Introduction
Cultural diversity problem is one of the most important one in human services as it influences the organization and its clientele. The United States is a nation founded on principles that affirm the supreme worth of each human being. From this idea comes the basis for the common bond of all citizens. Even so, relatively few people live by such egalitarian tenets (Lewis, 2003). Although public opinion research has consistently documented a steady decline in race prejudice among Americans, reports released by the National Opinion Research Center note that a majority of white respondents believe that African Americans and Hispanics are more inclined than Caucasians to prefer welfare and to be lazier, more prone to violence, less intelligent, and less patriotic Cross-cultural differences and multicultural conflicts are convoluted because of the multiple identities found within cultures.
Main body
In order to deliver human services, the organization should be well aware of cultural problems and conflicts affected its target population. Also, cross-cultural differences due to geographic location may have little to do with race. For example, inner-city poverty-stricken people suffer from low income more so than racial discrimination (Lewis, 2003). The first step to develop a plan for culturally competent services is to understand needs and demands of the target population. It is crucial to explore the complexities of multiple identities such as when an individual belongs to more than one minority group. Little attention tends to be given to differences within multiple identity groups. It is important to be aware of the diversity within ethnic groups as well as between them (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 1997).
The second step is to investigate the history of the target population. Understanding the history of an ethnic group, the current stage of its national and social identities, and its relationships with other groups is critical to recognizing and resolving cross-cultural conflict. Specifically, an ethnic group’s reasons for coming to the United States can provide valid data pertaining to intercultural conflict. Some ethnic groups are still searching for freedom from religious persecution that drove them from their homeland, or escape from ethnic group prescription, or job opportunities not available in their native country. For others, however, migration was a way to survive political oppression. And others–Africans–are trying to extricate from their lives a history of being kidnapped and sold as chattel property. The relocation of more than four hundred American Indian sovereign nations adds yet another issue to intergroup conflict. Indeed, employees bring their cultural histories to the workplace (Lewis, 2003).
The third step is to educate employees and help them to communicate effectively using the knowledge and skills they obtain during training programs. There are many causes of cross-cultural conflict, including, but not limited to, language and communication barriers, racism, sexism, and ageism. Language is the basic form of communication and it is also the primary cause of cross-cultural conflict. Because language is representative of culture, conflict is precipitated. When an employee’s language is ignored or devalued, an intrinsic part of his or her identity is also ignored or devalued (Lewis, 2003).
The main strategies used by human service professional are communication and collaboration, listening and religious competence. The following barriers to cross-cultural communication must be bridged: (1) language differences, (2) differences in emotional and articulate forms of nonverbal communication, (3) cultural stereotypes that distort meanings, (4) evaluating the content of speech as either good or bad, and (5) high levels of anxiety that distort meanings. The ability to exchange ideas is a primary vehicle for managing business negotiations, expediting decision-making, and evaluating employees’ performances (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 1997).
The play Raisin in the Sun by L. Hansberry depicts a problems faced by African-American family and rejection of their family by the white neighborhood. The play shows that racial stereotypes dominate in modern society and prevent many families both white and black from happy and safe life in some urban regions. Racial conflict raises the barrier of cultural differences between groups or individuals. When this happens, both minority-group and majority-group employees misperceive their opportunities to cooperate (Hansberry, 2004). In the fray, disgruntled employees often believe that the most qualified individuals (people like themselves) are not selected to fill vacancies (Lewis, 2003). Specifically, the selection process is believed to be based on gender and color, instead of talent, with unqualified or the least qualified people being selected to fill affirmative action or, depending on one’s perspective, infirmative action quotas. The absence of some groups and the large number of other groups in managerial positions are seen as signs of discrimination. Usually, innocent job occupants bear the brunt of such inflammatory innuendoes or character assassinations. In this case, communication is the best strategy to solve conflict situations and help the family to avoid unpleasant experience (Lewis, 2003).
