Sociocultural  diversity

Sociocultural  diversity  is a term that refers to the coexistence of two or more groups with different cultures in the same territory. For this phenomenon to exist, there must be a certain degree of acceptance between the two cultures, which in this way feed back and borrow elements from each other.

Sociocultural diversity is usually mentioned in countries or territories where there is a sufficiently large minority living side by side with the native population. In this way, linguistic, religious, cultural, gastronomic exchanges or any other type of exchange take place in the same society.

Sociocultural diversity can appear for many reasons, from historical invasions to current immigration. Today, this phenomenon is generally considered positive, and it occurs to some extent in most modern countries.

Sociocultural diversity has a lot to do with other related phenomena such as cultural identity or multiculturalism. In this article, we will study what its most important features are, as well as the importance of understanding how it works.

Characteristics of cultural diversity

Presence of multiple cultures

In order to speak of sociocultural diversity as such, the first necessary characteristic is the presence of at least two different cultures living together in the same space. This coexistence, however, can occur in many different ways.

Thus, in some places there is a predominant culture shared by the majority of the population, as well as in other smaller groups with very different social characteristics.

A case of this type would be, for example, the United States, where the majority of the western population exists together with small groups of Native Americans or immigrants from other parts of the world.

On the other hand, we can also find places where there are two or more cultures with a very similar representation that were able to coexist harmoniously. An example of this kind of sociocultural diversity would be found in Jerusalem, where Jews, Christians and Muslims live in relative peace.

Existence of differentiating characteristics

In addition to the presence of two or more cultures in the same place, in order to speak of sociocultural diversity, they need to present differences large enough to be considered as two separate groups. However, there is no single criterion to determine whether we are dealing with two totally different cultures or not.

Thus, some of the characteristics in which we can try to differentiate one culture from another are: race, language, customs, religion, gastronomy, history or art and its expression.

In many cases, however, time ends up causing groups that coexist in the same space to end up adopting many of the other’s elements, making differentiation even more difficult.

harmonious coexistence

The last criterion for determining whether or not we are dealing with a case of sociocultural diversity is the existence of harmonious coexistence. There are many examples of territories in which two or more human groups are located in the same space, but in which we do not find true diversity due to conflicts between them.

On the contrary, in places where sociocultural diversity occurs, the vast majority of individuals understand that the presence of other cultures is somewhat beneficial. In this way, groups can respect and learn from each other, while maintaining the characteristics that make them unique.

Importance of Sociocultural  diversity

Currently, most advanced societies consider sociocultural diversity as something positive and beneficial for their development. The existence of an increasingly globalized world and other factors, such as emigration or the ease of traveling internationally, have caused very few places where we can only find the presence of a cultural group.

But why is sociocultural diversity important?

Personal and cultural enrichment

On the one hand, living with people with other ideas, cultures, values ​​and opinions can help us to enrich our own perspective on the world. In this way, diversity becomes a powerful tool to open our minds and think creatively.

Promoting tolerance

On the other hand, living with people other than ourselves is one of the most powerful ways we can break our stereotypes and prejudices. By learning more about other cultures, we can open up more to the rest and learn new ways to enrich our own existence.

Progress

Finally, many experts believe that sociocultural diversity is a very powerful weapon for advancing our civilization. When a culture lives isolated from the rest, it tends to stagnate, while, if it interacts with others, it can take advantage of what it learns from them to improve and reach new goals.

Examples

As we have already seen, sociocultural diversity is a phenomenon that currently occurs in practically all parts of the world. However, there are a few instances where he appears with specific strength. Next, we’ll look at some of the most important ones.

Major international cities

Traditionally, cities were inhabited by members of the same culture, ethnicity and country of origin. Today, however, we can find large metropolises that stand out for the presence of people with very different characteristics.

Some of the most famous cities of this type can be New York in the United States, London in the United Kingdom or Barcelona in Spain. In them, an important part of the population comes from other countries, so there is a great mix of cultures, customs and ways of life.

United States

Both the origin and some of the characteristics of the United States make it one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.

Historically, immigrants from all over the world decided to start a new life in this territory; and its great size and the diversity of customs present throughout its geography make it a dynamic place, with many differences among its inhabitants.

Thus, the lifestyle of San Francisco residents can be very different from that of those living in Texas or Alaska. At the same time, in the United States, we can find people of all kinds of ethnicities, beliefs, customs, opinions or ways of being, all living together in a thriving society.