Meaning of cultural diversity (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Cultural Diversity:

Cultural diversity is a principle that recognizes and legitimizes cultural differences between different human groups, as well as the existence, coexistence and interaction between different cultures within the same geographic space.

Through cultural diversity you can appreciate the different cultural expressions of a town, country or region that, in turn, have been modified or affected by cultural expressions from other territories thanks to various factors.

For this reason, it can be affirmed that cultural diversity has the quality of accepting and sharing, reciprocally, characteristics of one or another culture in a particular geographical space.

Therefore, the concept of cultural diversity is closely related to the meanings of cultural identity, interculturality and multiculturalism, which imply contact between different languages, ethnic groups, religions, artistic expressions, values, gastronomies, worldviews, among others.

These contacts and exchanges of knowledge and expressions enrich the cultural capital of a country or region.

In this sense, cultural diversity is considered by Unesco as a cultural heritage of great value and that gave rise to the Unesco Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, in 2001, which has expanded the possibility of creating different policies national and international cultural events.

Likewise, after said Declaration, Unesco established May 21 as the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that cultural diversity is the consequence of different processes of a historical, political, social, economic and technological nature, which have contributed in one way or another to the encounter of different cultures and, even, to the disappearance of other smaller in size.

Cultural diversity has promoted the recognition of what is foreign, as well as the exchange of knowledge and values ​​such as respect, tolerance, understanding and coexistence between different groups of people living in the same space.

Among the fears aroused by cultural diversity, the possible configuration of a homogeneous culture can be pointed out, in which the cultural identities of minority groups over the dominant are lost.

See also 7 examples that cultural diversity is great.

Causes of cultural diversity

Cultural diversity started as a slow process that with the passing of time and the development of human activities has taken an unstoppable speed.

For example, cultural diversity exists from the processes of invasions, battles and conquests of new territories in which there were meetings of people from different origins. Today, cultural diversity is everywhere and has allowed the development of new knowledge.

As examples of countries with great cultural diversity are Australia, China, Brazil, the United States, Mexico, among others.

On the other hand, economic and political activities have also promoted cultural diversity through various means.

Likewise, the industrial and technological development that has been the reason for migrations in search of better jobs, academic exchanges and other opportunities that allow the individual's personal growth.

Finally, the globalization process is an extremely important factor in cultural diversity. This phenomenon has modified communications, international relations, transportation, the exchange of information, economic and political systems, and culture.

See also Cultural globalization.