Importance of Information on Diversity - Research Paper Example

? Ethics 125- Cultural Diversity Ethics 125- Cultural Diversity Importance of Information on Diversity Information on diversity in United States has helped me in many ways. To start with, I have gained cultural awareness of many communities living in United States. This has enabled me to respect and honor the people I interact. Second, I have realized that our difference in culture is the heart of uniqueness. Information on cultural diversity has given me important insights to understanding the need to value people’s differences and mingle in ways that facilitate cooperation and understanding. Second, information on diversity has allowed me to appreciate sensibilities and beliefs of other people. This has made me avoid conversational blunders when am associating with different people. On top of this, diversity has developed a sense of good manners in me. Third, knowledge of diversity has permit to accommodate people with different cultural backgrounds. I can now acknowledge the importance of these people in the society. This has helped me to trust and foster productive interaction and respect with them. I now recognize that we need each other in many ways regardless of our diverse thinking and cultural alienation. Information on diversity has changed my poor perception on other cultures. 2. What I have Learned about My Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural History I have learned many things about my Belizean culture. I now understand that Belize is a society of diverse cultures. My culture, which is Belizean, is a mixture of many cultures. Some of these cultures have their background from some parts of Africa such as ancient Kingdom of Congo. Other cultures are from Spain. Information on diversity has revealed that there is evidence that Maya were responsible for development of Belizean culture. British also played an important role in shaping my culture. British colonized my country and therefore influenced the local people culturally. This is the reason why Belize is the only English-speaking nation in Central America. Although English is main language in my country, many other languages exist such as Arabic, Lebanese, Chinese, German, and Mayan. 3. Trends of Immigration and Population Postulates in the Year 2050 The increased numbers of immigrants in United States has raised the population growth in this nation. In the year 2011, population of United States recorded 308.7 millions people. This was a more that double figure of population in the year 1950. In the year 1950, the number of people in United States hit a record of 152.3 million. This is a remarkable population growth in a period of approximately sixty years. Illegal immigrations in United States threaten to expand population of this great nation. There are fears that the resources that United States has will become scarce in the year 2050 if the Congress does not control immigration. Failure to manage immigration in United States will be a principal contributor to population growth. The population in the years 2050 might register a record of 368 and 462 million (Martin & Fogel, 2006). This is because the current trend of net migration, increased rate of childbirths, and reduced mortality rate will lead to population expansion. On top of this, there will be different races that will have come to United States because of lenient laws on immigration. 4. Challenges of Diversity in United States Different groups of people with different cultural diversity pose some challenges in United States. To start with, diversity attracts discrimination in employment. In the year 2010, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported unparalleled 99,922 cases of discrimination at workplace. This implies that discrimination is live in opportunities of employment. There are different forms of favoritism. For instance, racism, homophobia, sexism, and ageism bring about challenges in organization and realization of racial equality in United States. Second, there is challenge of language diversity. Immigrants confront great challenges to the mastery of English language in United States. Some immigrants such as Latinos do not learn English. This group speaks its own language. This is a great challenge to this group because English is the official medium of communication in United States. This means all sectors such as political, social, and economic employs English language to converse. To aggravate the situation, United States is in process of enacting laws that requires all government activities to use English language (Waters & Vang, 2006). 5. Benefits of Diversity The benefits of diversity are many in United States. To begin with, different American cultures coexist peacefully with each other. This has led to reduction of racism because people interact with each other. Second, people develop a sense of respect for each other and thereby minimize stereotypes. People of different races learn to look other people for who they are but not according to their region of origin. This allows people to develop tolerance for others, which lead to acceptance. Third, diversity brings about balance in varied sectors such as political, economic, and social. Inclusion of different people from different cultural backgrounds ensures all decision, which these sectors make are not biased. This makes sure that decision accommodate all citizens of diverse cultural affiliations. In the political sector, diversity is crucial for establishing a strong system of checking the government of the day. This makes certain that no identity that gains much power over others. On top of this, diversity guarantees freedom for all races. Lastly, biodiversity helps to avoid misrepresentation, stigmatization, and miscommunication that may exist by failure to appreciate people of different cultures (Page, 2008). 