In regards to the aspects of culture and diversity, after speaking with my mother, my oldest child (13 years old), and a former co-teacher, I found that the perspective of culture and diversity correlates. Most of the answers paralleled culture and diversity to the point they were one of the same. One example (from their viewpoint) that seemed universal among all the answers was "culture is who you are" and deals mostly with race, gender, and one's community. Before participating in this course, I would have agreed with their observations of culture and diversity and would have found it hard to truly reflect on the subject.
But, as I have learned through my Reflective Journal submissions, there is so much more beyond the layers of a person that truly defines their understanding of culture and diversity. It is so much more than one's race, gender, religion, family culture, etc. In my personal opinion, it is one's values, experiences, physical characteristics, and social identities that make up his/her concept of culture and diversity. This concept was one of the aspects that had been omitted from their understanding of this topic.
Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has influenced my own thinking about these topics by allowing me to see how universal this subject is. It was interesting to me to realize that culture and diversity almost seems like a taboo topic and nobody really discusses it in depth; yet, it affects each and everyone of us on a daily basis. Whether it's how we approach one another or our perspective on the community in which we live, this topic is undeniably widespread and deeply rooted.
Monique,
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed reading your post. You have shed some light on the role of culture and diversity to society. I think culture can be difficult to define because people have different perspectives. The same concepts are used but the values, experiences, and religious beliefs may not be the same. Great post!
Salesha