Appreciating Our Differences, Essay Example

In my life, I have come across different people from various cultures. I grew up in a mainly homogenous community, where customs and standards of behavior were set. When I moved away to study, I had to realize that people can have diverse values, preferences, and attitudes towards life. While I learned to appreciate and accept these differences, I often struggled with understanding other cultures.

Hoerr (2005) states that people should be appreciated and recognized, and prejudice should be eliminated. However, Lippin (2008) highlighted the fact that normative thinking in education and the world of employment is still present. Cultural sensitivity can be learned as a skill, and can lead to improved relationships and collaboration. Hershock (2008, p. 5) confirms: “21st century patterns of globalisation are raising crucial questions about the means and meaning of difference”. Being different should not be limited to gender, race. Culture, values, beliefs should also be understood and appreciated.

My first roommate when I started college was an Indian girl. She came from a Hindu family and told me about the different customs and beliefs. First, I could not imagine how somebody in their right mind could believe that there are thousands of gods. I also found the customs very weird. I was at a denial stage. I told her that I believed her religion was outdated. She got offended. My attitude changed when I started talking with her about the religion and the beliefs. I found that the values of her religion were similar. I started looking at integrating her way of thinking into my attitude. I learned to appreciate her celebrating different Hindu festivals, painting her hands with henna. I changed my attitude from being closed-up to opening up to different views. Today, I am aiming to learn more about cultures and different beliefs around the world to understand people’s motivation and behavior better.

References

Hershock, P. D. (2008). Activating difference: Appreciating equity in an era of global interdependence. In Towards Global Transformation: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Gross National Happiness.

Hoerr, T. R. (2005) The Art of school leadership. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Lippin, L. (2008) Are we really appreciating difference? Themes for a more responsible participation in a multicultural world. APTi Bulletin of Psychological Type, Vol. 31, No. 3 (2008)