That means diversity of many types, not only differences of culture, ethnicity and gender, but also variety of expertise, intellectual perspective, values and interests. They are all important for collaborative public policy. We may believe in the value of diversity from intuition, ideological conviction and personal experience.
Why is understanding culture important if we are community builders? What kind of cultural community can you envision for yourself? As community builders, understanding culture is our business. No matter where you live, you are working with and establishing relationships with people--people who all have cultures.
Here is one viewpoint. It includes groups that we are born into, such as race, national origin, gender, class, or religion. It can also include a group we join or become part of. For example, it is possible to acquire a new culture by moving to a new country or region, by a change in our economic status, or by becoming disabled.
When we think of culture this broadly we realize we all belong to many cultures at once. How might this apply to you? Why is culture important? It influences their views, their values, their humor, their hopes, their loyalties, and their worries and fears.
So when you are working with people and building relationships with them, it helps to have some perspective and understanding of their cultures. We are all human beings. We all love deeply, want to learn, have hopes and dreams, and have experienced pain and fear. This chapter will give you practical information about how to understand culture, establish relationships with people from cultures different from your own, act as an ally against racism and other forms of discrimination, create organizations in which diverse groups can work together, overcome internalized oppression, and build strong and diverse communities.
This section is an introduction to understanding culture, and will focus on: What culture is The importance of understanding culture in community building Envisioning your cultural community How to get started in building communities that encourage diversity.
But first, it is important to remember that everyone has an important viewpoint and role to play when is comes to culture.
Having respect for cultural differences and learning basic characteristics of other cultures can help you avoid misunderstandings and unintentionally offending others. Understanding Cultural Differences: Tips for Working with International Staff and Campers | American Camp Association. Understanding Diversity: A Multicultural Perspective Sreelekha Mishra, C. Bharath Kumar it becomes a problem. Diversity gives rise to a series of important and potential divisive questions. Cultural diversity may also Cultural diversity creates a climate in which different cultures can engage in a mutually beneficial dialogue. The most effective organizations, in my view, are organizations that don’t simply use their diversity in order to have legitimacy with clients, but use their diversity to increase the cultural competence of their workforce, writ large.
The world is becoming increasingly diverse and includes people of many religions, languages, economic groups, and other cultural groups. It is becoming clear that in order to build communities that are successful at improving conditions and resolving problems, we need to understand and appreciate many cultures, establish relationships with people from cultures other than our own, and build strong alliances with different cultural groups.
Additionally, we need to bring non-mainstream groups into the center of civic activity. In order to build communities that are powerful enough to attain significant change, we need large numbers of people working together.
If cultural groups join forces, they will be more effective in reaching common goals, than if each group operates in isolation. Each cultural groups has unique strengths and perspectives that the larger community can benefit from.
We need a wide range of ideas, customs, and wisdom to solve problems and enrich community life. Bringing non-mainstream groups into the center of civic activity can provide fresh perspectives and shed new light on tough problems. Understanding cultures will help us overcome and prevent racial and ethnic divisions.
Racial and ethnic divisions result in misunderstandings, loss of opportunities, and sometimes violence. Racial and ethnic conflicts drain communities of financial and human resources; they distract cultural groups from resolving the key issues they have in common.
People from different cultures have to be included in decision-making processes in order for programs or policies to be effective.
Without the input and support of all the groups involved, decision-making, implementation, and follow through are much less likely to occur.harassment or cultural diversity isn’t enough to get to the root causes of these problems.
diversity management, extremism and other issues that are critical to understanding and managing diversity. But, is it enough for just the senior leadership to receive this culture and sexual orientation. By examining how the military has. Cultural diversity training could be helpful in such issue.
It increases knowledge about people from different backgrounds, such as socioeconomic, gender, racial, ethnic and sexual orientation. In the health care field, cultural diversity training can help employees and managers become more empathetic toward patients, can increase the inclusion.
An appreciation of cultural diversity goes hand-in-hand with a just and equitable society. For example, research has shown that when students' cultures are understood and appreciated by teachers, the students do better in school.
The most effective organizations, in my view, are organizations that don’t simply use their diversity in order to have legitimacy with clients, but use their diversity to increase the cultural competence of their workforce, writ large.
When it comes to convening a collaborative policy group, though, diversity usually refers to cultural, ethnic and gender balance. Identity diversity, as Page sees it, satisfies the crucial need for fairness and equity, but, by itself, doesn’t ensure better problem-solving.
What do leaders need to understand about diversity? Victoria L. Brescoll January 01, but use their diversity to increase the cultural competence of their workforce, writ large. There are also problems for older people who are employed.
Performance appraisals of older employees tend to be worse, independent of actual performance.