad comes to your work on Saturday to have coffee with you. It is the religion and beliefs we hold. It is the way I raised you.” Diversity is “what makes us us and what makes others them and the comparison we make about the two.”

I think that each one of my lovely interviewees had something positive to add to an overall view of culture. I could tell the director was using what she has learned through her classes that she has taken. I felt my mother made a great example of the relationship that I have with my family. The customer added a lot of physical examples of what diversity is.  One think that has been omitted is how our individual culture gives us the mental thinking to make judgments about culture and the diversity among people.
Thinking about what these three people said I realized everyone has their own view about what culture is and diversity is. I think that can create divides and a lack of understanding of others. This can lead to more judgments. But bringing everyone’s definitions together can create a great well rounded understanding of what people perceive that culture and the diversity is among those they interact with.

2 comments:

  1. I agree that your director was speaking from what she had learned in a class, while your mother and the customer were speaking from their personal experiences. I find it so interesting how people educated on a specific topic often seem to relay what they have learned, while others speak from their own personal experiences in life. Thanks for sharing their thoughts.

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  2. Hi Samantha,
    I agree that lack of understanding can lead to more judgments. Lack of understanding of a person culture can lead to misunderstanding which can result in unhealthy relationships especially in early childhood. When there is a lack of understanding dealing with children it can cause parents to be distant, hostile, or cut all communication. Not understanding a child culture can affect the way the child needs to be taught. I feel that this is why it is important that people take time to get to know children as well as parents. Its time out for assuming and passing judgment on people. Stereotyping is another form of judgment that needs to stop. Thanks for sharing.....

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