Erica's Early Learning

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

My participants answers to their definition of Culture and Diversity:

Ms. Thompson

Culture to me is beliefs, values, and traditions. I look at culture as a part of my heritage. It is something that I cherish, and it is something that I will pass down to my children because they need to know where their ancestors originated.

Diversity is a group of people who are grouped together by their ethnic background, gender, and language.

Ms. Taylor

I believe culture to be a survival tool for all human beings. Culture is something that helps people to understand where they come from, and who they are as an individual.

Diversity to me is not limited to just a person race, gender, or nationality; it can be use to describe a person individuality which a can separate them from a specific group.

Mr. Jones

Culture is something that you acquire from your up bring which separates one group from another group. My culture defines who I am as person. My traditions, beliefs, values, and behavioral patterns all come from my cultural background.

Diversity describes a particular group of people. For instance, it can define a person by, the way they look, talk, or by their religion.


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?

 Each answer that I have gained from my participants has included several aspects of culture and diversity. For instance, they all believe that culture defines a person. They believe culture is a part of a person heritage that has to be passed down from generation to generation, in order for their younger generation to understand where they came from.

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

I believe the participants omitted the fact that culture can be lost. For example, when families leave their native land, their younger generation begins to lose connection with their older generation because their belief systems begins to fade away once they are introduced to other cultures beliefs and values. Also, the lost of someone’s culture can cause a person to have behavioral and emotional issues because they are being taking away from the only thing they believe in and know.

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

I have learned that although, evey person has their own way of defining culture and diversity, they all have similar ideas of what they mean. For instance, after reading their answers, I figured out that their answers had a connection with one another. They all believed culture has something to do with their family heritage. Also, they believe that it is important to pass down their family’s tradition to their younger generation, so they would know where they ancestor’s came from.

2 comments:

  1. Erica,

    I thought you made a poignant statement that culture can be lost. As an African American woman I realize that Black people have had to construct a entirely new cultural identity because much of our African culture was lost in slavery. It is something that no wants to think about, loosing ones culture, but it has and could still happen. I think that is why all of your respondents we adamant about the importance of passing ones culture down to ones children.

    Thank you for sharing,
    Laura

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