Diversity and Demographic Characteristics Essay Example
Diversity and Demographic Characteristics Essay Example

Diversity and Demographic Characteristics Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1280 words)
  • Published: January 18, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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The text highlights the continuous impact of social diversity and social pressure on individuals in social psychology. These influences persist in both public and private settings. Social pressures manifest in various ways, including social roles, norms, and types of diversity. Shakespeare once compared this phenomenon to "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." In this figurative social drama, our distinct backgrounds and diversity determine the audiences we engage with and the behavioral expectations linked to our assigned roles. The collective influence of these social and diversity factors significantly shapes our behavior.

Ethnicity

The cultural diversity in America can be attributed to the different ancestral origins of its people, which can be traced back to countries and regions such as Mexico and Canada. Each ethnic group has c

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ontributed valuable aspects to our society, including music, food, traditions, and clothing. When it comes to improving relationships between these groups, it is important for individuals not to rely on cliches such as "I'm not prejudiced" or "I treat everyone the same." Even those who consider themselves progressive may still display unequal treatment towards certain individuals (Campbell 1971). The main conflicts among these groups stem from actions rather than beliefs. While there are laws against discriminatory behavior, there are no specific laws targeting prejudiced attitudes.

Race relations should be viewed within the broader scope of human relations. It is essential to address the manifestation of negative attitudes and behavior towards individuals based on their group identity. These attitudes and behaviors are not inherent but acquired through cultural influences. Consequently, there is potential for modification and improvement. B

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treating each other as individuals and acknowledging individual qualities and actions, the likelihood of detrimental group attitudes and conflicts diminishes.

Many organizations mandate that employees exclusively use English as their main language, which can present challenges for non-English speaking immigrants. The rule aims to promote better employee interaction but may inadvertently impede the development of effective communication skills in the new language.

With the advancement of communication and mobility, people are gaining awareness of alternative options to traditional ways. This newfound knowledge from science and history is shaping new perceptions of behavior. The global awareness of cultural alternatives, facilitated by modern communication and mobility, greatly influences today's world and contributes to the current turmoil. These factors have a significant impact on transforming individual behaviors.

Religion

Campbell (1975) argues that religion plays a crucial role in social evolution by shifting individuals' focus from self-centered goals to collective ones. He suggests this is achieved through religious preaching, moralizing, and indoctrination. According to Marx, Freud, and Campbell, religion is a societal construct inherited over generations that shapes human behavior. They all agree that religion serves as a tool to counteract inherent selfishness and aggression.

A behavioral influence analysis offers straightforward explanations for the origins and purposes of personal religion. It suggests that personal religion derives from society, influenced by social roles, norms, and reference groups. Its purpose is to prevent individuals from solely acting according to their own desires and necessities.

The impact of identification can be seen both in the clothing and conduct of fans after attending a rock concert as well as in religious contexts. Individuals frequently aim to

imitate revered religious figures, such as the Buddha, Jesus, or Muhammad. Alternatively, they may adopt the faith and rituals followed by their parents or respected religious authorities like ministers, priests, rabbis, teachers, or friends.

The question of whether our behavior is determined by personal free will or environmental influences arises. The press of our environment, particularly religious influence, plays a role in shaping individuals. Religious influence impacts how people perceive the world, their thoughts, desires, choices, and behaviors. Religion fulfills significant functions in personal behavior, notably aiding individuals in grappling with existential queries.

Gender

When gender stereotypes are the basis for discovering differences in behavior between sexes, it is often found that men tend to report having more sexual partners compared to women (Wiederman 1997). This raises questions about whether this discrepancy truly reflects a natural sex difference or if it simply suggests that men and women conform to societal expectations when responding to surveys. If society portrays men as being more active and interested in sex than women, individuals may describe themselves in accordance with these stereotypes. Additionally, the tendency of men to report a higher number of sexual partners could also indicate their inclination to boast (and potentially lie) more than women about their sexual experiences.

The societal perspective on how boys, girls, men, and women should behave and be treated is encapsulated by the concept of gender (Diamant 1998). When individuals express their biological tendencies, it is referred to as a sex role, whereas conforming to societal norms and expectations despite personal preferences is known as a gender role (Diamant 1998). Gender identity pertains to an individual's

self-perception in meeting these societal expectations. The terminology commonly employed to describe this revolves around masculinity and femininity.

In accordance with Diamant (1998), society, rather than biology, exerts a significant influence on gender. Therefore, individuals who were assigned male at birth have the option to identify and live as women. Gender can be imparted, imposed, or chosen by people. Bisexuality is referred to as gender divergence or dimensional concordance for both genders. Certain celibate individuals may not perceive themselves fitting within this spectrum due to their emotions, fantasies, or political beliefs. Those who experience sexual attraction or participate in stigmatized behaviors may possess a proclaimed or assigned social identity. In repressive cultures, personal attractions or identities might not align with public sexual conduct and socially unacceptable feelings could be suppressed or disregarded over an extended period of time.

Personality traits

According to Buss (90), personality traits typically undergo minor changes over time. Overall, individuals tend to maintain their level of sociability from childhood through adolescence, which is uncommon as most traits either intensify or diminish with age, such as the trait of emotionality. For instance, if an infant exhibits high levels of activity, they would only be deemed highly active in the future if there is an increase in tempo and vigor.

As individuals age, there is a belief that their behaviors will progressively alter and become more ingrained. The longer someone persists in a particular path, the more difficult it becomes to change direction. This inherent inclination toward personal characteristics aids in sustaining consistency in behavior.

Conditioning can be maintained with minimal reinforcement after learning has taken place.

This makes it difficult to modify long-established habits and personality traits, including conditioned avoidance. Individuals actively avoid fear-evoking situations, which makes it challenging to extinguish the avoidance response.

The actions of a person are greatly impacted by the people around them. Those around us often have predictable ways of reacting, which helps to establish consistent social behavior among those who are connected to them. As a result, if other primates in a group tend to be submissive, the alpha male will probably remain dominant. Likewise, human families become familiar with the conduct of their members and prevent any potential alterations through their actions and expectations.

When we undergo noticeable transformations in our appearance, the expectations of others can hold us back. For example, if a teenage boy begins to dress tidier and groom his hair and nails more meticulously, his parents, siblings, and friends may take note of the change and even poke fun at him. This is because they prefer us to stick to our usual habits. They value stability and predictability in their interactions with us as making significant changes would require them to adapt their approach. Hence, others' reluctance towards change reinforces the consistent pattern of our behavior.

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