Our world is full of diverse people. We are all different from one another in the way we look, dress, talk, and think. We can relate to one another based off of a certain interest or a certain physical characteristic, but that does not make us the same in all other areas. When we hear diversity we often think of a diverse group of people based on race, ethnicity, age or gender. But what if we had a group of people that were all Caucasian, descended from Germany, were all 46 years of age and female. We may look at this group as being the same. We would classify them as all being white, German, middle-aged women. But when we take a closer look we can see the differences. One may have blonde hair and two others are brunettes. Five may have blue eyes while only three have hazel. Two may be mothers while the rest are childless. Some may be Christians while the others are not defined. All of these differences define who they are as individuals. Not only does the physical aspect of a human portray who they are, but beliefs, events and circumstances all shape our diverse communities.
When we are young we live in a controlled environment. The house we live in is chosen by our parents. The school we go to is chosen by our parents or the boundaries of the school district. The classes we take are limited to required courses with a few electives. College offers diverse surroundings and opportunities for anyone who attends. We meet people who, like ourselves, have branched away from the comforts of childhood and ventured off into the real world full of diversity. At ASU there are students from all 50 states and from 141 different countries around the world. There is such a diverse group of students in each classroom. Because of this we are able to learn and grow and be subjected to different cultures. Our eyes are opened to different ideas and beliefs and give us a better understanding of the world. In a research done by Ernest T. Pascarella , Marcia Edison , Amaury Nora , Linda Serra Hagedorn , Patrick T. Terenzini, the percentages of different cultural populations is ever-increasing. They state… “…it is likely that future college graduates will be challenged by a society that is increasingly diverse in terms of race, culture, and values. It seems reasonable, therefore, to be concerned with identifying the ways in which American postsecondary institutions engender in students a greater openness to racial, cultural, and value diversity.”
When we are young we live in a controlled environment. The house we live in is chosen by our parents. The school we go to is chosen by our parents or the boundaries of the school district. The classes we take are limited to required courses with a few electives. College offers diverse surroundings and opportunities for anyone who attends. We meet people who, like ourselves, have branched away from the comforts of childhood and ventured off into the real world full of diversity. At ASU there are students from all 50 states and from 141 different countries around the world. There is such a diverse group of students in each classroom. Because of this we are able to learn and grow and be subjected to different cultures. Our eyes are opened to different ideas and beliefs and give us a better understanding of the world. In a research done by Ernest T. Pascarella , Marcia Edison , Amaury Nora , Linda Serra Hagedorn , Patrick T. Terenzini, the percentages of different cultural populations is ever-increasing. They state… “…it is likely that future college graduates will be challenged by a society that is increasingly diverse in terms of race, culture, and values. It seems reasonable, therefore, to be concerned with identifying the ways in which American postsecondary institutions engender in students a greater openness to racial, cultural, and value diversity.”
2 comments:
I agree with you. We can learn so many things from our classmates, and they are all different. Even if some of them come from the same place, that doesn’t mean that they are the same.
I think that's an interesting way of looking at it. Even if there are a group of people who are the same age, gender, and ethnicity there are still many things that separate them. We have things in common with people, but our differences set us apart and make us unique.
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