“If we are to achieve a rich culture rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the full gamut of human potential and therefore weave a less arbitrary social fabric in which each diverse human gift finds its place.” – Margaret Mead
Why is culture so important? Very impressive? How to understand the value of embracing cultural diversity?
The term “culture” generally refers to the “common, learned behaviors and meanings” among specific groups of people and provides a framework for people to make sense of their world (1).
Cultural identity
Your beliefs, values, ethnic originwhere you lived before and where you live now includes your culture person. When you arrive in a new country, the beliefs and values of the culture may differ from your home country.
Transitioning to your new country can be difficult not only for you, but also for the new people you meet. You are trying to hold on to what you value and believe in, and this may conflict with your new culture of different values and beliefs.
Ethnic differences usually include differences in language. Your appearance, eating habits, clothing and lifestyle may also be very different from your new country. All of these adjustments will be difficult for you, but also for people who struggle with diversity.
Acceptance and non-judgment are the keys to success. You will need to accept some of the differences in your new culture and avoid being judgmental. Similarly, new people you meet may respond by accepting you and not criticizing you.
When these things happen, your hybrid cultural identity emerges. Your well-being and your new identity in this cultural environment will depend on how long the process of assimilation lasts. The sooner you feel at home, the healthier your new cultural identity will be.
“No culture can survive if it tries to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Effects on well-being
Well-being is thriving (not just surviving) in various areas of life, such as relationships, work, play, etc., despite ups and downs. Culture and well-being are closely related.
Cultural participation includes preserving your heritage and appreciating the arts. Well-being benefits include a connection to your roots, a connection to your family and ethnic history, and a supportive connection to your background.
When a person’s culture is in harmony with their well-being, positivity and endurance is strengthened during loneliness and cognitive decline decreases. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to any disruption of their cultural heritage, mainly due to the absence of external influences and a long history of traditional values and beliefs.
“Workplace culture—an organization’s values, norms, and practices—has a huge impact on how we work. happiness and success.” – Adam Grant
Liveability
Entering a new culture can have serious problems for your well-being. Cultural variability still has to accommodate the reality of habitability.
That is, certain human conditions lead to human flourishing or not. This often means that the values, norms and social attitudes of the new culture are seen as viable.
If these living conditions are not met, human well-being is at risk. This concept becomes more true when faced with experiences discrimination, bullyingor social bias.
The possibility of living in such cultures is destroyed. This applies not only to living in a new country. A person’s habitability can apply to any new job, new school, or new community.
“Diversity: The Art of Thinking Together Independently.” – Malcolm Forbes
The values of diversity
Cultural diversity brings together different talents and skills, which increases productivity. We learn from each other’s experiences and apply this new understanding to our own lives. Diverse minds working together draw on different ways of thinking and perspectives to create solutions. Creativity takes power.
We learn about other cultures, lifestyles, and ethnicities, which expands our awareness to alternative perspectives. Diversity creates a wider spectrum of information and knowledge. A wider range of ideas leads to more creative solutions. Improved cultural understanding reduces the negative aspects of diversity, such as racism, homophobia and sexism.
Simplicity, a recently coined term suggests a possible complementary relationship between complexity and simplicity. The complexity of cultural assimilation appears to be a prime candidate for the mechanisms underlying healthy cultural awareness and societal well-being.
Margaret Mead’s quote, “If we are to achieve a culture rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the full gamut of human potential…” sums up that culture and well-being are indeed copacetic. In today’s modern world, there is an opportunity to create a symbiotic relationship between culture and well-being that promotes human potential.
