Culture diversity Essay

Individual Final Assignment- What information about diversity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? Trends in immigration will continue to shape the demographics of the United States. What will the U.S. population look like in the year 2050? Why do you think so? What challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? What are the benefits of such a diverse society? How can we foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States? In what ways do the media perpetuate stereotyping and prejudice? Provide examples to support your assertion. In what ways do the media help foster appreciation for diversity? Provide examples to support your assertion. How might individuals and the United States work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity? How might you change your own behaviors to be more inclusive and pluralistic? Diversity in the United States Studying Cultural Diversity has opened my eyes to the information dealing with the many issues in today’s society. I never paid attention to diversity in the United States before I took this class I was well aware of the issues in my society but this class made me understand why it is happening and where it all started. It taught me that different racial and ethnic groups have unique cultural traditions which make them who they are. The United States is very diverse. The term diversity is used to refer to the many demographic variables, including race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age and education. America’s diversity has given this country its unique strength, resilience and richness. The United States has a racially and ethnically diverse population. The United States census identifies six ethnic and racial categories: White American, American Indian and Alaska native, Asia, African American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander. It also included Hispanic or Latino American Being the largest minority group in the nation. White Americans are the racial majority in the nation. I am an African American Woman. I am very familiar with my culture and background history. Studying diversity this semester has opened my eyes to the values of my cultures also showing me how hard people fought for the rights of my peoples. I am aware that civil rights activists fought for my rights not only as an African American but because I am a woman as too. There were many civil rights movement and acts that fought against discrimination against minority groups. African Americans make up the largest subgroups and are descendants of Africans who were transported to the United States in the mid-1600 during the slave trades. Before the 1600’s this id no record of African Americans. African Americans have a hard time with ancestral background because slave owners did not keep up with the records of their slaves. Most African Americans resided in the southeastern and south central states. The diversity in the United States today have made it more difficult for many people to place themselves on the racial and ethnical landscape. The racial and ethnical landscape is constructed to out socially and not naturally. This is what causes the landscape to be subject to change and different interpretation. There is an increasing change in the respect for biracial identity and multiracial identity groups. In history mixed races were considered to be taboo and unheard of. In today’s society you see more biracial couples and children. This shows that there is some acceptance in diversity. The labels names for subordinate have evolved American Indians to Native Americans to native people or Negros to Blacks to African Americans. I have learned that the various issues in which our nation faces dealing with prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes which leads to the issues concerning hates crimes. The United States population is expected to increase by the year 2050. According to the United States Census Bureau projections the portions of the resident of the United States who are white and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2015. The minority status is not about numbers there is no denying that the White American majority is diminishing in size relatively to the growing diversity of racial and ethnic groups. Over the next couple of decades the United States population is expected to increase rapidly in its older population and a large increase in racial and ethnic  diversity. Although the expected increase in the population the white population is expected to decrease due to the diversity and the increase in multiracial identity groups. Diversity comes in all forms. In today’s workplace technology is rapidly growing and experiencing rapid changing the ways of living. Businesses are working on an international level dealing with different race, religion, ethnics, age and gender. It is important the company owners to understand the true meaning of diversity when managing an increasingly growing diverse group of people. Simple misunderstandings can arise from basic cultural differences, communication style, or work attitudes. These misunderstandings can create challenges. Gender communication issues can range from communication styles and perception, opportunities and can even cause sexual harassment. Racism is the belief that these inherited characteristics can affect the individual’s abilities or behaviors. The concepts of diversity are practiced world-wide by people and organizations. When an organization has a group that belongs to a diverse group it demonstrates organization and celebrates the diversity that exists in people of different backgrounds. It promotes humanistic values. Active persuasion of diversity in the workplace directly impacts productivity and profitability of the organization as well as its employees. Promoting diversity reduces absenteeism rates, lower employee turnovers and reduces legal responsibility of discrimination lawsuits. Being able to understand different identity groups will improve the work stability with each other. If this is practice then cultures will have no problem working with each other. We can foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States by being civil and tolerant. Being respectable to one another and treating each other equally. If we can practice living in a community with other identity groups we will establish a well-defined multi-cultural group. Media perpetuates stereotyping and prejudice in ways of being bias to one side than the other. Media stereotypes are inevitable especially in advertising, entertainment and news industries. Stereotypes are a signal or  clue that acts like a code that gives the audience an understanding of the person or a group. When you see things advertised on television it gives you a perception of what they are promoting. Thing that are viewed on television are our biggest influence. For example a child watches something violent on TV then goes to school and acts out in violence. This is a good example to show how much television and the media influences our society. The Media helps foster appreciation for diversity by promoting the differences between different identity groups. The media has a powerful influence on people’s attitudes and perceptions. The media encourages the tolerance of diversity constructing national identity. Prejudice is the attitude that rejects an entire group. People working together to eliminate prejudice and discrimination requires people to accept others. They would need to exploit the fear of being threatened and eliminate the need to blame others for their own failures. People should practice person-centered thinking which would allow them to overlook the differences with other identity group and accepting as equal. Practicing this will allow people to be able to work comfortably with others. The most influenced points are in education, ass media, intergroup contact and workplace training programs. If we can control what is being taught in school to prevent crime and reduce discrimination we could reduce the crime level due to racist acts. We could also be careful what is being presented on television which influences their viewers. I have always been familiar with the problems and issues that have been presented in this course. I have never had a problem working with other identity groups. Although I have had my own personal views to favoritism in the workplace and other industries I understand that diversity is mindful that racial and ethnic labels are just labels and no race is considered a pure race. People based their lives on what makes someone different from them. Plan on practicing more on finding what makes us alike rather than what makes us different.