Culture could be defined as a grand collection of beliefs, norms, and values of a particular group of the population. Cultural relativism allows people not to judge others depending on the values of their own culture but rather have an objective view.
My initial response to observing the scholarly articles on gender diversity and equality was a surprise. The surprising part of the study was the deceleration of gender equality in modern times compared to increased rates in the past three decades (England, 2020). Every culture can be unique and equal, consisting of people with shared beliefs and values. Prejudice and narrowmindedness may constrain diversity in society, as various people may have different traditions, and judging their actions based on another culture may be inappropriate (Whitley, 2019). Maintaining objectivity is crucial in the topic of exploring cultures.
In addition, a common prejudice that could be explored in the sector of gender equality is the alleged intellectual superiority of men over women. This notion is biased and does not reflect the precise situation in real-life. The prejudices should be eliminated to establish true gender equality (England, 2020). The culture in Chinese communities involves separating local people into classes, with high classes being more privileged (Wu, 2019). The ethical approach from American culture to this issue may involve the consideration of possible inequality in the community. However, an emic perspective may identify criminals and people as dangerous to society as lower class, thus implying justice. The people of Nacirema usually avoid reproduction activities due to the traits of their culture (Miner, 1956). By observing their actions, people may investigate their own cultures from the outside by investigating the greater purpose of cultural traditions.
The biased opinion and prejudice toward any culture are a severe limitations of diversity, as every culture is unique and cannot be measured by the values of another culture.
References
England, P., Levine, A., & Mishel, E. (2020). Progress toward gender equality in the United States has slowed or stalled. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(13), 6990-6997.
Miner, Horace. (1956). Body ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58(3), 503-507.
Whitley, B., & Webster, G. (2019). The relationships of intergroup ideologies to ethnic prejudice: A meta-analysis. Personality And Social Psychology Review, 23(3), 207-237.
Wu, X. (2019). Inequality and social stratification in postsocialist China. Annual Review of Sociology, 45(1), 363-382. Web.