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Mental Health and Wellness
What is Cultural Diversity?
Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. In any culture there is a majority and many minorities. Culture is a set of norms that set standards for a society of what is acceptable behavior. In every culture there are basic standards for social interaction such as personal space distance, eye contact, amount of body language displayed in public, negotiating style, etc.
Cultural diversity makes our country richer by making it a more interesting place in which to live. Just think how boring a meal would be without Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, German, French or Indian food! Cultural diversity also makes our country stronger and better able to compete in the new global economy. People from diverse cultures bring language skills, new ways of thinking, and creative solutions to difficult problems and negotiating skills.
Cultural diversity makes the United States a much more interesting place in which to live for all of its inhabitants. If we all thought alike imagine how boring the world would be!
Michael Lee
How important is cultural diversity at your school?
Attending a school with a diverse student body can help prepare your child for citizenship in a multicultural democracy. As the United States becomes a more culturally and ethnically diverse nation, public schools are becoming more diverse, too. The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2100, the U.S. minority population will become the majority with non-Hispanic whites making up only 40% of the U.S. population. No doubt students will need to learn how to interact in a diverse environment. Jean Snell, clinical professor of teacher education at the University of Maryland, believes cultural diversity enhances the school experience, too. “There is a richness that comes from students working side by side with others who are not of the same cookie-cutter mold,” she notes.
Students who attend schools with a diverse population can develop an understanding of the perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multicultural, multiethnic environment. Yet, as public schools become more diverse, demands increase to find the most effective ways to help all students succeed academically, as well as learn to get along with each other.
How To Teach Your Kids About Tolerance.
In our societies today we simply cannot deny that we are surrounded by differences in ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, disabilities and other differences. Some people love to be surrounded by a multicultural society while others do not feel at ease. This mostly depends on our own exposure and attitudes towards our interaction with different people. Why encourage tolerance in our children? To start with, we want our children to feel relaxed and open to learning from different cultures. They bring new ideas, experiences and energy to our lives. If willing, tolerance opens doors in business, education, travel, leisure, lifestyle, art plus other areas of life. To help our children have a successful future, they need to be able to work with others. They need to not be afraid, to step outside their comfort zone and to understand, learn, respect and appreciate others. Tolerance is not about accepting bad behavior, but accepting “people” for who they are and treating those how “you” wish to be treated. Remind your children of this consistently. Being tolerant of differences doesn’t mean sacrificing your own heritage or beliefs. We can be proud and stand by those beliefs 100% while continuing to celebrate the differences of others. The tolerance level that parents possess naturally teaches their kids the same message. Children closely watch and imitate us, even before they can speak. Children will mirror the values and attitudes of those they love and look up to. Parents who model and display tolerance in their everyday actions and words teach their kids to appreciate differences in others too. So we teach by example and provide them with opportunities to play and work with others.
Here are some tips for how to teach your kids tolerance.
1. Look at the way you treat and speak to others. Does this reflect tolerance? Demonstrate a respect for others and reflect on your own attitude regularly.
2. Be mindful that your children may be listening when you speak. Think carefully about the words you use, and talk about differing groups in a factual and informative manner, but avoid joking and any degrading name-calling.
3. Answer your kid’s questions honestly and respectfully. Everyone notices differences in people so it is perfectly okay to discuss them with your kids if done in a respectful manner.
4. Choose programs, movies, stories and games that value differences. The media has a powerful ability to shape attitudes. If you do watch or see something that is prejudice, be sure to talk about it with your kids and the hurt it can cause to those groups.
5. Expect your children to treat others with respect. By modeling tolerance, you should not accept disrespectful behavior both inside and outside your home.
6. Value the differences within your own family. Accept the qualities each member possesses regardless of differing styles, interests and abilities. Help your children feel valued for who they are.
7. Foster self-esteem in your family. We all know that people who don’t respect others rarely feel happy and secure within themselves. Kids who do feel good about themselves tend to be more courteous towards others.
8. Involve your kids in situations where diversity is present. This may be at sport, school, or day care.
9. Teach your own family traditions to your children.
10. Think about the behaviors you wish to see in your child. Then model those behaviors, because children will tend to follow in your footsteps.
Contact Us:
Katie Ducote DIS 817-949-5300
Andrea Ragnow DIS 817-949-5300
Heather Kennedy EIS 817-949-5200
Dawn Riedl EIS 817-949-5200
Ziba Johnston JES 817-949-4500
Nicole Stolle OUES 817-949-4600
Kim Coffman RES 817-949-4700
Dana Gamache WGES 817-949-4400
Website: www.southlakecarroll.edu
Location: Southlake, TX, United States
Phone: 817-949-8200
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Twitter: @carrollisd