Significance Of Our Cultural Aspects
Culture and diversity can be identified and defined in many different ways. Culture can be defined by the dictionary as the the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. However, it can also be defined as the traits and characteristics of a certain group that pertain to them specifically. Diversity can be defined as a range of different things. It is variety within groups. Think of it as multiple cultures coming together. In order to be understand these terms it is important to look and reflect on oneself the different effects culture has had influence on.
In my personal experience, gender, age, religion, and education have had the biggest effects on myself. Gender is a big factor in diversity as the roles of women are constantly being argued over. Women are given this role of being caregivers and nurturers who stay at home and have no contribution to society. However, in recent times, this role is changing and women are becoming more and more different. I see myself as a person who is affected by this as I try to establish myself as an individual woman who is in fact making a change in the world. My age also has an effect on my part in diversity as I am part of a younger generation who is part of a post-modern society where a lot of rules that once applied are being reevaluated. I am a part of a time in which we are experiencing a faster changing world. Religion is a part of my identity as today, religion is a powerful force. From Christianity to Islam, we now see that these religions affect everyone’s views differently on how they perceive it themselves. As education becomes more and more important each day, we all receive a different education based on our location in the world, our socioeconomic status, gender, age, and so forth.
A personal experience dealing with a culture barrier was when I first moved to Laredo when I had no understanding of Spanish. It was a huge culture shock to be thrown from an all English speaking environment. Not knowing how to properly speak to someone who was a native Spanish speaker was difficult but it allowed me to learn that I needed to try my hardest to get fully immersed in the language if I wanted to get the best out of the culture. However, it also taught me that I was not the only one with an issue. The people who were only able to speak to me in Spanish also needed to learn English in order to get the best out of their culture as well.
Language, gender, and socioeconomic diversity is a very important thing for educators to focus on in order to promote diversity. By teaching students, the proper language materials, they need, they are able to venture out on their on to experience culture the best way they can. Teaching students that gender roles are not things that are defined will not only allow for people to understand the way different races and ethnicities act but will teach them how people think. Socioeconomic diversity is important in order to understand that there are different levels of economic statuses. Socioeconomic statuses are something that can not be changed but can be helped little by little.
Overall, culture aspects make us what we are and it is important to teach others that it is okay to be different. It creates diversity amongst us which is something that we need. Diversity allows us to come together in the end and put pieces of what we know in order to contribute to a greater whole. By taking a look at how culture is within ourselves we can then understand how it affects others as well.
