Diversity and Culture

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I talked to three different people in regards to their views on culture and diversity.

Friend #1 age 42- African American female
Definition of culture:
“Culture is the way people represent themselves and their families.  It is also how we make generalizations about people.  While it can be wrong, the way a person looks or dresses will remind me of a certain culture and my known conceptions of that culture.  I do understand that many cultures have all kinds of branches, but we all make immediate assumptions from the first impression."
Definition of diversity:
"Diversity is the differences we all have.  Considering my own feelings, values and beliefs, they are diverse and different than others around me.  While we may share some experiences, beliefs or values, we consider them on different levels.  Someone who is diverse is of a different culture or race than I am; they could also be of a different age or gender”

Friend #2 age mid-30s, Caucasian female

"Diversity is about how each individual is unique and has their differences. When you look at diversity today, you are not only looking at just race but you are also looking at ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, and political beliefs."

She also discussed culture and diversity as it relates to the profession and children:

“As professionals who work with families and their children, our willingness to talk openly about identity and to help foster a positive sense of self in children can make a huge difference in affirming the diversity of our communities. We also need to show children the different cultures and traditions that others use. The more children have an understanding about who they are and where they came from, the more they learn to respect their communities and the different communities around them.

Friend# 3 age 27 Caucasian male

Culture is the sum of a society's learnt behavioral patterns, perceptions and shared experiences that unite the society together. It can include shared ideas, beliefs, religious tenets, dress and language. Culture is not an inherent attribute transmitted genetically, but instead must be learnt from one's society. It is the way we see the world in which we live.

Diversity is knowing and embracing one's own cultural identity, while acknowledging and accepting that there are other cultures out there that are very different from our own that are due the same reverence and respect we give to our own. Diversity is living with other cultures peacefully and learning from one another while still maintaining separate ideologies. After all, we all have a common culture: we all experience life on Earth.

What aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received- and what are some examples?

They discussed culture as being how one person or groups of persons define themselves, and also discussed that culture/diversity could also refer to things such as gender and age.  There was a recognition that even these differences can be referred to as culture or diversity.  Also, there was discussion about the assumptions and stereotypes that come along with culture, and how a child/family looks at 'outsiders'.  

Which aspects have been omitted? and what are examples of such omission?
There has been omission of surface culture in the sense that there is a much deeper aspect to culture.   For example one person discussed how you assume by the way a person looks that they are part of a certain culture.  The surface culture defines that which you can see, but omits all of the underlying aspects.  This includes the family roles, work (who in the family works), religion, the extended family relationships and the roles of children.  (Derman-Sparks, Edwards J. L, 2008) There was also the omission of holidays, artifacts, costumes, and the ideas about education.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definition of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
I feel that some of the persons I spoke to had the same experience with culture as I did.  Culture and diversity was something I did not really pay much attention to or believe I myself had.   Gonzalez in the article discussed how she barely noticed her own culture, or the cultural framework she was a part of because they lacked differences. (Gonzalez, 2008)  Another interviewee discussed how things need to be looked at differently from an early childhood professional’s stance because we need to support the children, and appreciate their culture. When families migrate to another country, there is a struggle between the first generation and second generation.  Families wish for their children to hold on to their culture and traditions, and children seem influenced by the new culture surrounding them. (Ngo, 2008)


ResourceDerman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Diversity in Early Care and Education (5th ed., pp. 8–13). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill
Ngo, B. (2008). Beyond “culture clash”: Understanding of immigrant experiences. Theory into Practice, 47(1), 4–11