Meaning of Diversity

Diversity refers to the variations between and within cultural groups. A cultural group is made up
of individuals who share certain norms, values, and traditions. There are many levels of
diversity, often stated as primary and secondary groupings. The primary cultural groups are race,
age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and physical ability. Differences play a role in how one
treats another person/group and how one is treated. Valuing diversity within society minimizes
conflicts and maximizes creative opportunities.

Concepts of Diversity

The following list provides definitions for words relating to diversity.

 Ableism = Discrimination against the physically or mentally disabled

 Ageism = Negative beliefs, attitudes, and stereotypes about elderly persons (such as wise,
demented, kind, grouchy, experienced, incompetent)
 Ageist Behavior = Behavior that discriminates on the basis of chronological age
 Bias = Any attitude, belief, or feeling that results in, and helps to justify, unfair treatment of
an individual because of his or her identity
 Collectivistic Culture = A culture group that focus on interdependence, being in a group, and
social cohesion
 Culture = The ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a given people in a given period
 Culture Group = An affiliation of people who collectively share certain norms, values, or
traditions that are different from those of other groups
 Disability = Covers a wide range of physical and mental conditions, including alcoholism,
cancer, drug addiction, emotional illness, HIV, learning deficits, congenital abnormalities,
speech problems, back problems, and facial disfigurement
 Discrimination = Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members
 Ethnic Group = A segment of a larger society whose members are thought, by themselves
and/or others, to have a common origin and to share important segments of a common culture
and who, in addition, participate in shared activities in which the common origin and culture
are significant ingredients*
 Ethnocentrism = The tendency to judge other groups, societies, or cultures by the standard’s
of one’s own culture *
 Ethnorelativism = The tendency to accept other groups, societies, or cultures without
judgment. *
 Heterogenous = Composed of unrelated or unlike elements or parts … different group
members
 Heterosexism = The belief that heterosexuality is superior to homosexuality; the presumption
that everyone is straight, and if not, they should be
 Homogeneous = Composed of similar or identical elements or parts … same group members
 Homophobia = The irrational fear of homosexuals and homosexuality, in the form of
harassment, discrimination, and discomfort in developing trust
 Identity Groups = The physical appearance of an individual and the groups with whom an
individual identifies personally
 Individualistic Culture = A culture group that focuses on rights and independent action of the
individual
 In-Group = Any group of people with common interests that give them a sense of solidarity
and exclusivity as regards to all nonmembers
 Majority Group = The largest group
 Minority Group = A group with fewer members represented in the social system compared to
the majority group
 Out-Group = All the people not belonging to a specific in-group
 Prejudice = An unjustifiable negative attitude toward a group and its individual members
characterized by cognitive, affective, and behavioral components (prejudice can also be a
positive attitude; however, it is the unjustifiable negative attitude that impacts our acceptance
of others)
 Racism = “An institutionalized system of economic, political, social, and cultural relations
that ensures that one racial group has and maintains power and privilege over all others in all
aspects of life. Individual participation in racism occurs when the objective outcome of
behavior reinforces these relations, regardless of the subjective intent. Consequently, an
individual may act in a racist manner unintentionally.” (Derman-Sparks and Phillips, 1997,
2)
"Racism results from the transformation of racial prejudice and/or ethnocentrism through the
exercise of power against a racial group defined as inferior by individuals and institutions
with the intentional or unintentional support of the entire culture. Stated simply, preferences
for (or belief in the superiority of) one’s own racial group might be called racism; while
preferences for (or belief in the superiority of) one’s own ethnic group might be called
ethnocentrism." *
 Aversive (Modern) Racism = Indirect and subtle racism; pro-ingroup rather than anti-
outgroup attitudes
 Old-Fashioned Racism = Blatant behaviors; out-group derogation
 Sexism = An individual’s prejudicial attitudes toward people of a given sex
 Stereotype = A belief about the personal attributes of a group of people (positive or negative)
that can form the basis for prejudice
 Xenophobia = A fear and/or hatred of strangers, foreigners, or anything that appears strange
or foreign