Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century - Research Paper Example

Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century Technology in the 21st century has been a major contributing aspect to the cultural diversity being experienced in many countries especially America. It has led to acculturation where people are always eager to try out on the new cultural trends to find out whether they meet their current demands and lifestyle. It has now become the gospel of multiculturalism in the sense that individuals do not have to remain in their countries and practice what is there but can easily access other cultures even on the internet (Singh 128). This has been made a reality with the invention of the social network sites that enable people from different cultures to relate in several ways. The changing population needs makes them want to explore more resources whether in their country or outside. To some extent, this may not be the case for some people as they view it as a racial conflict between the whites and blacks in trying to outdo each other in terms of their supremacy. The social norms instilled in us by society through the process of socialization are slowly fading away and this has resulted to anonymity among individuals in society. This is more experienced in the urban areas where different cultures meet but do not go ahead to practice them as they prefer to adopt western culture. This can be referred to as the process of enlightenment where different cultures were being replaced by those being adopted by different social groups. The role of enlightenment was to focus on challenging the existing religious standards and the divine rights that had been adopted by the people. It was through accepting the religious beliefs and tolerance among different individuals that they could be able to successfully experience enlightenment. It was through religion that they could be able to unify themselves. That is why they argued that religion was the opium of society an avenue through which individuals would understand each other. Religious tolerance meant the freedom of worship giving rise top the protestant and Catholics each with their own religious beliefs that would suit their spiritual demands. The government in America was forced to declare that there was freedom of religion and this led to the rise of different religions and cults. Diversity has also been evident in the language being used especially the Creole language which was as a result of mixing several natural languages. The mixed interaction of the Creoles has had and continues to have an enormous impact on the culture of the mainstream American culture and of the emancipated slaves. Immediately after the emancipation, the black-American culture began to gain sense as a distinct tradition in music. This culture that was being natured was used by the slaves to pass on history and to teach their values and offer a moment condolence to their impoverished state. The Creole influence during the 20th century through the 21century assimilated the American music into different form of unique music that carried with itself rich African American culture. The regime of the “Jim Crow Law” defined the laws of double standards that renewed racial segregation after the civil war (Putnam & Pluribus 49). However such language differences are not of merit to different institutions in America. This is attributed to the fact that, most of the people in America are from different ethnic backgrounds who find themselves in that country because of different interests. This becomes a challenge especially in provision of different services like in the academic institutions or medical services. Therefore it is advisable that the country should have one national language known to all that can be used in different institutions. The same diversity has been enhanced by the media especially through music that has undergone changes given the fact that Creole was being regarded as a language. The earliest form of Jazz music started to evolve in the 1890’s by the Creole musicians in New Orleans, a place filled with beautiful mix of numerous cultures and races. Keenly combining elements of slave spirituals and West African songs, vaudeville shows together with European brass band. This new form of music filled the streets and received a node from occasions such as funerals and other gatherings by the White Americans who later embraced it in their occasions. The Jazz, through radio could spread steadily fast to influence the American music in Diasporas. Due to their prominence, they became popular in victory parades, protests to resound need for equality and justice while boosting their morale, something that completely turned around the political and social culture of the American whites. In the early 21st century jazz were the first pieces to cross over to America carrying with itself abundant African culture that fused with the American culture. Jazz music continued to evolve through the mid 2000 and until now it finds place in the modern Hip Hop, Rap that immensely borrows from jazz. Blues developed in the early 20th century with great popularity (Singh 131). This was a period of Harlem renaissance and era of civil rights movements. During this moment African blues were simplified to meet the audience of whites who would not accept the black that dramatically lead to genres like swing music. Rock music has its origin from United States during the 1940-1950. It was a careful mix of the black musical genres that included rhythm and blues together with gospel music. With time these forms of music have evolved to become the most appreciated compared to the previous ones. This is an indication that there is a continued interaction between different cultures in America and it is upon the individual to embrace them well. This however tends to have an effect on the higher education institutions and those involved. The minority groups in the society have finally been recognized by the country and are being granted chances to pursue their dreams in higher education (Bissoondath 56). Moreover, citizens from other countries now stand a greater chance when it comes to pursuing their education abroad. However, this has not been very effective as it is accompanied by racism especially from the blacks who are sometimes not accepted in certain institutions because of their racial background. Diversity in the educational institution has brought with it some level of social division in terms of the social classes. To correct this, the institutions have been on the move to unify all the different cultures in order to create a myriad of cultures. Cultural diversity has become strength to reckon in the country. From the discussion above, we cannot ignore the fact that cultural diversity as an aspect of change has been experienced all over the world. This as a process has not stopped yet but still continues as long as human kind can accept change. It is therefore the responsibility of those accepting change to implement it in a manner that is acceptable to all and does not discriminate against anyone. It is recommended that the government recognize this as an inevitable process in the world and allow it to continue. In conclusion, American culture has undergone tremendous change and this saw major embracement of the African American cultural practices .These changes have been greatly attributed to the many events that have since shaped the culture and political world views to found a new niche for all. Works Cited Bissoondath, Neil. Selling Illusions: The Myth of Multiculturalism. Toronto: Penguin. 2002. Putnam, Robert D. & E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century -- The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize. Scandinavian Political Studies. 30 (2). June 2007. Singh, Nirbhay, N. Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century beyond Pluribus Unum. Journal of Child and Family Studies. Vol 5 (2). P. 121-135. 1996. Read More