Takaki, R. A different mirror: A history of multicultural America. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Skip to main content. Toggle navigation Navigation. Chapter Chapter 27 Sections Section 1. Healing from the Effects of Internalized Oppression Section 4. Building Culturally Competent Organizations Section 8. Multicultural Collaboration Section 9.
Transforming Conflicts in Diverse Communities Section Building Inclusive Communities. The Tool Box needs your help to remain available. Toggle navigation Chapter Sections. Section 1. Learn how to understand people's cultures, promote engagement with others, and build strong, diverse communities.
What is culture? Why is culture important? Why is understanding culture important if we are community builders? What kind of cultural community can you envision for yourself? Here is one viewpoint. Do you agree? How might this apply to you? This section is an introduction to understanding culture, and will focus on: What culture is The importance of understanding culture in community building Envisioning your cultural community How to get started in building communities that encourage diversity.
In order to build communities that are powerful enough to attain significant change, we need large numbers of people working together. If cultural groups join forces, they will be more effective in reaching common goals, than if each group operates in isolation. Each cultural groups has unique strengths and perspectives that the larger community can benefit from. We need a wide range of ideas, customs, and wisdom to solve problems and enrich community life.
Bringing non-mainstream groups into the center of civic activity can provide fresh perspectives and shed new light on tough problems. Understanding cultures will help us overcome and prevent racial and ethnic divisions.
Racial and ethnic divisions result in misunderstandings, loss of opportunities, and sometimes violence. Racial and ethnic conflicts drain communities of financial and human resources; they distract cultural groups from resolving the key issues they have in common. People from different cultures have to be included in decision-making processes in order for programs or policies to be effective.
The people affected by a decision have to be involved in formulating solutions--it's a basic democratic principle. Without the input and support of all the groups involved, decision-making, implementation, and follow through are much less likely to occur.
An appreciation of cultural diversity goes hand-in-hand with a just and equitable society. For example, research has shown that when students' cultures are understood and appreciated by teachers, the students do better in school. Students feel more accepted, they feel part of the school community, they work harder to achieve, and they are more successful in school. If we do not learn about the influences that cultural groups have had on our mainstream history and culture , we are all missing out on an accurate view of our society and our communities.
What kind of cultural community do you envision? Can you imagine the kind of cultural community you want to live or work in? How will the world be unified as a cohesive whole, if people separate into many different cultural groups? In order to be a part of that dream, must I assimilate? Why does racism persist in places that are committed to equality and liberty?
For example, students from low-income families who take part in arts activities at school are three times more likely to get a degree than those who do not. Cultural heritage broadens opportunities for education and lifelong learning, including a better understanding of history. As trusted community hubs and centres of knowledge and information, public libraries play an important role in expanding education opportunities and literacy, overcoming the digital divide, supporting lifelong learning, and preparing people for work in the knowledge economy.
Amy K. Participation in library activities has been shown to improve literacy and increase cognitive abilities. E-learning is on the rise in both academic and professional settings. Games are being used to enhance math, writing, and other academic skills, and to motivate employees. There are over specialized e-learning companies in Ontario. Participation in culture contributes to healthy populations in several ways.
Creativity and cultural engagement have been shown to improve both mental and physical health. A growing body of research also demonstrates that the arts can improve the health and well-being of older adults. Participation in the arts can relieve isolation and promote identity formation and intercultural understanding. Carnwath and Alan S. Both the perceived health and chronic pain measures showed improvement over time.
Alison Phinney et al. Research has shown that revitalization of Indigenous cultures plays a key role in supporting the health, well-being, and healing of individuals and communities. The benefits of culture for individuals can spill over to society as a whole. Culture helps build social capital, the glue that holds communities together. By bringing people together, cultural activities such as festivals, fairs, or classes create social solidarity and cohesion, fostering social inclusion, community empowerment, and capacity-building, and enhancing confidence, civic pride, and tolerance.
The social capital created through culture increases with regular participation in cultural activities. Culture is important to the vitality of all communities. Understanding different cultures is not only critical, but it also promotes ample coexistence. As we learn about diverse cultures , worth noting is that all of us are individuals.
Rather than generalizing, treat each other as an individual. Doing so will go a long way in creating a better environment where we can all thrive. In this article, we shall discuss culture and determine why understanding diverse groups is critical. Read and learn. The best way to experience the benefits of different cultures personally interacting at multi-cultural events or camps.
Find out more about Les Elfes international summer or winter camps. Culture is everything that describes a particular group of people. The group can be; a family, a religious group, or people from a different town, neighbourhood, country, or city.
It can also be people who share a similar ethnic background, life dynamics, or work culture. Culture is often used to describe the features exhibited through history, language, food, arts, geography, family values, and beliefs.
One person can have diverse cultures such as; family culture, religious culture, age group culture, or work culture.
When all these cultures are combined, they give each individual their unique culture. There are various ways that both children and adults can learn about different cultures as we shall learn.
Spending time with people from other cultures allows you to know what they struggle with and their traditions as a community. Further, you also get a chance to rethink any assumptions you have had about your practices and daily life.
Such knowledge promotes personal growth while enabling you to learn new things about your culture. You can learn about diverse cultural groups in various ways. For example, you can conduct research or ask your peers on different social sites about their cultural norms.
Remember, to understand other cultures well, you can opt for practical methods like traveling and camping. By doing so, you get cultural awareness and a real-time experience of what it feels like to belong to another culture. Here are some of the most effective strategies you can use to learn about other cultures.
Being conversant with a native dialect enables you to interact and engage with people from diverse cultures effectively. This ability is also known as cultural competence.
The simple act of learning new words and phrases helps you connect with others deeply. By learning a new language, you acquire robust cross-cultural communication expertise when speaking your native language with people from different cultural backgrounds. Rather than reading books written by people you identify with, adopt a practice of reading books written by different people from different cultures.
This helps you learn numerous facts about the culture. The economics and geography of any country are critical and closely associated. You can begin by establishing the following. One way of achieving this is going for international camps. The advantage of attending these camps is that you meet people from different countries and races. Not only do you learn about their culture, but you also teach them your culture. Having a one on one interaction with people helps you hear their stories first hand.
Leverage this opportunity to ask questions about the culture and teach them everything they want to know. This way, you learn from each other. Food plays a critical function in human existence. Further, the food we all consume is connected to our culture. You can learn and understand a specific culture by sampling their food.
There would be no way of comprehensively defining culture without evaluating its cuisine. Food is an extensive need, and regardless of where you are or where you come from, you need food. The chances are that many of our social cultures emanated from food. Cultural inventions include sets of behaviour adopted by groups of people. They are perpetuated by being passed on to others within the group or outside it. They are also passed on to future groups and generations.
You see pop culture play out in the movies and shows we watch, the art, comics, and books we read, the toys and video games we play with, and the clothes we wear. Last, the definition acknowledges that culture influences our beliefs about what is true and false, our attitudes including our likes and dislikes, our values regarding what is right and wrong, and our behaviors.
It is from these cultural influences that our identities are formed. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Term Paper What is the importance of culture in society?
Term Paper. Ben Davis June 2, What is the importance of culture in society? Why is culture important in our society essay? What is the relationship between culture and society?
What is culture society? What are the differences between culture and society? Can we separate culture and society?
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