Value of Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity in the United States

The United States is one of the most multi-culturally diverse nations in the world. It has often been described as a melting point in which diverse cultures converge. The country is filled with people drawn from different cultures such as Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Europeans. This study focuses on the concept and importance of cultural diversity in the U.S. I believe that cultural diversity is desirable in the United States because it fosters harmonious interaction of people: it should be encouraged because it makes American Citizen's appreciate and respect each other's culture.

Culture refers to an integrated system of learned conduct or behavior patterns that are distinct with members of a given society. As such, culture refers to a people's way of thinking or living. It incorporates people's traditions, religions, mode of dressing, language, values, and beliefs. Language allows people to establish a sense of unity and cultural identity as it allows people to communicate. Religion and arts, on the other hand, also allow a given group of people to express themselves through music, dance, and film. Different people practice different cultures. For instance, the Latino culture greatly differs from the Chinese culture, which differs from the American culture. Since countries have different nationals drawn from different cultural backgrounds, it is important to manage cultural diversity.

Cultural diversity is a terminology that describes the existence of various cultures living in a given area or region. Cultural diversity can also be used to refer to multiculturalism refers to a system of behaviors and beliefs that recognizes and respects the existence of all distinct groups in a society. The system also values and acknowledges socio-cultural differences and allows their continued contribution within an all in cultural context. Cultural diversity entails recognizing the abundant diversity of cultures, valuing other cultures, respecting cultural differences, encouraging the inputs of distinct groups and celebrating cultural differences rather than just tolerating them.

The significance of cultural diversity is accentuated by the United Nations-led international holiday for the advancement of diversity issues. The World Day celebrates the Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development every 21 May. This event is important because it enables various communities to value the diversity of various cultures and the importance of harmonious coexistence with each other. In addition, UNESCO adopted two declarations in 2001 and 2005 urging its member parties to adopt measures of promoting and protecting various cultural expressions. As such, cultural diversity is not only an issue of domestic concern but international concerns.

Cultural diversity can be enhanced by being proactive while listening to people from different cultures. Cultural diversity can also be enhanced by increasing one's understanding about other cultures and avoiding imposing values on people drawn from other cultures. America's cultural diversity can be depicted using different facets. First, the U.S. has no official language although many leading global languages and cultures interact on a daily basis in the U.S. Secondly, the U.S. is home to different religions based on freedom of religion.

The concept of cultural diversity is vital because it provides us with a chance to understand the different perspectives across the globe in which we live. Cultural diversity helps us recognize and respect different backgrounds of people who may be different from us. According to Pojman (1999), cultural diversity allows us to understand how other people perceive life. Pojman shows that Eskimos starve their elderly folks to death while Spartans of ancient Greece believed that stealing was morally right contrary to our beliefs. Cultural diversity makes our nation a more interesting place to live as people from different cultures contribute new ways of thinking, different experiences, and new knowledge. I believe that cultural diversity should be advanced at all levels.

The concept of cultural diversity is valuable to our country because workplaces and institutions of learning are increasingly consisting of different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. The dawn of globalization and the advancement of technology have resulted in increased multinational activities. As such, people from different countries and with different cultures often interact to advance trade. Cultural diversity comes into play by allowing equality and the inclusion of all people irrespective of their cultural backgrounds. In addition, institutions of learning have increased cultural interaction through exchange programs. This later promotes cultural diversity within educational institutions.