Perspectives on Culture and Diversity

This week I asked three people two questions: 1. What is your definition of culture? 2. What is your definition of diversity? I enjoyed this assignment because it allowed me to get an idea of how other people view culture and diversity, which was interesting.

I will start with my mother’s answers. I like going to her for answers because she always shares something new and insightful.

1.Wow, okay. Culture is a group of people who share the same beliefs and way of living.

 This is a pretty simple answer and goes along with what I have been learning about culture. Her answer is not specific but it is correct and to the point.

2. Diversity is learning and accepting other’s cultures.

 This too is a basic description and supports what I have been learning about as it relates to diversity. In our conversation I added that individual people can be diverse as well as groups or classrooms.

            The second person I interviewed is of Jewish descent and my director at my preschool. I value anything she has to say.

1. Culture is the unique attributes of a person or group of people that help guide their decisions and behaviors. It is one’s way of life.

This also backs up what I have been studying about culture. She did not get specific so these aspects of her definition of culture where omitted; things similar to how Nadiyah Taylor, from the video from week 2, described culture: the way one moves and makes eye contact.  

2. Diversity is accepting and respecting  the differences in everyone. It is being part of a group of various cultures. Diversity is a really good thing. It enhances the learning environment.

This is a good answer that supports my understanding of the term. She included a thought that supports how it applies to my work in the field.

            

            The third person I interviewed was my neighbor. His responses were simple as well.

1. Culture is the way people do things and live.

He gave a correct answer that basically goes along with my studies. Again it is not detailed so this tells me that he only has a simple view of it, yet knows that it is complex and just not sure exactly how. I enlightened him on the more complex, deeper definition that we have been learning, such as that it is more than just what we see on the outside.

2. Diversity is the mixture of different people. It is showing love and appreciation for other cultures.

I like this definition because while it is similar to the other definitions, it includes “how” the definition means that it is acceptance. Showing love and appreciation are more ways of accepting others. Again this supports what I have been learning. It needs more specifics though to truly support what I have been learning.

This was a meaningful assignment for me because it showed me that some people don’t understand the complexity of these terms. I feel that they know that the complexity is there, they just can’t put it into words. It took them a minute to answer so I know they thought about it but they were short answers and I kind of had to pull it out of them. They agreed with everything I said as I was elaborating on their answers.