Importance of Cultural Diversity - Essay Example

Medical professionals must not only be able to diagnose and treat diseases, but they must also be aware of foods and substances that may be attributed to cultural behavior patterns.  Diseases may be transmitted through the consumption of cultural-based foods not found in normal mainstream environments.  However, this cultural empathy is not always taught within medical training.  Professionals rely so much on their medical expertise that the problems with cultural diversity and cultural awareness are not often understood or applied within a medical environment.  In the end, this makes the patient the victim of ignorance and restricts the medical professional’s ability to treat the patient.

            Furthermore, communication is an important component of cultural diversity and awareness.  A patient or research subject must be able to communicate what his or her problems are and the researcher must also be able to ask questions and communicate the treatment methods that are going to occur.  Medical administrators must also ask family members and friends specific questions regarding medical history which could come into play regarding research issues and practices.  All of this communication is necessary for the treatment and compliance within a research-based institute.  Therefore, the need for multi-lingual staff members is crucial, especially in areas where diversity may be the main focus or in geographical areas where diverse demographics may be greater than others.  Cultural diversity has impeded the quality of research that can be provided and professionals within the field are only now beginning to understand the impact that culture has on behaviors, treatment, and communication.

            The text illustrates a multitude of dimensions that showcase precisely how important of a role culture can play in everyday lifestyles.  For instance, within the Universal and Culty-Specific Psychological Processes, Matsumoto (2) illustrates the problem that communication has with how words are used and more specifically how phrases and concepts are interpreted.  Within the role of politics, especially considering political campaigns, communication is by far one of the most important concepts for world leaders to understand.  Different cultures interpret words differently.  It is ignorant to assume that how a mainstream culture would interpret a phrase would be the same way in which all cultures interpret the same phrase.

Furthermore, politicians have begun to embrace the differences that language has within an intercultural community.  Former President George H.W. Bush memorized Spanish phrases in order to appeal to the ever-growing Hispanic community in the 2008 presidential election.  This continues to be an ongoing trend and American democratic leaders are using the language dimension of culture to their advantage within political campaigns as well as to appeal to a larger target audience.  Although the politicians are solely using language to gain additional votes from an untapped voting base, the media, and political leaders are showcasing the importance that language plays within diverse cultures and they are using this importance as an inherent appeal.

As the importance of culture continues to unravel within everyday life, the ways in which people interpret intercultural language, events, and customs will continue to evolve.  The role that culture has for research, especially in the medical community, has truly changed over time.  Furthermore, our world leaders can no longer neglect a diverse voting population.  Culture has changed many things and we will continue to see changes in the years to come.