Welcome! This blog is an opportunity to expand yours and my world view, together as a team. An opportunity to discover ourselves and the culture that sent messages to us while growing up. A chance to begin looking at others through their cultural lens not through ours!
There are vast and ever changing cultural elements which makes up a society and gaining a working knowledge of these elements is an ongoing process which will ultimately provide a multi-dimensional view of society. Based upon early childhood experiences, I received numerous messages. When I became an employee of a social services agency, and began working with people from a variety of different cultures and from different geographical areas, a shift began to occur. When specific experiences arose which evoked feelings of anger disappointment, sadness or confusion, I began to look inward and assess what exactly was the cause for these emotions to surface. But I needed more...I needed information, a historically based history of the cultures from my community. As I grew, I became more intuned with my own personal biases and internal questions. This produced an increasing eagerness to explore further.
As a critical thinker, I am always searching for information that will assist in answering those questions that continue to be formulated with my forever increasing multicultural awareness. By gathering the data, and categorizing it, you will no doubt begin to see themes emerge as one would find if they were involved in conducting a formal research study. I also began to engage co-workers of color where a mutual relationship already existed. In a culturally respectful manner, I began to ask questions and was gifted answers that provided a more in-depth view of their particular experiences and history.
As a critical thinker, I am always searching for information that will assist in answering those questions that continue to be formulated with my forever increasing multicultural awareness. By gathering the data, and categorizing it, you will no doubt begin to see themes emerge as one would find if they were involved in conducting a formal research study. I also began to engage co-workers of color where a mutual relationship already existed. In a culturally respectful manner, I began to ask questions and was gifted answers that provided a more in-depth view of their particular experiences and history.
But what about the larger picture? What about society and the agencies we work for? Organizations need to shift from operating in cultural silos and move towards an environment of cultural inclusiveness. If management wants to recruit and retain the best and the brightest employees, they must recognize that they need to be more than culturally accepting but rather culturally inviting. Opportunities for development, growth and promotion for their staff members must also be inclusive in order for the organization to become and remain successful. By creating an environment which reflects minority contributions in the overall organizational mission, vision and values, management is making a multicultural investment if you will.
The answer sounds simple but this is only the tip of many icebergs, many more conversations, opinions, ideas, research and most importantly, we must begin to talk to each other and to learn the art if listening!
The answer sounds simple but this is only the tip of many icebergs, many more conversations, opinions, ideas, research and most importantly, we must begin to talk to each other and to learn the art if listening!
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