Essay Sample on Richness of Cultural Diversity: A Global Perspective

Introduction

The world at large has numerous cultural diversities. Cultural diversity is the existence of various cultures or ethnic groups in society (Munoz, 2017). People differ in the world depending on the environment in which they grow up. Human beings are born without a culture or a language. As they grow up from being babies, they acquire the language and culture from the surrounding. Different societies in the world have cultures that are related to their beliefs. The customs are inherited from the ancestors of the various ethnic groups, and it is cultivated to the newborns and down to other generations.

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The word culture transpired in the 20th century when the American anthropologists tried to study the range in human phenomena that could not be ascribed to genetic heritage ( Munoz, 2017). The different ways in which people in the world communicated, shared experiences and their lifestyles were studied. The cultures of people were studied from the creative tools they made and the activities they undertook for food provision and recreation. The physical tools that people make are part of the material culture, while language and customs form the intangible part of the culture (Tubadji et al., 2017). The social, economic and political activities of people are the essential components in defining the culture of a particular group of people. Culture is also dynamic as it changes with time. Cultural change is caused by the environment, technological inventions, and contact with other cultures (Grozinger et al., 2017).

The political aspect of culture is the way of leadership in a particular society. A king or queen already heads some of these ethnic groups. Nonetheless, chiefs and emperors head other ethnic groups. All members of society respect the authority held by the leaders and are subject to their rule. The social aspect of culture consists of family. A father is the head of most families are headed. These families form a clan, and all members of a clan are related by blood. Religion is also under the social aspect. Many societies believe in the existence of a God who is their creator and provider. Different communities have diverse ways of worshipping their gods (Tubadji et al., 2017). The economic part of culture is how the various communities earned a living. Some are hunters, gatherers, farmers, and blacksmiths.

Since culture is dynamic, it experiences forces that compel its change (Grozinger et al., 2017). The forces are either natural events or social structures. One cause of cultural change is contact with other cultures. In the course of movement and migration people from different areas meet, interact, share ideas or even intermarry. The intermarriages lead to development of new cultures through the process of diffusion whereby the new culture will consist of the various characters of the two different groups. Some smaller ethnic groups are assimilated as they adopt the customs and traits of a dominant group. Some cultures undergo acculturation whereby characteristics of one culture are replaced with those of another culture (Munoz, 2017). Secondly, cultural change is caused by technological inventions. The invention of industries and machines has dramatically altered the economic sector of people's culture. Scientific inventions have also impacted on the people's cultural beliefs as science has tried to explain phenomena that were not understood from the past. Technological development has led to a change in the way of dressing as more improved types of clothing are made by machines. The mode of dressing is part of culture that has undergone a considerable transformation. Environmental change, based on climate and weather change, also affect cultural change. The change in climate has made people change their economic activities and undertake the activities that are more productive under the changing climate.

From an African country-Kenya, a man called Wanga gives details about his traditional culture. Wanga says that a family is the basic unit of social organization and is headed by a father. In their culture, they believe in a god called Were who is the creator of the whole universe. God is worshipped through prayers and songs. In the political-cultural organization, they are headed by a king called Nabongo, who is in charge of their land and is the commander of their army. The whole community pays allegiance to the Nabongo, who is the ruler of the land. The Nabongo is helped to rule by chiefs and a council of elders. The council of elders acts as a court of appeal and the help of the chief in solving minor disputes among the people. Boys in the community are circumcised at an older age and are trained to undertake family duties. The people are farmers and also keep livestock. The people plant sorghum, cassava, and vegetables.

Conclusion

In conclusion, culture is an integral part of people's lives since it gives the proper guidelines on behaviour and the roles of people in society. Culture is a tool that provides a person with identity and promotes understanding of people from various regions in the world. Cultures are affected by forces that compel change and forces that also resist change. Culture has experienced gradual change to fit the dynamic world and technological developments. Therefore people should learn to appreciate the diversity in culture and accept positive changes in their culture.

References

Grozinger, G., Langholz-Kaiser, M., & Richter, D. (2017). Regional innovation and diversity: Effects of cultural diversity, milieu affiliation, and qualification levels on regional patent outputs. Management Revue, 28(2), 149-174. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5771/0935-9915-2017-2-149

Tubadji, A., Gheasi, M., & Nijkamp, P. (2017). Immigrants' socio-economic achievements and cultural diversity. International Journal of Manpower, 38(5), 712-728. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJM-12-2015-0232

Munoz, J. (2017). Intercultural Europe: Cultural diversity in the EU and the debate on a common european cultural identity. Papeles De Europa, 30(2), 149-161. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/PADE.58672