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Cultural Diversity - Multi-Ethic Britain (4)
Diversity Diversity is a term used to describe and explain difference. Diversity results from differences in gender, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, physical or mental capability, marital status, sexual preference, social background, organisational role and many more other factors which cause people to have different perspectives on the same set of facts or issues (Kandola and Fullerton, 1998). In describing these differences, sometimes the most obvious and immediately observable features are what we commonly identify and relate to. We are socialised in the process of making these observations as part of our ability to make sense of the world around us. We may note, consciously or unconsciously, how the person looks, whether the person looks young or old, what the person is wearing, how the person talks, and so on. Our observations help us to build on our previous experiences and knowledge. We also assign specific and general meanings to what we observe, sometimes taking for granted what we observe, and at other times consciously interpreting what we observe in order to clarify our understanding and make subtle adjustments to our thoughts, feeling and actions. We need to be careful about our assumptions, and risks of stereotyping or labelling others. What are immediately noticeable are personal characteristics such as skin colour, height, weight, gender, and age, any physical disability. The language the person speaks, his/her dietary preferences, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and any intellectual impairment are not necessarily immediately noticeable. Communication with the person may assist in informing about the person in a holistic way. Our understanding of the issues about diversity and the person can only then begin to have any substantive meaning. However, when considering people from different backgrounds, we should also consider what we have in common, that is those things that we share as human beings. The things that we have in common are known as universals, hence the universality of some values, beliefs, and behaviours that are common across gender, ethnicity and cultures. Across the many social, economic, political and cultural divides, people have far more commonalities than differences. Valuing diversity in health care incorporates 'acknowledging an individual's culture in its broadest sense, for example a patient's ethnicity, education, socio-economic background, religion, prior health experiences and values' (Kai et al., 1999). The individual level is emphasised in order to prevent stereotyping and prejudice.
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