Walter Lee, Ruth and Lena are the main character who strive with cultural diversity and racial stereotypes. They try to prove their personal value but they are limited by poverty and low class location. In such situation, the single most important thing a human service professional can do to open the dialogue is to listen carefully and let subordinates tell their complaints. The greatest block to interpersonal communication is the inability to listen intently. Managers and supervisors who counsel aggrieved employees should be aware of the normal propensity of people to talk rather than listen. Numerous studies have documented that the average manager or supervisor in a counseling interview will talk about 85 percent of the time. In order for managers to really listen to employees, they must let them do about 90 percent of the talking. Sometimes the communication process will break down between human service professionals and their subordinates. This is especially true when there are jobrelated conflicts and confrontations. If racial, gender, and disability issues are also involved in the communication break-down, the conflict is even more heated. All conflict has the following characteristics: (1) Two or more individuals must interact. (2) The interaction centers on imagined or real mutually exclusive goals or values. (3) In the interaction one party will win by defeating, suppressing, or reducing the power or ability of the other party to achieve the desired goals or values (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 1997).
Mama is the only character who values her unique identity and class location working hard all her life. She does everything possible to protect her family from envy and personal conflicts. Mama comments: “”Something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North Now here come you and Beneatha – talking ’bout things we ain’t never even thought about hardly, me and your daddy. You ain’t satisfied or proud of nothing we done. I mean that you had a home; that we kept you out of trouble till you was grown; that you don’t have to ride to work on the back of nobody’s streetcar – You my children – but how different we done become” (Hansberry 2004, p. 62). In human services, unlike cooperation, a form of interaction in which two or more individuals or groups work together toward a common end, conflict is rivalrous interaction that emphasizes the differences between people and minimizes their similarities. Conflict is intermittent and personal (Lewis, 2003). Even though every organization contains many factors that lead to conflict, efficient functioning requires that it be controlled. If left unchecked, conflict can destroy the stability and eventually the very existence of an organization. Societies such as ours, with many different subcultures, create special problems for managers committed to workforce assimilation. Most workers belong to different groups and are expected to conform to different and often contradictory norms. When these norms contradict one another, such as when minority subculture norms contradict organization norms, workers are forced to make a choice between them. Conformity to one set of norms is frequently tantamount to violation of another (Lewis, 2003). Minimizing the importance of a conflict situation or denying that it exists may be expeditious but this will only allow the conflict to simmer and escalate. The more effective managers engage in the following conflict resolution behaviors (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 1997).
Conclusion
In sum, cultural diversity leads to conflict situations and negative feelings so the task of the human service professional is to reduce negative outcomes of the conflict and help his clients to overcome possible problems caused by their race or ethnic differences. Therefore conflict resolution is necessarily a systems approach. Along with such interventions also comes the requirement for administrators to be knowledgeable about human relations concepts such as coping, adapting, and changing. This necessarily means carefully analyzing the organization’s culture in order to help all employees cope with the changes inherent in incorporating diversity into the workplace. Employers must adopt operations, procedures, and policies that accommodate a heterogeneous labor force. This is not a linear project with a termination point or date. On the contrary, managing diversity is a continuous process. This usually involves a change in behavior and, if possible, attitude. Succinctly, the three operations of problem solving are fact-finding, analysis of facts, and implementation of conclusions. For the maximum effectiveness, the people involved in the conflict must be fully involved in the efforts to solve their own problems. It is possible for a manager to define the problem and prescribe solutions, but when this happens the selfresponsibility of the employees involved in the conflict is weakened. It is always better if the employees who have problems are able to assist in bringing about the resolution.
References
- Hansberry, L. (2004). Raisin in the Sun. Vintage.
- Hampden-Turner, Ch. Trompenaars, F. (1997). Riding The Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business. McGraw-Hill; 2 edition.
- Lewis, R. D. (2003). When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures. Nicholas Brealey Publishing; 3 edition.