6. Fostering Climate of Acceptance and Cultural Pluralism United States can foster climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism at various levels. These levels include education, workplace, and national points. Schools and universities should work towards achieving culturally pluralistic education system. Education system should break from traditional practices that entail distribution of educational benefits to particular schools. This has denied learning opportunities for the ethnic minorities in United States. Acceptance and acknowledgement of cultural pluralism should start with rejection of culture of assimilating traditions in public schools. Schools and universities should encourage students to appreciate ethnic, cultural, and language disparities as positive and good resources worth of enhancing and preserving. Educational facilities should reorganize and reorient their programs and curricula to accommodate all students of different cultural backgrounds. Education systems in United States should train teachers and instructors to value differences that exist among citizens of this country. This calls for educational reform for inclusiveness of all students (Page, 2008). United States should encourage a culture appreciating different people of diversified cultural backgrounds in workplace. This entails ensuring that recruitment exercise for all job opportunities are fair. The process of hiring employees should give equal chances for all citizens living in United States. This will create a positive attitude in people of diverse backgrounds in workplaces. This in turn improves work performance of employees. Similarly, United States can promote cultural acceptance and pluralism at nation building activities. For instance, the process of electioneering should accommodate all races in United States without discrimination (Page, 2008). 7. Ways in Which Media Promote Stereotyping Media stereotyping and prejudice are unavoidable. This is very common in entertainment, advertising, and news industries that require large audience to comprehend information. Media employ stereotyping in order to give fast and common overview understanding of group of people or a person in relation to class, gender, ethnicity, social role, sexual orientation, and race. Sometimes this transforms common assumptions of people about a particular group of people into realities. The audiences are bound to start viewing persons or group of people along ethnic and tribal lines (Siapera, 2010). Over-representation of particular persons through advertisements in the media make these people view themselves as dominant over other tribes. Conversely, the group of people, which media misrepresents or under-represents portrays them as minorities. This perpetuates the feeling of trivialization, rejection, and devaluation. This is unfair because it dooms the process of achieving equality and appreciation of the role of cultural diversity in United States. Therefore, media should have a balanced approach in the way they advertise and represent different people of diversified cultural background (Siapera, 2010). 8. Ways in Which Media Foster Appreciation for Diversity Media is very instrumental in fostering appreciation of diversity in United States. For instance, media does not allow expression or utterances that attack a particular group of people living in United States. All forms of media censors any material they feel unproductive and poses a danger to peaceful coexistence of people in this country. Further, the media considers views that attack certain non-religious or religious perceptive inappropriate and unworthy for public consumption (Siapera, 2010). It either ignores or blocks these material containing contentious issues that might promote ethnicity and racism. 9. Ways in Which Individuals Should Work Together to Reduce Prejudice in U.S There are several ways in which individuals should work together to minimize prejudice in United States. To start with, United States should encompass representatives of virtually every race in formulation and implementation of key decisions of national importance. This will ensure designing of strong policies, which incorporate views and insights of different people with varied cultural backgrounds. Second, all stakeholders in education system should ensure that they increase the rate of enrollment of students regardless of their ethnic or racial affiliations. These will enable students to learn to appreciate other students who do not belong to their cultures. Lastly, United States should conduct seminars and campaigns to eliminate citizens of importance of cultural diversity. This move will create enough awareness for people to acknowledge different cultures in the country (Page, 2008). 10. Changing My Behavior to be Inclusive and Pluralistic The sound knowledge and information on diversity has allowed me to change my behavior in order to be inclusive and pluralistic. To start with, I will appreciate people of different cultural backgrounds. This is because I know that everybody is equal and we need each other to enrich out thoughts and approaches of several activities. Second, I will develop respect for other people’s way of life. This is because all human beings possess uniqueness that come from divine power (Page, 2008). The difference that is inherent in human beings is a crucial source of strength to do things. Lastly, I will take part in campaigns and programs that promotes equality and appreciation of people of diversified backgrounds. This will ensure that United States achieves developments in all sectors through working with different people of varied cultures. References Martin, J., & Fogel, S. (2006). Projecting the U.S. Population to 2050. Retrieved 19 June 2012, from http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/pop_projections.pdf?docID=901. Page, S. (2008). The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Shrestha, L., & Heisler, E. (2011). The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States. Retrieved 19 June 2012, from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32701.pdf. Siapera, E. (2010). Cultural Diversity and Global Media: The Mediation of Difference. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Waters, M., & Vang, Z. (2006). The Challenges of Immigration to Race Based Diversity Policies in the United States. Retrieved 19 June 2012, from http://www.ssw.umich.edu/CASD/diversityPoliciesAndImmigration.pdf. Read More