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Cultural diversity: Characteristics, Types, Advantages, Disadvantages

Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to mono-culture, the global mono-culture, or a homogenisation of cultures, akin to cultural decay. The phrase cultural diversity can also refer to having different cultures respect each other's differences. The phrase "cultural diversity" is also sometimes used to mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole. Globalisation is often said to have a negative effect on the world's cultural diversity.

Characteristics of cultural diversity

  • In cultural diversity there is a great multiplicity of cultures, each of them as a product of individual development.

  • Cultures have fundamental distinguishing features that point to their characteristics, such as ethnicity, skin colour, sex, language, religion, art and folklore, and even gastronomy.

  • Within cultural diversity, we can find specific areas of diversity.

  • There is a great cultural difference.

  • It tries to preserve.

  • It has against it many ideological, religious and political positions against it.


Types of cultural diversity

There are many types of cultural diversity, some of them are:

  • Biological diversity: Biological diversity, very simply, refers to all of the different kinds of life on Earth. Also called biodiversity, biological diversity is often used to refer to the total number of different species on Earth. A collection of this biodiversity would include human beings, Bengal tigers, sugar maples, oyster mushrooms, bacteria, and the millions of other living organisms found on Earth.

  • Sexual diversity: Gender and sexual diversity (GSD), or simply sexual diversity, refers to all the diversities of sex characteristics, sexual orientations and gender identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviours, or characteristics that form this plurality..

  • Religious diversity: Religious diversity is the fact that there are significant differences in religious belief and practice. It has always been recognised by people outside the smallest and most isolated communities.

  • Ethnic diversity: Ethnicity is identity related to a specific cultural or national tradition. Ethnic diversity, then, refers to the presence of different ethnic backgrounds or identities. In the United States, many people identify with more than one ethnic group, and they might experience ethnic diversity within their own families.

  • Linguistic diversity: Linguistic diversity is a way to talk about varied types of traits including language family, grammar, and vocabulary. A language family is a group of languages with related origins that share some traits.


Why is cultural diversity a “good thing”?

Cultural diversity is important because our country, workplaces, and schools increasingly consist of various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. We can learn from one another, but first we must have a level of understanding about each other in order to facilitate collaboration and cooperation. Learning about other cultures helps us understand different perspectives within the world in which we live, and helps dispel negative stereotypes and personal biases about different groups.

In addition, cultural diversity helps us recognise and respect “ways of being” that are not necessarily our own, so that as we interact with others we can build bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across cultures. Furthermore, this diversity makes our country a more interesting place to live, as people from diverse cultures contribute language skills, new ways of thinking, new knowledge, and different experiences.


Advantages

  • It helps to emerge the new ideas in society by mixing different thinking of different cultures.

  • More creative thinking are emerged.

  • It is also known as a Greater problem-solving elements. Because, it provides different ways to solve the social problems.

  • There is a strengthening of cultures.

  • It increases the cooperation among the people and also helps to increases innovation and talent in one place.

  • Different cultures bring great knowledge and more points of view which helps to the development of society.

Disadvantages

  • Ethnocentrism may be presented, a term that refers to people considering their culture to be the best and for this reason, a series of fights and disputes begins.

  • There is an increase in the ambiguity and complexity of cultures.

  • Communication problems, mainly linguistic.

  • It is difficult to make decisions together.

  • Disagreement about rules, practices and procedures.

  • Problems of discrimination may arise.

  • There are different levels of learning.


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