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Essay / Avoiding cultural discrimination in the workplace
Culture is a complex general concept with various definitions. For simplicity, cultures in general refer to a group with which people share general experiences that describe how we value life. These can be groups in which groups such as gender, tribe or nationality are born. For example, one can acquire a different culture by moving to a new region, changing economic circumstances, or becoming incapacitated. When we think about culture broadly, we recognize that everyone belongs to multiple cultures at once. According to Jandt (2000), “culture is also a context. Each culture has its own worldview; his own way of thinking about activity, time and human nature; their own way of perceiving themselves; and its own system of social organization. Culture has also been defined as “culture constitutes what constitutes our way of life, these include our values, our knowledge, our behaviors and the expression of symbolism that we share” (Dobkins, B. and Pace, R 2003). Still according to an article titled “Diversity in the Workplace” (Lopez-Rocha, S. 2007), “organizational leadership and those in leadership positions deal with communication differences on a daily basis.” The majority of this friction centers around these various communication styles. Cultures provide people with methods of thinking such as seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world as a whole. However, similar words can mean different things to people from different cultures, even if they speak a similar language. When translating different languages used for communication, there is a high risk of misinterpretation which could lead to increased confusion within an organization. Some cultures view conflict positively while others view it as something that can...... middle of paper ......s to assign meaning to communication symbols. Context can help recognize the extent to which the source and recipient share a similar meaning for the symbols communicated, as well as an understanding of the culture in which the communication takes place, which is essential for the success of the communication itself. even. Learning about other cultures would potentially help us reflect our own image. There is an opportunity to confront our assumptions about the best way to do things and through various approaches. Finally, getting to know people from other cultures would become less lonely. Discrimination and labels separate us from entire groups of people who can be friends and partners in the work of transformation. There is hope and energies that lead us to take on the challenge of improving our communities and the world at large when we talk with different people..