Report of planned intervention relating to equality issue: cultural diversity - Essay Example

? Introduction Cultural Diversity as a term refers to various civilizations or human cultures in a specific country, region or the world (HM Government, 2011). In a workplace, cultural diversity can transform to become a people’s issue that focuses on the similarities and differences that people bring to the organization. In the workplace, cultural diversity is a challenge to almost all the current business organizations and from this aspect, it is a source of strength. Conducting international businesses in places with diverse cultures is a global challenge among all professionals. Technically, professionals are affected greatly by the cultural diversity since they get a direct chance to interact with many cultures and people whose beliefs and customs could be conflicting. For example, the culture of American Indians is different from that of African Americans In areas and departments like department of youth affairs, youth services center and other youth work institutions, cultural diversity has strong impacts for example, it may act as a source of conflicts or enrich the youth work experience by exposing both the youth worker and the youth to different cultures, beliefs and customers and promote harmony. Youth workers in the UK work with people from the different cultures because of the multicultural setting in the country and as such, they are likely to experience the major cultural diversity impact in their profession. The countries business culture is often mainly based on their own values. When divergent cultures mix or come close, the maximized chances between them can become controversies and this may end up as becoming ineffectual and unproductive work, which can directly affect their profession or business environment (Batsleer, 2008:56). The textbook definition of cultural diversity is the cultural difference and cultural varieties that exist in the world, institutions or current society. According to Cox (1991), cultural diversity is the sum of the divergent ways in which people are viewed in terms of skin, racial inclination, culture, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, religion, personality and the divergent ways in which an individual affiliates with the society. This could also be a particular group that they blend and can identify with comfortably (Davies, 2011:24). Navaro, a tool developed to positively ensure the organizations ultimate success considers cultural diversity as an essential aspect of organizational success, for instance, in youth work institutions as long as it is used effectively. On the other hand, if it is taken for granted, it can destroy an organization across the board, for example by creating an attitude of inferiority-superiority or majority – minority (Mckee, 2011:10). Importance of the cultural diversity in the practice/organization LSI (2012) states “The different contexts in which youth work is practiced will have a bearing on how these NOS are applied. The relevant national, regional, local and political context, as well other applicable standards of performance or competence, should be taken into account when reading and applying the Youth Work NOS” (LSI, 2O12:2). This observation shows the value that cultural diversity has on youth work. Evidence on why cultural diversity is an important issue for this organization /practice in relation to youth work can be seen through the fact that Youth workers who work on the mobile youth venue identified that vast majority of the young people who regularly attend the mobile youth venue sessions come from non-Asian families. Then youth workers made an inquiry of their working area population proportion and found out that Asian families are well presented in that area (Taylor, 2003:45). Youth workers made a logical assumptions that if there were Asian origin young people in that area and they never attended the youth sessions, there might be discriminatory dynamics among young people from Asian and non-Asian origin, that blocks them to share the space. Therefore, it became very important target for the practitioners and for the whole youth agency to expose what cultural prejudices and stereotypes were at place and how to challenge those in order to reach equality on cultural diversity levels (Jeffs & Smith, 2000:25). By looking at the youth services cultural diversities it is clear that the youth cultures are multilayered, complex and always evolve to reflect the currently existing environment, that are not only based on the lines of religion and ethnic lines. Culture includes social sets and includes social and personal sets of belief, values, attitudes and practices that can affect almost all aspects of daily life (Wylie, 2010:34). Therefore, it provides a sense of belonging, dynamism, security and identification to those within the cultural grouping. In turn, these determine the harmony and cohesion sense in the group sense. In a culturally diverse society, the charter of public service as a benchmark for service delivery and planning at the government level includes seven principles that are central to the monitoring, design, delivery, reporting and evaluation of services quality in a society that is diverse (LSI 2012:45). The adapted principles can be used to highlight the agencies and community natures namely, how services should be developed and delivered so that all the deserving clients get them equally. Access of services which should be made available to all those who need and are entitled to them which should be free from any kind of discrimination and this is irrespective of their country religion, culture, language, birth or race. Receptiveness should also be optimized in that agencies should be sensitive to the requirements and needs of clients from cultural backgrounds and diverse languages and as far as practicability and responsive to the individual’s particular circumstances (Benson, 2001). The communication agencies should use strategies to inform eligible services