Cultural Diversity

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Attitude to cultural diversity

Cultural diversity means differences in our ways of life. The differences in our ways of life could be in the areas of marriage, religion, feeding, language, greetings, tradition, etc.

Our attitude towards cultural diversity must be in the following ways:

 

1. We must learn to tolerate other people’s ways of life i.e. their culture.
2. We must respect their ways of life.
3. We must accept them.
4. We must appreciate the good qualities in our different cultures.
5. We need to mix with people who hold different views and who have different cultural backgrounds.

 

Respect for other people’s views why we must listen to other people’s views

We must listen to other people’s views because for the following reasons:

1. We may learn certain things from the views of other people.
2. It will help us to avoid making wrong decisions or judgement about others.
3. It will help us to relate with understanding with others.
4. We need to listen to others because they are also human beings.
5. They are citizens of our country or another country.
6. Other people have a right to express their views, which may be different from our own.
7. We could share ideas.
8. We must show that we consider other people’s views important.
9. It will make them feel accepted in our midst.

 

 

Importance/Reasons why we must respect other people’s views, beliefs, and tradition

The following are some of the importance or reasons why we must listen and respect other people’s views, beliefs, and tradition:

1. There will be peace and harmony in society because conflicts and misunderstanding will be avoided.
2. People will feel safe and happy in society.
3. There will be peaceful co-existence in the community.
4. There will be cooperation and friendliness among the citizens.
5. The government will be able to perform its duties when there is peace in society.
6. People will be able to live without fear in any part of the country.
7. Citizens will be free to work without fear in any part of Nigeria no matter where they come from.
8. It gives us an opportunity to learn from one another.
9. The basic law of our country (the Constitution) allows everybody to practise the religion of their choice. It is therefore their right to hold any religious belief.
10. Religious crises will be avoided if we respect other people’s religious beliefs and tradition.

 

How to respect other people’s views, beliefs, and traditions

It is important to respect other people’s views, beliefs, and traditions. Nigeria is a large country made up of many ethnic groups with different cultural backgrounds. These cultural groups have their own beliefs and traditions.

We live together in the same community and work together too. At times we attend schools together despite our differences. We therefore need to respect other people’s beliefs and traditions if we are to live peacefully with one another. We can do this in the following ways:

• Tolerance: There is need to make room for our differences. It will be easy to tolerate and be friends with other people who are not like us, when we understand that we cannot all hold the same religious and traditional beliefs.
• Understanding: There will be peace if we show understanding. We should accept other people the way they are, instead of emphasising the differences between us.
• Appreciating differences: We respect other people’s views, beliefs, and traditions if we appreciate the good qualities which are in these beliefs and traditions.
• Learning about the differences: We can show respect by deliberately showing interest in learning about the views, religious beliefs and traditions which are different from ours.

 

Quiz

Answer the following questions:

1. How can you respect and tolerate other people’s culture?
2. Why must we listen to other people’s views?
3. Give four reasons why we must respect and tolerate other people’s views, beliefs, and traditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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