What is diversity? Diversity at Work, an Australian training and consulting company defines it as, "the quality of being different at an individual or group level; therefore unless you are exactly exactly the same as everyone else, you are part of an exciting diversity mix." 

We've included a unit on Diversity/Cultural Awareness with this course for several reasons. First, to recognize and value diversity is to value the differences between people - differences like gender, race, age, ethnic or cultural background, sexual orientation, disability, religion, education, life experience, etc.  It is these differences that shape our attitudes, behavior, and perception of each other.

Second, when we can recognize and value the United State's cultural diversity, we can create a more accepting and creative culture in all aspects of our society. The metaphor of the American "melting pot" really is no longer appropriate. We need to switch to a tossed salad! This allows us to focus on both the differences in the ingredients while at the same time enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the whole. A good salad does not have a bunch of items that look, taste or have the same texture.  So too, the culture within the United States is diverse and we should not only celebrate that, but seek to understand it.

The following text is an article on cultural awareness written by Cindy L. Steiner, an international trainer for more than 20 years. She has conducted workshops, seminars, university courses, and served as the keynote speaker for the US Department of Commerce and various international organizations.

"The cultural richness of the United States has made it what it is today! The US didn't exist until people from all over the world came to this land. The most courageous and adventuresome are the ones who ventured here - leaving the "known: of their own countries to chance the "unknown" of these United States. Ironically, many of the communication barriers we confront in the workplace are nothing more than differences in cultures - different perspectives.

Chances are you won't be working in a company where all the employees were born and raised in the United States. All of us have experienced what we call the "culture gap" in one sense or another. What we need to do is bridge the culture gap and improve business. We need to strive to work together in harmony.

Stereotypes:
We all know about stereotypes; the main point is to be aware and beware at the same time. For example, what comes to mind when you hear the following:

a New Yorker; a Californian, a Texan, a Hawaiian, England, France, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Australia, India, Africa?

You probably have an image in your mind of what each of these is like - a stereotype. What we need to do, each of us, is to realize that individuals are all different, despite where they come from.  If you can do this, especially in the workplace, it will help bridge the culture gap and improve your company's business by allowing individuals to be individuals.

Differing Values:
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled, "Gimme a Break: Why do Americans get less vacation time than Europeans?" It talked about how Americans get 10 days of vacation after perhaps one year on the job and maybe 25 days of vacation after 25 years. Yet, Europeans get 30 days right from the start! The article mentioned how Americans see vacation as "an element of compensation" whereas Europeans see it as "a right of employment." Really though, it seems to be a blatant case of differing values:

LIVE TO WORK versus WORK TO LIVE

Often differing values can cause misunderstandings in the workplace. For example, if your boss is one of the "Live to Work" types and you are a "Work to Live" type, you may experience some problems.

Values and Behaviors:
Differing values can result in misunderstandings because of the behaviors that we see. For example, we may see that our Latin colleague arrives late to work one day. But what we don't realize is the value underlying this behavior: Family is most important above all else. Maybe one of the children was sick that morning. Or you may notice that your Asian colleague never looks you in the eye. You're not sure if he is shy or doesn't like you. But actually, he is showing you respect. In many Asian countries it is disrespectful to look someone in the eye.

Logic Flow is another cultural gap that confuses communication. In the US we use inductive reasoning: get to the point right up front and then give the explanation and pertinent detail. Whereas, in most other Western cultures, they use deductive reasoning: give the explanation and detail first which all lead to the conclusion or main point - which comes at the end.

This difference in Logic Flow causes so much frustration! The American is impatiently waiting for the "foreign national" to get to the main point and demands, "So what's the point?" (Time is Money!) While the "foreign national" thinks the American is pushy and aggressive because he crams the point down your throat before giving any support.

These are just a few examples of where the culture gap can create misunderstandings in the workplace. If we can find out why people behave as they do, we will have a much more harmonious work environment." (end article)

OK - so hopefully now we're all on board as to the value of understanding and embracing our diversity. I'd like to wrap up this narrative by offering some concrete things you can do starting right now:

1. Sometimes we ignore people we don't know how to talk to. It's OK to ask someone to repeat themselves. It's OK to apologize for not being able to understand, and to ask them to say it again. A friendly face or a smile can help people to feel welcome.

2. It is a good idea to learn another language and discover other perspectives.

3. Keep your voice at its normal pitch, don't shout; being shouted at does not help anyone understand English.

4. Express an interest in others' country of origin - haven't you always wanted to travel? This is a chance to find out about other places.

5. Be hospitable - treat people as you would like to be treated.

6. Respect the many cultures and languages in the United States.

7. Understand that learning about other cultures can be challenging and takes effort.