Defining Diversity and Culture

We define diversity and culture not just as race or gender but also as the differences in the backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and ideas of the people around us. Life experiences and personal perspectives enable people to think and respond differently, approach challenges and solve problems inversely, and see different opportunities and risks. In this way, we are able to recognize, respect and value each individual.

I asked five different individuals their opinions on what diversity and culture means to them. Here are their responses:

• A longtime family friend, a 38-year-old single white single male, working in IT defined diversity as “Identifying differences in people and understanding and accepting those differences.” And culture as, “A set of traditions or principles a society of people adhere to.”
• My co-worker, a 59-year-old married black female, a preschool teacher for the last 20 years, identifies diversity as, “Even though we may not look alike, dress, speak, or pray together, we accept and respect one another.” And culture as, “Your culture is basically your societies way of life and traditions.”
• Here’s how a 29-year-old white female, stay-at-home mom, gay and married with a blended family responded to the question. “Diversity means that no matter what race you are, sexual orientation you prefer, or religion you practice, you’re accepted no questions asked. And culture is whatever practices the people you live among consider normal.”
• A white 23-year-old female engaged and expecting a mixed-race baby, and fellow early education student defined diversity and culture as “Diversity is our own individual characteristics and the things that make us unique. Like my red hair and big feet for example. Culture is the traditions our society observes that make us different from other societies. Like the holidays we celebrate and the way, we treat our animals.
• An 18-year-old white male, a senior in high school, defined diversity and culture as follows, “Diversity to me means like, being accepting and respectful to everyone. Like, white kids date black kids at my school, and there’s a girl who’s pregnant, but like, no one treats them any different, no one cares. So, it’s like, cool.” And culture as, “Culture to me means like the clothes we wear and the kind of food we eat. Christmas and stuff, stuff like that.

Here are the actual definitions of diversity and culture courtesy of Merriam and Webster -

-Definition of diversity

1: the condition of having or being composed of differing elements: the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization programs intended to promote diversity in schools

2: an instance of being composed of differing elements or qualities : an instance of being diverse a diversity of opinion

-Definition of culture

1: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

2: the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

So, all-in-all, even this group of exceptionally diverse people who are not related and have never met mostly agree and use the same terms to describe what diversity and culture mean to them. Broadly being, an acceptance and respectful inclusion of each individual and their cultures. Cultures being the practices and traditions a group or society observes. Acceptance of cultural diversity requires that we accept that other societies are rooted as much in their foundations as we are in ours. Respecting one’s culture and diversity means reacting with regard and the awareness of our differences and similarities.