Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

    An especially effective method to deepen one's grasp of any topic is to listen to and then reflect on the ideas of others.  This week, I had the opportunity to use this method and ask other people what they think about diversity and culture.  Interestingly the three people I interviewed had a similar views with slight variances.  Each of the three people were culturally different from me, were of a different gender, and age.
     The two women described culture as a mixture of many things such as: beliefs, attitudes, language,  customs, and traditions.  Whereas the male individual delves a little deeper and describes culture as the ideas adapted in everyday life. He believes art, food, music, gestures, and clothing describe culture. 
    All three individuals described diversity as a mixture of people, races, gender, religions, knowledge, and values.  As the male individual so eloquently described diversity as, the different branches of the same tree.
    I have studied the very aspects of culture and diversity the three individuals described.  For many, the characteristics are the most obvious of things which have been mentioned by the three individuals.  The formal definition refers to culture as, how particular groups of people live.  It is the way we eat, sleep, talk, play, care for the sick, relate to one another, think about work, arrange our kitchens, and remember our dead (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Thus as described by the individuals it is the relationships we create with those in our culture. It is everything that we do to be a part of and fit in.
    However, when we start to peel away at the layers of culture we must think of those layers that are deep within.   I think it's also a lifestyle (Laureate, 2011).  Culture goes far beyond what meets the eye.  What the three individuals failed to point out was that culture includes everything from housing arrangements, healthcare, ideas about educations to migration.
    Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has definitely influenced my own thinking.  We have made great advancements in the United States to respect, include and adjust to the melting pot of cultures we welcome daily.  Just the other evening I was watching television when a Swiffer commercial appeared.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the commercial depict a family composite that is frequently seen today in society.  The family consisted of an interracial couple and their biracial children.  Of course for me this was exciting to see, because my son is biracial.  This 3 minute commercial will allow my son to receive the message that his family is acceptable, but more importantly his differences are positively portrayed in our society.  All young children first develop their self-concept within their family, getting their initial sense of place in the world from where their family is and where they fit inside it (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Thus, the commercial validated that he is recognized and positively portrayed in media and our culture. 
   Yet, in the same breath we still have plenty of work to do.  Just recently I read in my local paper about a Muslim family that claims to have been mistreated, humiliated, and thrown out of a very famous office building that is a tourist attraction, because they were praying together.  This Muslim family explained that they were not among or in view of any patrons.  Allegedly to officers told them that they were not allowed to worship in this building and asked them to leave if they continued to worship.  The story went on to say that the Muslim family was mistreated and humiliated in front of their children and other patrons.  I can stop thinking about what the children were feeling about them selves, their culture, and most importantly their parents.  Children are so impressionable and being witness to such adversity can be harmful for them.  I think people forget that culture is a huge part of supporting children socially and emotionally.  With that said, we still as a society and educators still have our work cut out for us.  I think a principle, too, is just to be open to the fact that people are different, that you're different, and that it's important to start to uncover your own story and your own biases and how those things play out, and having an openness to the fact that people have different perspectives (Laureate, 2011).  As a society and a diverse population of people, I think we have to be willing to start taking risks and starting conversations and having dialogue and being open (Laureate, 2011). 

References:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Family cultures: Dynamic interaction. Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. Baltimore, MD: Author.