Topic > Unity in Diversity: The Effects of Cultural Diversity in America

Diversity may seem like just a "modern buzzword" full of nonsense and hierarchy to some, it is certainly not an original concept; theoretically, it predates the creation of civilization. In practice, the evolution of diversity – and, more specifically, the support and emphasis placed on it – is a much older development. Recent developments in this theory have brought to light new beliefs that negatively connote the theory as a sort of “hierarchy” or ideal based on “inequality” that leads to conflicts between generations. Many have said how diversity as a concept has overall shaped and shaped the country for the better, but the truth is that diversity has become a stereotypical and negative ideal of American culture. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay From the first explorers and settlers to the present day, America has been a nation of immigrants. Different waves of immigrants have poured into the United States at various times, helping to shape and build America in crucial ways. The initial raids, and then subsequent settlements, were orchestrated by the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch colonial empires. They coexisted with Native Americans and those of the enslaved African populations they brought with them. There were three other great waves of migration, closely linked to crucial periods of America's growth. Irish, Germans, Scots and Scandinavians were the most important groups among those who came later. As the West opened to the relentless march of American expansion, these people would become the backbone of settlement on the Western frontier, as well as providing cheap labor on the East Coast. They were also often the ones who founded new settlements and states on the western frontier. Great waves of diversity have led to many of the moments of success in American history books, this has not allowed the consolidation of diversity as a concept fully accepted by all Americans. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2019 stated that “the majority of U.S. adults (66%) are satisfied with the racial mix in their area. However, when their area was surveyed, only 1 in 11 neighbors (11%) were Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, or other ethnicities or cultures, or non-white.” The Pew Foundation, shocked by the results found, returned to interview many of those who participated in the survey. One man who agreed to be quoted anonymously said: "Education is our key solution for change, for peace and to help fight those who believe racism and discrimination are still a problem, when in reality they simply can't get over the past." . Diversity is simply an ideal built on emotional, daydreamers who can't get their heads out of the clouds and into books." Readers flocked to comment on sections wherever the Pew Foundation survey – Race in America 2019: Revisited existed. Great waves once again began to sweep across the country, leading to the question, “Is education a catalyst for negative ideals of diversity?” Digging deeper into the concept of diversity in educational aspects, the Journal of Higher Education found troubling results in a study titled Engaging with Diversity: How Positive and Negative Interactions Influence Students' Cognitive Outcomes. The study aimed to “support the conversation about diversity on school campuses” by examining the incidence and influence of negative diversity experiences.” THEresults concluded that: “In a sample of 2,500 students at four-year institutions, 43% of African-American students reported having a “high” number of negative interactions with diversity, followed by 56% of Hispanics, 53 % of Asians and 15% of White Americans. These 'negative experiences' mattered – they reflected hostile, offensive, or tense interactions with other students who were categorically different from them." Others argue that most research in this specific area has identified itself over the years as more positive or neutral in classifying diversity experiences on campuses, but for this reason these people clearly choose to ignore an important dimension of the diversity experience, due to lack of knowledge. in this area and the lack of understanding of the overall definition of Diversity. As stated by Josipa Roska, lead author of Engaging with Diversity and professor of sociology and education at the University of Virginia, “Higher education institutions haven't really delivered on their promises of diversity, it's a wonderful thing for them to have a diversified." student body – this can be a crucial first step – but you need to make sure that interaction between groups is positive in all respects before you can claim that you are truly a diverse institution. For me, it's about intentionality, higher education institutions followed by workplace institutions are not helping citizens develop the skills to deal with that diversity, to engage with it, to embrace it or to make it a positive experience” (Roska – Page 204). Roska later states: “To me, this data referenced in this article is a call to education and career-focused companies to engage diversity on a deeper level – not only by admitting diverse bodies but, helping others to embrace and take advantage of all sources of diversity because of the historical facts, that these two are the most difficult places for the diffusion and acceptance of Diversity for all”. This leads to another question: “Is the workplace the real catalyst for diversity issues?” Due to the increase in globalization in the world, cultural diversity in the workplace has grown as a trend. Although contemporary media and literature delve into the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace, citing improvements in employee competence and creativity, this recognition does not reflect, in actual practice, as strongly as in theory, poor communication, the creation of barriers and dysfunctional coping behaviors. These factors lead staff to indulge in interpersonal conflicts, leading to talking about different opinions, thoughts, beliefs, norms, customs, values, tendencies and traditions. “When faced with these potentially infinite dimensions, the analogy of an iceberg comes to mind; the clear characteristics of race, ethnicity, gender, age and disability refer to the small and visible portion of the iceberg and underlie much anti-discrimination legislation around the world.” When culturally diverse workers are placed in a group specifically to achieve a goal through mutual effort or collaboration, these differences in opinions and beliefs can hinder the development of unity. Leading to a further obstacle to the common goal to be achieved, instead of solving the problems at hand. The impacts of cultural diversity in society, education and the workplace can be both favorable and unfavorable. Some negative effects might include dysfunctional conflict, loss of productivity, and difficulty achieving harmony in group settings. The.