Perspectives on Culture & Diversity

            For this assignment, we were tasked with asking at least three people their definitions of culture and diversity. I asked my Mom (age 59, a businesswoman in a university setting), my Auntie (age 81, retired USAA), and my cousin (age 21, college student). It was not surprising that I received three totally different answers. My Mom gave her answers from a personal point of view, while my Auntie gave a more general answer. My cousin’s answer was very vague and was a sad representation of today’s generation. Educating the youth and young adult population is so important, but unfortunately it is lacking.

            So far in this course, I have understood culture to be every aspect of an individual’s world. Culture is more than just a person’s race and ethnicity. My Auntie seemed to understand that as well. She defined culture as “a combination of skills and knowledge that enables a person to traverse through life and basically exist in society.” She also added that a person who lacks culture also lacks an understanding of how to get along in the world. Culture is very complex and encompasses everything that we do every day. Without it, we would probably live sheltered lives.

            From my Mom’s personal point of view, she viewed culture as being part of one’s heritage. As an African American, she believes that her culture stems from people who paved the way before her so she can be exposed to what other African Americans have done and how other races helped them to get to that point. To her, culture involves what you experience as part of your environment. Unfortunately, my cousin has a very narrow view of culture and believes it to be a person’s ethnic background. Needless to say, she received a mini-lesson on culture this evening.

            Diversity was a tricky topic for all three of my volunteers. Diversity is basically what makes us different. Auntie said it is a multitude of things, and she is right. She believes that “the more diverse a person is, the better off everyone will be.” It is important to have knowledge of the differences around you in order to live and get along with others. Being diverse enriches and enlightens people and society. On the other hand, my Mom sees the negative side of diversity. In her line of work, she believes there is no such thing. “People preach it, but you don’t actually see it.” For her, diversity means an equal opportunity for all and unfortunately, America (mainly the dominant culture) has not embraced this idea fully.

            Listening to their thoughts on culture and diversity confirmed how important it is to understand the differences around us. For the younger generation, we need to teach them to embrace differences and uniqueness and stop being afraid of the challenging topics. My cousin is a prime example of what happens when a person does not step out of their comfort zone. She is so sheltered and does not even realize it. I try to teach her new things and provide her with new experiences but I am hit with resistance because it is so different. This younger generation is our future. We need to change how we and what we teach them, consciously and unconsciously.