Cultural diversity goes beyond an ideological theory prescribed as something communities should strive to achieve. It’s threaded throughout the world around us, presenting as a rich and varied tapestry of viewpoints, experiences, cultural expressions, practices and beliefs. Cultural diversity drives innovation, develops creativity and expands perspectives. It can help foster empathy and deepen compassion thereby creating a more inclusive society.
What Does Cultural Diversity Mean?
Cultural diversity shapes our beliefs, influences our actions and behaviour and forms part of our identity. Within society it’s reflected in the different cultural and ethnic groups. This means that cultural diversity is the opposite of monoculture. Accordingly, Dr Caleb Rosado, Sociologist and Multiculturalism Expert, defines it as “…a system of beliefs and behaviours that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society.”
Practically, the core of cultural diversity is bringing a diverse group of people together in a way that acknowledges and celebrates their differences. These differences could be race, gender, age, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicity, sexual orientation or abilities. It’s about creating an environment where all are able to be themselves and thereby contribute meaningfully.
10 Examples of Types of Diversity
- Gender
- Sexual orientation and identification
- Age
- Race and ethnicity
- Religion and traditions
- Language
- Physical disabilities
- Neurodiversity
- Thought styles and values
- Socio-economic backgrounds or status
Culture vs Cultural Diversity
The difference between culture and cultural diversity is nuanced. Culture refers to a group of people who have a common set of beliefs, values and practices. Whereas cultural diversity recognises the differences between groups of people and how communities vary from each other.
Why Does Cultural Diversity Matter?
There are many advantages of creating a culturally diverse environment. The foremost being that each person within that space is enabled to be themselves and because of that perform optimally. Promoting cultural diversity should take place within work environments, community settings and at institutions like schools and colleges.
Fostering a culturally diverse environment strengthens relationships between people as it encourages respect, understanding and empathy. The result of this has been shown to be increased collaboration, innovation and improvement of problem solving. From a broader economic standpoint, cultural diversity can stimulate growth, productivity and improve profit margins. This is because companies are able to better tap into a wider range of ideas, augmented creativity and a broader assortment of skill sets.
The Advantages of Exposure to Diverse Communities during Fieldwork
Students who are exposed to diverse communities through their fieldwork augment the skills they are acquiring. In working with people from various backgrounds, students need to have an increased understanding of social issues and historical contexts. To be successful they have to ensure that they are able to communicate effectively. To do so they need to identify the diversity of perspectives and cultural norms they encounter then adapt their research approaches accordingly. The result is that their ability to collaborate is strengthened as is their capacity for critical thinking, flexibility and tenacity. These skills that are augmented during their fieldwork are invaluable when it comes to psychology and social work. This is why SACAP incorporates work integrated learning into student’s courses.
Strategies to Promote Workplace Diversity
Fostering a culturally aware and diverse environment requires management and HR to take decisive action. It can take time and needs to be a company goal that’s consistently pursued. There are a number of things that an organisation can do to manage and promote diversity.
5 Ways to Create Organisational Cultural Diversity
- Encourage active listening with the view of creating awareness and support of varied perspectives.
- Boost cultural awareness by organising events that celebrate different cultures within the organisation.
- Organise twambuilding sessions where the purpose, for example, is to assist a community group or outreach to an underrepresented group.
- Incorporate implicit bias and cultural sensitivity training into orientation and onboarding processes.
- Establish an in-house mentoriship programme.
Common Multiculturalism Challenges
It is not uncommon for challenges to arise when different cultures interact. It’s part of the process of learning and accepting differences between one another.
One of the more common cultural diversity challenges is stereotyping. This is when assumptions are made of someone that are based on generalisations or perceptions. Essentially, a stereotype disregards an individual’s characteristic in favour of an expectation based on their belonging to a specific group. Successful integration and cohesion of a team can be made more difficult when stereotyping creates prejudices and biases. Notable is that not all stereotyping or biases are conscious. They can be deep rooted and as a result an association that is uncontrolled and made without an awareness.
Another common challenge within a multicultural environment is differing communication styles. Unintentional miscommunication can result due to a range of linguistic abilities and first languages. Varied communication approaches can also be the result of differing cultural communication norms. Or, alternatively, a diverse understanding of professional etiquette and workplace expectations. Miscommunication can also exacerbate the impact of conflicting workstyles as finding a middle ground can be made more challenging.
How to Be Part of Nurturing Diversity
Individuals can make a difference to improving cultural diversity around them while celebrating it within their own lives. Becoming more self-aware, leading by example by being supportive of policies and practices and taking an inclusive approach are great ways to start. SACAP is deeply rooted in human-centric education and social impact. Our focus is to develop knowledge, skills and self-awareness. Consequently, SACAP graduates understand the real-world value of embracing diversity and are empowered to make a difference in the world. Click here for more information on which SACAP course can help you be a catalyst for positive change.
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