to their clients and their entitlements and how they can be adequately obtained. Clients should also be in constant contact with the providers about the standard of government services and designs. Effective agencies optimizing, the use of public resources that are available through a service delivery responsive approach, which caters for the client’s needs. Agencies that are effective should be focused and result oriented on meeting the youth background needs (HM Government 2011:26). Strategies that can be used to address the cultural diversity issue Thompson’s (2006) Personal, Cultural and Structural analysis (‘PCS Model’) explains the manner in which power relationships are expressed between individuals, groups and through the wider societal environment. It also highlights the layered impact of oppression (Ledwith, 2011:131). The diversity that is generally emerging in today’s youth support programs are not only becoming complicated but diverse with both youth from different linguistic and cultures backgrounds and those who are disabled. For youth workers to be able to meet individual needs and the diverse needs of young people effectively and successfully and for this to be implemented effective, strategy-based research has to be put in place (McCoy, 1997). Both the organization and me as a youth worker can implement five strategic ways, in their youth groups and institutions to positively affect the young people both academically and in behavior in the varied youth learning and interaction levels (Ord, 2007). The proposed key strategies are as follows. First, as a youth worker should connect with young people’s families to establish relationships that can help them understand the youthful individuals personally and better. This is also the step that the organization should take. As a youth worker, I should acknowledge youth differences and understand that uniqueness can be used to help the youth to become better people in the society. I should establish region-wide cultural collaboration where the youth can share their cultural strengths, learn from one another and be able to foster a peaceful co-existence with others who are not from their cultures. All youth workers including myself should also establish mentors for individual youths and implement culturally responsive coaching where the youth are mentored to learn and practice morally acceptable behaviors, internalize hardworking attitude and become responsible people. By following these strategies, it would allow the organization and me to be able to handle the cultural diversity issue (Harrison & Wise, 2005:17). To celebrate cultural diversity, the organization should always encourage all youth workers to work with culturally diverse groups to promote understanding and cohesion among youths that would help them foster a peaceful co-existence in the society. As a youth worker, I can celebrate cultural diversity by turning it into a positive aspect that can be used an aspect that can help in-group formation when working with the youth. I can do this by ensuring that the groups I work with have young people from different cultures or ethnic groups considering that the country is a multicultural society (Davies, 2011). Conclusion The diverse culture based literature in the organizations and institutions that host the youth’s shows that diversity and inclusion has become a forefront issue in today’s youth support system. In the last several decades, there has been significant growth that includes disabled youths in general number of youths from diverse backgrounds and cultures as they mainly enter the youth group system. It is imperative for educators to be aware of successful and effective research based strategies to reach all the institutions that deal with the youth, since the individual learners are unique and it is the uniqueness that can make the youth programs a wonderful and potential place for learning experience for both the youth and the youth worker. A true epitome of an ideal working environment when properly blended differently highlights the organizations dynamics. An ideal working environment reflects a true epitome where the contributions and inputs on unique resources, skills, talents and skills of every individual form part of the organizations original values. This is done in regards to embrace everyone’s common good without regards to the dispensation of the cultures in line with, sexual orientation, religion, racial prejudice, cultural dispensation among others. Reference List Batsleer, J 2008, Informal Learning in Youth Work, London: SAGE Benson, J 2001, Working more creatively with groups. London: Routledge. Page 6 of 15 Davies, B 2011, Youth work stories: in search of qualitative evidence on process and impact. Youth & Policy No. 106 pp.23-42 Davies, B 2011, What’s Positive for Youth? A critical look at the Government’s emerging ‘youth policy, Youth & Policy No. 107 pp. 99 – 103 Harrison R. & Wise C. (Editors) 2005, Working with Young People, London: Sage Publications HM Government 2011, Positive for Youth A new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13 to 19, London: Department for Education Jeffs, T & Smith, M 2000, Informal Education: Conversation, Democracy and Learning, Buckingham: Open University Press Ledwith, M 2011, Community Development: A Critical Approach. New York: The Policy Press LSI 2012, National Occupational Standards for Youth Work (available on Moodle) Mckee, V 2011, Freedom, Fairness and Responsibility: Youth Work offers the way forward. Youth & Policy No. 106 pp.9-22 Ord, J 2007, Youth Work Process, Product and Practice: Creating an Authentic Curriculum in Work with Young People. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing. Pears, R. & Shields, G 2010, Cite them right: The essential referencing guide. London: Palgrave Macmillan Taylor, A 2003, Helping relationship skills for youth workers, mentors and other advisers. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing Wylie, T 2010, Youth Work in a Cold Climate, Youth & Policy No. 105 pp. 1-8 Read More