By: Christy Soreya Nomo, a Mason student majoring in Psychology
“Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” – Ola Joseph
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes diversity as “the condition of having or being composed of different elements.” In the case of a diverse cultural background, it signifies being able to identify different aspects about ourselves that make us who we are. In today’s society, people come from multiple parts of the world and bring their distinctive cultural practices with them. Differences among individuals can either make or break relationships. This is partly because disagreements can also create conflict when not understood. Here’s why it’s important to understand cross-cultural differences, and how managing cross-cultural interactions with a diverse mindset can strengthen our well-being.
Diversity is Everywhere Now
An article from the United States Census Bureau reported that the U.S. population in 2020 was more racially and ethnically diverse than in previous years. For instance, although Census statistics show the white population still dominates in numbers, states like California, Maryland, Florida, and Texas show Hispanic/Latino communities as a large percentage of these states, with the Black population following after. The Latino community has a significant presence in the states and is the most prevalent group across the United States “with large numbers of counties in every region” (U.S. Census, 2021). They point to this finding as a change in how civilians interact with each other and improvements to the question designs, coding, and processing of that data.
Racial identity alone does not account for other ways the United States has diversified. The Pew Research Center shows that people now identify as coming from different communities outside their races based on their ages, generation, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, beliefs, and practices, along with their social and political views. These aspects of their lives have shaped how most people view themselves and everyone else around them.
It Can be Challenging to Adapt to Differences
People from different backgrounds are naturally accustomed to values and practices that differ from those of others who might view them as strange. Consequently, communication barriers and identity concerns will arise in most situations. Cultural norms also often play a large part in how these interactions play out. There are various cultural norms around subjects like family dynamics, personal space, and gender that constantly create tension between people from different cultures.
This Medium.com article states that “individuals navigating multiple cultural identities, such as being part of a minority culture or a dominant culture, may experience conflicts within themselves that can affect their relationships.” These concerns also create disputes and stereotyping that can cause further division, since people can think their values are more relevant or accurate compared to others.
A Diverse Mindset is Beneficial
Differences or factors we are not accustomed to can lead to fear and, in the worst-case scenario, hatred. Therefore, it’s important for us to learn how to navigate cultural situations that are foreign to us. Doing so requires blending empathy, respect, and communication.
We need to have a foundation of genuine curiosity for things we don’t understand. Approaching cultural differences through a lens of curiosity rather than judgment can help us welcome new people into our lives and improve our social circles. This can improve our communication skills if we practice active listening and attempt to understand other people’s viewpoints and why they’ve arrived at their conclusions. Not only are we validating each other’s feelings and experiences, but we are also practicing self-care that makes it easier for us to stay calm rather than getting frustrated in unfamiliar situations.
In a society that is continuing to grow so diverse in its populations, culture, and viewpoints, cultural globalization is becoming crucial for us to thrive.
This study published by the Science Direct journal states that due to growing differences among populations, “The development of generic life skills provides relevant abilities to deal effectively with everyday demands and challenges in multicultural complexity.” So, empathy, communication, and authentic interest in people who differ from what we are used to can dramatically improve our viewpoints about ourselves and diversify our way of interacting with individuals from backgrounds that differ from ours.
Additional Resources
- This article from Aaron Hall.com offers ways to master cross-cultural conversations with empathy while building your communication skills.
- This research conducted by Harvard University’s School of Business explains how cultural differences can impact global teams.
- This study published by Springer Nature Link explores a cross-cultural examination of the relationship between achievement goals from three countries: United States, Japan, and the Netherlands, all of which have comparable human development but with different cultural values.
- This video published by International Hub offers ways to manage cross-cultural issues.
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