Thinking About Diversity And Inclusion Essay

Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion
SOC/315: Cultural Diversity
April 17, 2011

Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion
What are the dimensions of cultural diversity?
Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks.
The dimensions of cultural diversity can be classified as primary dimensions and secondary dimensions Schaefer, (2011) identified four primary types of minority groups; this essay will discuss and focus on the dimensions of cultural diversity, which are race, ethnicity, religion, and gender.  
The racial classification represents the physical differences obvious to the observer such as skin color, hair color or facial features.   Each society establishes the criteria.   Ethnicity has to do with national origin or distinctive cultural patterns.   The third group, religion, makes a distinction between individuals based on their association with a certain religion.   This would include Christianity, Judeo-Christian-Islamic, and cults or sects. The fourth categorization based on a person’s gender is the most apparent. Merging people, concepts, concrete items, or abstractions frames a cultural diversity in the workplace.
Looking at diversity in terms of dominant and subordinate groups the subordinate groups form through migration - a movement of people, annexation the incorporation of people by another group, or colonialism - the dominance over a group of people by a foreign power. The outcome of this has had negative consequences for subordinate groups, extremes such as extermination or genocide; to less the extreme, but still potentially detrimental effects of assimilation.
Primary dimensions is considered fixed and involuntary. Race, ethnicity, religion, and gender are not open to choice and are good examples of primary dimensions. Many secondary dimensions are less evident and include, work or military experience, geographic location, education, work style, family status, communication style, income, and organizational...