Cultural Diversity Competence
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Introduction
One of the articles in the Richard Branson is “One country I have watched with increasing concern is Russia. In the years following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia liberalized some of its laws targeting gays – it decriminalized homosexual relationships in 1993 – and the country appeared to be on the road to equality. But now, new laws have been introduced to intimidate and persecute gay people (Richard, 2014). The other article displays this is; We cannot afford to make mistakes like Chevrolet made when it first tried to sell the Chevy Nova in Spanish speaking countries. In Spanish, “Nova” means “It does not go.” Needless to say, Nova never sold well in Spanish speaking countries (PennState 2001).
It is clear that diversity, from the first article, continues to be a problem. Progress is made, but at times, people are unwilling to live with this diversity are determined to undo the progress made. The other is on Chevrolet’s inability to account for diversity in its marketing strategies as it launched the Nova into the Spanish speaking territories. Had they appreciated the difference between the American and Spanish speaking areas, they would have adapted their marketing strategies to better suit the Spanish market.
The trend in the existing society that has diversity an important issue, according to PennState, includes; is the increase in competitiveness in the global markets that most American companies operate. It is no longer enough to make products and sell them to the country they are made. And so there has been a need to create products that are destined to be used by people of different cultures, and in order to market these products, then an understanding of those people the product is targeted is paramount. A change in the composition of the USA population. This has been drastic as, according to the article, only 70% of the population is white, with California having less than 50% of whites. If the trend is to continue, then by the year 2050, no group will claim a majority. Lastly, people have started to embrace their uniqueness, and instead of conforming to the norm so one culture, they celebrate and showcase their cultures with pride.
A melting approach is where a person coming from a different culture was expected to adapt their old culture into the new world. The world symbolizes a mixture of different cultures to emerge with one culture that everyone can adopt. The fault in this approach is that it seems to suggest that the differences we have are shortcoming. A new term is being adopted, know as ‘mosaic society’ or ‘tossed salad.’ Within these terms, individuals maintain their uniqueness, and cultural practices such as lifestyle, language, and religious practices are maintained. With these approaches, differences are valued and appreciated.
Cultural diversity has certain influences that are manifested because of stereotypes that undermine the entire concept. This actually led to the treatment of certain ethnic groups. As the world continues to evolve, and much information will become more available on the individual and the issue of cultural differences. The authors state that the acceptance of cultural diversity is becoming more common.
Some of the multilevel cultural challenges facing our society are; conformity, which is someone or people in the society who cannot recognize the benefits of meritocracy. The second is resistance to everything that challenges the stereotypes or assumptions about a certain culture. The third is a redefinition, and this includes identifying one’s identity and being open to the impact our actions have on other and lastly, a new identity and this is feeling comfortable with the identities we have (Hogan, 2012)
Recognizing the difference in others is important, and this first and foremost helps us respect others regardless of how they do different things in their day-to-day lives. Secondly, we learn to acknowledge that no culture is superior to the other, and each cultural expression is valid in its own right. Third, we learn to take the good from other culture. Each culture has something valuable to offers. Fourth, we learn to encourage other cultures’ contributions, especially those who may feel their voice stifled for whatever reason. Lastly, we learn to be critical of our own biases; this helps us be better at empowering others and living our full potential. The article examines a personal bias that may exist and reviews the information on the issues of racism and criminology. They show how this issue affects the development of the psychological field. Cultural diversity is a fundamental issue that has taken the attention of many people and different scholars in the entire world. It actually defines individual interaction. The ethnic minority group represents a specific race or even culture that resides in a country where the majority belong.
References.
Hogan, M. (2012). The four skills of cultural diversity competence. Cengage Learning.
- (2014, March 14). Billionaire Richard Branson on Why Diversity Is an Advantage. MMXLII. http://mmxlii.com/billionaire-richard-branson-on-why-diversity-is-an-advantage/
Patrese Ingram, Ed.D. Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs Expertise Cultural CompetenceMore by Patrese Ingram, Ed.D. Articles Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow: Interpersonal Leadership Skills, Valuing Diversity Guides, and Publications A Guide to Exploring African American Culture Articles Diversity Activities for Youth and Adults View All. (2020, October 11). An Overview of Diversity Awareness. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/an-overview-of-diversity-awareness