Explain What Is Meant By Diversity

1. What is meant by diversity?

Diversity literally means difference. Diversity recognises that though people have things in common with each other, they are also different and unique in many ways. Diversity is about recognising and valuing those differences.

2. Describe the community you live in. Highlight some of the variations you may observe in terms of:
• Interests
• Beliefs
• Ages
• Lifestyles
• Personal, social and cultural identities.

I live in a town called Braintree in Essex. The community has about a population of about 40,000 people that live here and it is set to rise as they build new houses.

In my community, we have all sorts of people of different ages who come from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Most of the houses are semi-detached, that are privately owned and some flats with young couples and single tenants. The older generation lives in well-kept housing.
Interests There is a wide range of interest within the community such as gym class, walking to the local parks, children playgrounds, shopping centre, basket ball and tennis courts, library, banks and many local restaurants offering choice of foods such as Indian, Chinese and Italian cuisine.
The local pub is very family friendly.
Beliefs There are diverse beliefs and religion in the community as there are Christians, Muslims, Hindu and Atheists living together within the neighbourhood, as well as people of different sexual orientation as well
Ages The community is mostly made up of the elderly, young couples, families with babies, school children, working age people due to the fact that Braintree train station is the end of the train track
Lifestyles The area is mainly made up of middle working class and pensioners.
Personal, social and cultural identities As we have low level of crimes and anti social behaviour, we have strong feelings of belonging. Attractive buildings and clean environment makes us feel at
home

3. Explain how the variations in question 2 contribute to the diversity of the community.

The variations amongst people contributes to the diversity of the community is by

• Being receptive and respectful of others and their ideas.
• Being open to the fact that different people have different ways of doing things or thinking.
• By not being close minded, but being tolerant and understanding of differences that arise from different nationals, cultures, languages, backgrounds, race, religion, social status, economic standing and other differences.

4. Give some examples to explain how diversity:
• Enhances your life
• Enhances the local community
• Enhances this country.

• Enhances lives by learning to live with different people and groups.
• Enhances the local community by people developing as individuals with their own belief and behaviour.
• Enhances this country with people with different languages, culture and beliefs.

5. Describe what it means to respect people’s differences and why it is important to respect differences.

• To respect people’s differences simply means by recognising that another person is different and has a right to be different.

• It is important to respect people’s differences because we need to tolerate others to create an environment where others are also encouraged to accept you for what you are and