Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I’ve been asked to get the perspectives of three people on what their definitions are of Culture and Diversity.  These are the responses I received…

Chris-

“CULTURE - WHEN I THINK OF CULTURE I THINK OF THE ART OR THE ARTS. SOPHISTICATION AND THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX FROM DANCE TO PAINT TO ACTING.

DIVERSITY - THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO ME IS CHOICE. MORE THAN ONE.”

Melonie-

“Culture is the ideas and behaviors that are passed through the generations.  Diversity is the differences in characteristics and beliefs coinciding together.”

Mia-

“To me culture stems from tradition and religion. And diversity is like the color wheel...you can make so many different colors and shades and they are all beautiful in their own way!”

Reflection Questions:

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

                I found similar aspects of culture when Melonie and Mia especially talked about “tradition” and “passed through the generations.”  Chris mentioned that diversity to him included the words, “more than one.”  I think this statement helps us to realize that there are more than one race, group of persons, and ideals.  Melonie made an interesting point when she developed her idea of diversity as stating, “differences in characteristics and beliefs ‘coinciding together’.”  She has already formulated that living together and perhaps even getting along helps in the diversity explanations.  She just doesn’t mention the differences and then leaves it at that.  Mia mentions colors.  She explains that “diversity is like the color wheel…”  Then remarking that “they (the colors) are all beautiful in their own way!” 

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

                Chris contended that his example of culture was more related to our arts systems and artistic forms of expression.  Although culture has been used to define our arts systems in our society, this is not the particular form of definition that I have been learning in class.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

                Learning about diversity has allowed me to really understand that others, who are not like me, could possibly see the way I live or my culture as odd and uncanny.  I have always welcomed others’ opinions on topics because I find that relying on my one-sided observations does not always define topics thoroughly.  I enjoyed learning what my friends had to say about their definitions of culture and diversity and how they interpreted what each meant to them.