Although not exclusively about culture, diversity includes the study of different cultural orientations. Understanding diversity is critical to understanding society because the fundamental patterns of social change and social structure are increasingly influenced by diverse group experiences (Andersen & Taylor, 2007).
In an increasingly globalized world, different people, languages, ideas, cultural practices, and material goods can be found far from their traditional homes. As a matter of fact, many places in the world now have relatively low percentages of indigenous populations.
In the United States, this multiplicity of people and languages has spread from countries all over the world, leading to multifaceted diversity. Today, the United States is comprised of people from all nations and races. In the early days, one person out of eight Americans was not White.
Today, racial and ethnic minority groups, including African Americans, constitute one-quarter of the US population and that proportion is growing. These broad categories themselves are internally diverse, including those with long term roots in the United States.
There is a lot of information available in the United States regarding the wrong conclusions that people have made about certain races. A lot of things that have been said about the fastest expanding minority Hispanics, for example, are quite deceiving.
This makes anyone without prior encounter with the Hispanics to pass judgment and make very bad conclusions about them. Although many people have been made to believe that Hispanics are new to the United States, it turns out that the Hispanics have been in the United States for a very long time and have taken part in revolutionary, civil, and even world wars.
The environment we grow up plays a big role in shaping the way we relate with other people. The realization that what people say about others may not necessarily be true, has taught me to take nothing at face value. While my community condones rumor mongering, I now fully understand that it is very devastating to simply accept what others may say without seeking clarification.
In my community, the number of immigrants is much less compared to the population of the indigenous people. On the other hand, every ethnic group is fairly represented. With regard to gender, there are more males in my community as compared to females.
With time, it is presumed that the population of the United States will continue to grow older. Those currently aged 65 years are expected to reach about 20% by the year 2050. A number of sources indicate that on average, the population of those between 15 and 64 years old will eventually rise to 42 percent.
This can be based on the fact that as the population of the baby boomers in the United States continues to grow, the growth of the youthful population will be even higher (Kotkin, 2010). I specifically think that this can be attributed to the fact that besides the population of natives growing, immigrants will also continue to flock into the United States.
In the United States, the political, social, and psychological conflicts surrounding ethnicity focus the spotlight on the concept of diversity as one of the keys to the future of the society. The increasing diversity of the United States requires a pluralistic view that recognizes the mutual benefits and contributions of multiple cultures of the country (Klein & Chen, 2001).
Though there are several benefits, diversity creates unique problems that contribute to problems faced by the United States. Diversity may create ethnocentrism and this in turn leads to biased attitude and racist behavior towards other people. There may be the inability of an individual to regard another ethnic group as equal or valid members of the society.
Many of the social problems witnessed in the United States can very easily be attributed to the diversity that exists in the country. Other challenges may result from the need to ensure that every citizen, native or otherwise, feels apart of the society.
The education system, for example, must be one that accommodates everyone regardless of his or her background. There will also be a demand on the nation to guarantee fair representation of the divergent groups in key institutions.
The challenges faced by my community due to diversity include employment irregularities, distribution of national income, and access to education. Based on diversity, some people are more privileged than others and end up receiving preferential treatment in almost anything.
There are many benefits of a diverse society. First of all, the diversity of the United States enriches the social fabric of our communities. With pluralism, there are numerous opportunities to value the diversity that surrounds the United States. Most obviously, this is in terms of popular culture, music, food, and so on, which enable individuals to try something new, value it, and incorporate it in their lifestyle.
The best way to foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States is through raising consciousness. Generally acceptance is more than just tolerating differences that exists among different groups of people in a community. There is need to fully understand how the differences come about.
The moment one understands how the differences arise, it becomes easy for him or her appreciate others from a totally different culture. This eventually creates an environment of cultural pluralism that is all inclusive. In the case of the United States, it is possible to make reference to the law and ensure that cultural pluralism is achieved.
In my own community, I will take a similar approach of creating awareness. I will seek to ensure that those in my community understand how different people generally are, and the beauty of living in a diverse community.
In the socialization process, individuals adopt the values, beliefs, and perceptions of their families, peers, culture, and social groups. However, the media also plays a major role and has a greater impact when it comes to corrupting the minds of individuals.
In the United States, the problem of stereotypes and prejudice is made worse by media presenting information through television, magazines, or even newspapers. Ordinarily, this changes people’s perception about others. Depending on how the content is packaged, the effect may be greater or of a lesser magnitude.
For example, Muslims are mostly represented by the media as a threat to peace and stability. While this may be true for certain people, it may not apply to all the Muslims. Another example has to do with the way non-whites are viewed in the United States. Because of what is made available through the media, the Whites regard themselves as being more superior to other races.
In addition, Black males are represented through newspapers and other media as serious criminals and dealers in drugs. This is, however, not only a problem of the United States, in my community, the level of respect that a person receives is dependent on the community from which he or she hails from.
While some communities are considered academic giants, others are seen to be non performers in the academic world. In addition, there are communities that are considered generally superior to others for economic and political reasons.
There are a number of instances when the media has played a big role to help foster appreciation for diversity. One of the ways is by covering international events that bring together people from all nations. Through the tough competitions that are witnessed, it becomes clear to everyone that we are all gifted in different ways.
Appreciation for other cultures is slowly built when people start realizing that the perception they have had about others is totally wrong. The preservation of cultural values by certain communities is another example that has prompted other communities to start appreciating others based on what is presented through the media.
In my community, there are many people who have been made to change their view of others after coming in touch with the information made available to them through the media.
Individuals and the entire United States can work together in order to cut down on prejudice and increase people’s appreciation for diversity by getting involved in different activities that bring them together. Sporting, for example, is a very powerful way of bringing together people from different cultures and making them appreciate each other. Over the years, the love for soccer has been a uniting factor in many parts of the world.
Regardless of race or color, different people have played together and supported teams. The main responsibility of the United States is to create a healthy environment that promotes the desired level of understanding. Individuals must then take advantage of such opportunities to build their trust in others and to learn how to live with others in a more productive way.
When it comes to accomplishing the same for my community, I will mainly depend on social forums to inform the people the importance of accepting each other.
I will create forums for people to discuss openly the subject of prejudice until the point reaches the minds of people and the effect of prejudice lessens if not completely eradicated. I will also encourage involvement in activities, mainly sports, which bring different individuals together and open an avenue for relationships to be created without fear.
In order to be more inclusive and pluralistic, I will personally make every effort to learn about other cultures. This will include participating in activities that bring together people of various backgrounds, traveling to foreign places and living and working in those places. Among other things, traveling across the world will give me an opportunity to learn the cultures of others and hopefully, be able to appreciate them more.
This will include travels to international events that bring together individuals from all over the world. I will also look for opportunities to live with people from different backgrounds where possible so as to understand them and their way of life.
References
Andersen, M. L. & Taylor, H. F. (2007). Sociology with Infotrac: Understanding a Diverse Society, Casebound. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Klein, M. D. & Chen, D. (2001). Working With Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds. Albany, NY: Cengage Learning.
Kotkin, J. (2010). The Changing Demographics of America. Web.