This week, we had to Call, write to, or talk to at least three friends, family members, acquaintances, and/or colleagues who may be culturally different from ourselves, and ask each person to share their definitions of culture and their definitions of diversity. I invited a group of people and their kids over and we spoke in general about culture and diversity while we played games. So the conversation was very lengthy. But the definitions I chose to share with you belong to a Black male, a White female and a Hispanic male.
I told those I spoke with that I would keep everything confidential so I will list the responses as 1,2,&3.
#1's Definitions.....
CULTURE: How we are raised educationally and morally and what or who we believe in and the way we express that.
DIVERSITY: Different classes of people and nationalities
#2's Definitions.....
CULTURE: How our families have raised us and what we believe in; the combination of the two
DIVERSITY: Differences among masses of people.
#3 Definitions.....
CULTURE: Everything that we are about and believe in and like. like wines, music, arts and opera. It's what we're taught, how we are brought up and how we present ourselves.
DIVERSITY: A mixture of people and their differences.
We then had to reflect of those answers we received and respond in the following way:
Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?
From the answers I received, everyone is in agreement that culture is a combination of how we are raised. It is our customs, holidays and beliefs. The way their answers link up to what I've studied so far in this course is that culture and diversity IS our IDENTITY. For example, one woman defined herself specifically as a child of God, and everything she does has to reflect Him. How she carries herself, how she speaks and what she does. And I have to agree with her, because she's a Pastor.
Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission.
Some things that I believe were intentionally omitted were certain customs. For example, when I was speaking with an acquaintance of mine and finally got up the nerve to ask her about the scars on her face she said "oh, just something we do". She answered without answering and went on to something else. I believe when people are ashamed or embarrassed or afraid how people will react to what they tell them, they won't say anything. Now it could have dealt with religion, or custom or it could've been personal, but I don't know because she neglected to go into detail about it.
In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
It's influenced my thinking because now I believe that culture is who we are and what we are. It's our ideas about education, discipline, religion and everything in between. More specifically, it is how we express who we are, what we are, and whom's we are!
