One cannot undermine the existence of diversity in a social set-up. As a matter of fact, diversity has been in existence since time immemorial, and it will continue to be observed in the future. In a contemporary society in the United States, there are a number of people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, in other words, they are of different races. It is important to note that diversity can also be evidenced in religion and in culture. A more critical approach to diversity has revealed that psychologists view different personalities as an aspect of diversity among people. In this respect, there is a common notion that diversity is a hindrance to progression. This progression may be at work, in organizations, government or generally in the society. Some of the hindrances include lack of co-operation, prejudice, hatred and tension among people. This diversity does not necessarily have to be a barrier towards progression. A recent approach on diversity seeks to edify that diversity is normal and will be a future phenomenon. In this respect, it is important to accommodate diversity and use it to harness various activities that are deemed progressive in the various realms. There are a lot of various issues that surround diversity and continue to affect people’s lives in the society. These issues include gender, disability, politics, culture, race, ethnicity as well as social status. The following discussion focuses on three most pressing issues that concern diversity in the coming future.
The cultural diversity is one of the most pressing issues that are going to remain in the future. Culture is undeniably one of the common issues of diversity that affect any social realm (Parvis, 2006). Nevertheless, the United States like many other nations of the world takes pride in the diversity of its cultures in the country. However, recent trends have emerged, where new cultures are cropping up and assimilating major cultures. This assimilation of culture by new cultures, such as pop, for example, is prominent among the youth. Interestingly, the embracing of new cultures transcends among people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Cultural conservatives view such assimilation unnecessary as it makes people lose their identity. From this perspective, cultural assimilation may be viewed as a negative concept. However, psychologists view cultural assimilation as a form of cultural integration, where people accommodate other people’s cultural beliefs. In this aspect, issues such as hatred and prejudice are eliminated. In addition, when people from diverse cultural backgrounds integrate their cultures, they are able to progress in pursuit of a common goal (Bucher, 2010). From a practical observation, the young generation in the United States is comprised of individuals with common ideologies, and is able to live peacefully compared to cultural conservatives. From this perspective, it is evident that cultural diversity will be one of the main diversity issues to observe in the future.
Racial and ethnic diversity is one of the contentious diversity issues in the United States. For a very long time, issues concerning racial and ethnic diversity have been the reason for discrimination of individuals at places of work (Naylor, 1997). As a matter of fact, this diversity has severally led to establishment of civil rights movements that seek to solve vices associated with racism and ethnicity. In the recent past, people have been stereotyped by their ethnic and racial background. Many people view this as a negative perception on race and ethnic diversity. With the increasing immigration to the United States, issues of ethnic and racial diversity will continue to feature in the future. However, current political efforts to abolish such negative diversity are ongoing. In recent times, people have found issues that overlook race and ethnicity. An example of one of them is the current political trend in the United States. The current president of the United States is an African-American. This is a great achievement in eliminating negative diversity. Many business organizations in the United States are now showing respect to race by employing people from different racial backgrounds. As a matter of fact, science has proven that diversity in terms of race and ethnicity has certain values that benefit the society. Science has proven that from diversity of race, people have certain traits that if harnessed can be used for the greater good. This explains why the Jews are respected for construction and engineering in the United States, while the Afro-Americans are known for athleticism. Asians are known to be innovators in the business sector. In the future, it is possible that racial and ethnicity diversity will be harnessed from a positive perspective.
Economic status is another factor that will influence future diversity. The current trend in economy makes it clear that economic diversity does not distinguish race, religion or political affiliation (United States Forest Service, 1990). Initially, economic status among some ethnic groups was associated with racial backgrounds. People used to be economically discriminated in regards to racial and ethnic issues. In recent years, the United States has offered every citizen an opportunity to thrive in the economy. This has led to emergence of the rich, the middle class and the poor. For this diversity to end up in the future, political and economic growth is critical in reducing the gap between these diverse groups.
References
Bucher, R., D. (2010). Diversity Consciousness: Opening our minds to people, cultures, and opportunities. (3rd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Prentice Hall.
Naylor, L., L. (1997). Cultural diversity in the United States. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Parvis, L. (2006). Understanding cultural diversity in today’s complex world. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.com.
United States Forest Service. (1990). Draft economic diversity/dependency assessment, Volume 1. Pinecrest, CA: U.S Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.