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Cultural Diversity

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Cultural Diversity in Professions
Chamberlain College

In promoting a better understanding and importance of cultural, ethnic, and gender differences by managers and professionals in a business setting. It is important to be able to communicate and govern fairly in an ever and rapidly changing environment of diverse cultural personalities, morals, and gender identity. Diversity shows a desire to be empathetic to all individuals without showing favoritism or condescension. Many argue that diverse populations are more open to change and acceptance. They create more of an open and unbiased perception within the workplace. By having said that, it is easy to assume this country will become more diverse, and we will have to adapt to the different ways of life. With my experience, the healthcare field has adapted to the ever and changing societies of the world. I work at a major County hospital as a nurse; there are several units that consist of so many different types of people. Your typical, predictable patient is no longer that! There are so many traditions that involve many different cultures in those particular units. We are to be aware and recognize every aspect of cultural competence. For example, when providing care for a Muslim patient, we must remember that the gender is very specific of who can provide care. Though not ideal, the husbands of Muslim women do not permit male caregivers to care for their wives. Also, we have to be culturally competent when it comes to the death of their loved ones. They must be buried facing east, and noone cannot touch the body for several hours after the death. Food can even be an issue for this particular culture. Their diet doesn’t consist of pork or alcoholic beverages. They also have a customary slaying of their meat products that must include prayer. Also, they must pray at a certain time, which they cannot be disturbed while praying. The workplace can also be a place of gender equality and inequality. The medical field, for example, is saturated with the majority of women in positions other than Doctors and higher echelon positions. However, the males seem to hold the higher positions such as doctors and corporation executives. With these vast differences, we have to make sure that a system in implemented to balance authority so that gender differences don’t play a negative role in the workplace. Likewise, there is also a difference when it comes to ethnicity within the workplace. “Some may argue that there is no obligation to help you feel more emotionally comfortable when dealing cross-culturally or when talking about racism and other forms of oppression. It’s a tough world out there, and many people have to deal with cross-cultural discomforts on a daily basis.” (Harvey & Allard, 2012) While African Americans and Hispanics are among the fastest growing segments of the population, they are also the most severely underrepresented minorities in medicine. It seems so hard to believe since there is so much diversity in almost every aspect of any public work setting such as grocery chains and retail. Being that African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans together make up 25 percent of the U.S. population, how is it that only 6 percent of practicing doctors come from these groups? “Although the number of minority students entering the medical school pipeline is increasing, it is not growing at a rate that will ensure the nation has the supply of minority physicians it needs. Currently, only 12 percent of students graduating from U. S. medical schools are African American, Hispanic, or Native American, and only 15 percent of medical school applicants are from these groups.” (www.aamc.org/physiciandiversity) With that being said, it is especially important for management to make sure that we are appealing to all of our consumers rather that specified types.
As stated above appealing to all, I had an experience not long ago that changed my mind about how much we don’t “appeal to all.” I participated in the ball and sock experiment. With this experiment, the ball pretty much handicapped the dominant hand. Therefore, you were forced to experience life as someone that had your weak hand as their dominant hand. I was unable to cook, write, type, or use the bathroom without assistance. This experiment completely took me out of my comfort zone; however, it made me think about everyone being one particular way. How much work could any business get done with only left-handed workers? Who could even assist these workers? There is a lot more accomplished when we have workers of different “dominant hands” rather than a population of only one type. This experiment speaks to the importance of diversity. In conclusion, it is very challenging from time to time to adapt to the dominant group, especially if the group is prejudice or ethnocentric, as stated in the lecture of the week. “Learning and recognizing cultural differences is only part of the issue. The range of attitudes, views, and responses varies about the group experiencing the dominant group”. Therefore, more employers must create open door experiences and policies so that employees can truly see more of the advantages and strides of a diverse workplace.

Barth, K. (2015) Week 1 Lecture. Retrieved from http://frameset.next.ecollege.com
Harvey, C., & Allard, M. (2012). Understanding and managing diversity: Readings, cases and exercises (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
WWW.AAMC.ORG/PHYSICIAN DIVERSITY

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