Diversity and Communication

Diversity and Communication

Every time someone blazes a trail or faces a challenge, their entire family is affected, sometimes for generations. The ability to recognize and respond to diversity is a skill needed for success today and in the future for many people. Today's society is so diverse culturally, we as people must encounter differences by recognizing them and more important learning from them. One of the ways to conquer diversity in this increasingly complex and diverse world is through communication.

A person understands their culture and what is considered "normal" for their specific culture, weather it be religious practices, holiday celebrations, traditions handed down from generation to generation. People often view a person's cultural practices as out of the norm, only because they do not understand the culture. American women have the right to education, speech, employment, and choice of getting married or not. These rights of passage are not allowed to women in other cultures and it is hard for American women to understand.

Although people migrate to America for the "freedom" of being able to live, work, and attend school in a free society, does not mean the cultural traditions do not accompany them. It is often a complex task for many to leave traditions and cultural "norms" in the closet. Many people are proud to be of their ancestral descent and continue to practice their cultural traditions. Men who are the dominant member of the family in a specific culture may find it difficult to accept the freedom women have in another culture. There is a certain role women must accept in the Asian or Third World countries that are not accepted in the Western culture. Gender is usually an important issue, the man heads the family, sets the rules for all to follow. Men usually do whatever they please, when they choose to do so and the woman obeys. The women usually tend to children and the home with little to no education. Actually they have little if any rights to educate themselves to become independent. The race card really does not come into play but the economic role does. There are social classes and that is important to the man of the house especially when there is a wedding involved. People of upper social class can trade more for their daughter's dowry. Women marry men they have never met, arranged marriages are common. Men can have more than one wife, family and it is accepted. In the United States this practice is considered a crime and is punishable by jail.

The younger generations attempt to remain loyal to their culture and family traditions but at the same time attempt to adapt to a more western culture. Opposition is often met from the elders of the family because they want to remain in the traditional setting. Communication is required in all cultures, effective communication is when people are able to listen, understand and communicate to members in the family. It is not a one sided conversation and because