Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week our assignment was to contact three people and ask them to share their definition of culture and diversity.  I also needed to include at least one person who is in some ways culturally different from me either by gender, race, class, religion, ability, or age.

Culture:

1. Culture is what you are born into.
2. Culture is a set of values and beliefs by a group of people.
3. Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people.

Diversity:

1. Diversity is a groups of people from different backgrounds.
2. Diversity refers to many demographic variables.
3. Diversity refers to something that is diverse with lots of different kinds or types.

 When speaking to these individuals they all had similar responses.  However none of them spoke anything about a persons gender, class, religion, or age.  Their thinking has led me to believe that we all need to be more knowledgeable on these terms as well as find ways to incorporate these into our everyday lives.  We must combine our communities so that we are more aware and proactive with each other.  We must do this in order to lead our next generation of leaders into a world of tolerance and acceptance for ALL people.  We must embrace this in our home, community, work, and way of life.  By doing so the world will become a better place to live in.



My Family Culture

Scenario:  A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

The items I would take with me would be my Bible, a photo album, and a cook book. 

The Bible will guide me through the difficult time of copping with loss and change.  It will ground my family and I as well as giving us hope in our temporary home and our future one in Heaven.  The Bible's standards, laws, and traditions will guide us.

A photo album will provide us with pictures of our families and friends.  Our pictures will show our families traditions, values/beliefs, and customs.  It will be a great reminder of who we are, where we came from, and what we look forward to.  My memory is not was good as it once was and although I have many beautiful memories it is wonderful to have pictures of them. 

 



My grandmother's cookbook.  Food has always brought our family together.  We always get together, tell stories, and cook traditional dishes.  Tortillas, menudo, enchiladas, paella, cabrito, and pan dulce would be a few items we could still enjoy together.  

 

If upon arrival, I were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you I would be devastated.  All these items are strong representations of who I am and where I am from.  Each one has special meanings and memories attached to them.  If I could only bring one item I would tear pages out of my photo album and cook book and add them to the Bible. 

 

I have always known how much my family means to me but after considering the thought of devastation has only given me more love and respect for my family and culture.