Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this assignment I tried to really think about who to ask to define culture and diversity. I did not want anyone to be exactly like me.  I chose my assistant who is a recent college graduate,  the preschool interpreter I work with who is from Puerto Rico, and my mother who has recently retired after 36 years in education.



Assistant:
Family culture is where people come from and their beliefs that they have.

Diversity is when a whole bunch of differences come together in a positive way.

Preschool Interpreter:
To me, diversity and even culture means getting to know, understand, and respect other people's way of life. Their history, food, way of dressing, embracing the way of interacting with their friends and family and also their native language. Even if it's your native language. Since Spanish is spoken in several countries, but that also means knowing or expanding yourself to use those nuances instead of criticizing it or mocking because it is not said the way your used to hearing it. For me I have to apply it both of my native languages, because of being born in the states and growing up surrounded by my family from Puerto Rico.

Mother:
Culture is a small group of individuals who share similar beliefs.

Diversity is when you look at a community of people and recognize that within that community there are various cultures reflected in that community.




The aspects of diversity and culture that have been included in the three definitions are recognizing that people have their own beliefs and history. Respect is another aspect that was addressed in the definitions.

I cannot really identify any aspects of diversity and culture that have been omitted in the definitions.  It appears to me that the three people I have asked all have a common idea of what culture and diversity means.

What I did notice is that everyone brings their own backgrounds into a definition. No one made a standard dictionary definition of diversity and culture. It shows that even within two noted ideas, each individual makes the definition their own.