Diversity is a term that has created a standard for people to evaluate each other. It allows us to see how someone can be raised differently such as in culture, ethnicity, religion, and life skills. Diversity allows us to see how one individual may perceive their values, opinions and ideas about certain topics differently than their neighbors or cohorts.

The act of managing diversity is a learning experience within itself. In daily life, we encounter diversity everywhere. Being able to understand these differences and utilize them as strengths is extremely valuable.

People’s experiences make up who they are; the obstacles humans overcome and the mistakes they learn from, mold them into the person they become. Ultimately, these reasons will allow a person to form their own opinions about life. For instance, the position a person takes regarding an issue could be completely different than their parents or friends. However, the position a person takes usually relates to his or her upbringing, education, and experiences encountered in life. If a person explains why he or she believes a certain way, others can better understand them.

People in the workplace do not always easily adapt to diversity; mainly because they do not like change. When an individual has been doing something the same way for so long, they dislike seeing things interrupted. Culture has really changed in the workplace over the last several decades and it allows for good or bad situations.

One example is when management continuously changes.

Another example would be if a new employee from a different culture is given a team project and has difficulty understanding the dynamics and attitude of the other members.

Conflict can occur, depending on how people choose to adapt to changes and differences in others.

There are negative circumstances that could occur in the workplace when workers are not cognizant or considerate of others’ feelings, strengths and weaknesses. Work ethics can be different for different cultures. The way people interact with each other can consequently have a negative affect on the quality of work performance or standards and also customer service. It can even cause friction between coworkers because of the way workers view the workplace as a whole.

We can fight over territory, money, oil, government policies and religion, yet we can share similar beliefs about how to live.

Do you believe different cultures mixing together bring a better standard of learning and living? Is it really the cultural differences we see in people or life experiences as a whole that make the difference when it comes to learning from each other?

The diversity represented in the workforce, communities and schools expose us to learning about different populations; their cultural beliefs, lifestyles, foods, dress and communication. 

Because of diversity, we have a greater chance of increasing our knowledge and understanding of each other and learning from it. 

Diversity is not only about background; it is also about perspective. Giving a different point of view allows others to learn from a different perspective, and that promotes learning.

Dr. Sonya Rogers is a certified counselor who lives in Daphne. 

Her column appears regularly in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.