Culture and Diversity

• Call, write to, or talk to at least three friends, family members, acquaintances, and/or colleagues. Include at least one person who you believe is in some ways culturally different from you (a different gender, race, class, religion, abilities, age, etc.).

I have received only one reply from my dear friend, and a great woman, Dr. Bobbi. She is African-American, from Las Vegas, Nevada, who has lived in New York and California. We met while working in Doha, Qatar, as instructional coaches. 

From: Dr. Bobbi
Culture is the experience of a people that enjoy and embody a commonness. This commonness can be defined but not limited to: rituals, traditions, food, language, ancestral background, music, beliefs, dance, storytelling, dress and all forms of art making within that commonness.

Diversity is the ability to see ones self in another. Diversity is the accepting of all forms of humanness. Diversity is the direct opposite of prejudice.

• 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?

Some of the aspects of culture that I have studied are featured in the example is that culture encompass a different set o characteristics such as language and traditions. It mentions elements of surface culture (dress, dance) and common life-style, as well as elements of deep culture such as ways of perceiving  each others  within a group and values.

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

Elements such as continuity and discontinuity and incongruousness between family culture and the dominant culture have not been mentioned. Also, school diversity was not mentioned, and I am sure it was because the request was very broad. I have had many conversations regarding cultural differences, cultural shock, life-styles, especially living in such a different culture such as the Islamic culture.

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

The response I got corroborated some of my understanding about culture and diversity. It emphasized experiences within a distinct group and how culture is perceived. I absolutely loved that Bobbi mentioned that diversity is the ability to see ourselves in another person. It is about understanding, respecting and accepting. I agree, these are the basics of understanding diversity.