Diversity and Environment - Essay Example

Diversity within Social Perspectives As one perused the amount of materials that could explain diversity using sociological perspectives, it was just staggering to find voluminous sources that try to present diversity within the social paradigm. Sociological concepts include theories such as race (Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams, 1999; Eberhardt, 2005; Smedley & Smedley, 2005; Lerman, 2003), culture (Cohen, 2009; Hughes, Kroehler, & Vander Zanden, 2002); gender (McIntosh, 1990), and sources of livelihood or employment (Bonacich, 1973), among others.

In the study written by Rigby, Bruch, & Soss (2007), social diversity was defined as encompassing “two forms of racial/ethnic diversity, as well as class/income-based diversity” (p. 1). In a paper published by the University of Michigan-Flint Social Work Department, diversity was defined as “existing as a natural event and represents a universal, complex phenomenon involving variability of the human species at many levels. Carried to its extreme diversity emphasizes that every human is different from every other human being” (p. 1). .

When the norms, values, and lifestyles of a subculture are at odds with those of the larger society, it is a counterculture” (Hughes, Kroehler, & Vander Zanden: Chapter Summary, 2002, par. 9). It is also through a discussion of cultural diversity where concepts such as cultural universals, cultural integration, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism (Hughes, Kroehler, & Vander Zanden, 2002) are likewise discussed in greater depth and detail. In addition, Cohen (2009) has acknowledged culture through studying three kinds: “religion, socioeconomic status, and region within a country” (p. 194). Religion in itself is such a complicated and far-reaching subject due to the various theological concepts, beliefs, practices, and ideologies that have been acknowledged to be entrenched in different cultures.

Thus, diversity in culture has clearly proven that there are more complex sub-categories of culture that contribute to the diversity, per se; and makes the concept more intricate and broad. Likewise, disparities in gender views were delved into by McIntosh (1990) when she averred that “I have often noticed men’s unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged” (p. 1). The statement clearly presents diversity in gender through gender issues that include employment opportunities, privileges and discriminatory practices, stereotyping, and even the nurture and nature controversies on gender-specific toys that children play.

Impact of Diversity on Society From the article written by Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams (1999), the authors have revealed that “interethnic group and intraethnic group racism are