For the naked eye it might seem that globalization may not have brought forward all the benefits it has been heralded for. Notwithstanding, the diversity it has brought throughout the world shows tangible benefits – for personal development, communities and the economy as a whole. Immigration, the most visible sign of globalisation, has been a major force behind this blossoming diversity.
What do communities made up of people who have lots of differences bring to the table?
On a macro level:
Diversity is good for the bottom line. In a recent working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that cities full of diverse communities were more likely to foster economic growth over time. "The interplay between cultural assimilation and cultural diffusion has played a significant role in giving rise to differential patterns of economic development across the globe," they wrote. In plain English: diversity spurs economic development and homogeneity slows it down.
Phillippe Legrain a journalist, economist, and author of Aftershock: Reshaping the World Economy After the Crisis, says: “Most innovations nowadays come not from individuals, but from groups of talented people sparking off each other – and foreigners with different ideas, perspectives and experiences add something extra to the mix. Diversity boosts innovation and innovation is the source of most economic growth.” Simply put: Diversity thus acts as a magnet for talent, which in turn spurs economic growth.
Exposure to diversity allows kids from an early age to be in contact with different cultures and ways of looking at life issues, promoting racial understanding.
If the above seem too far from home for you, let me show you how diversity opens up a whole new set of possibilities. As a third culture kid, I am witness of the benefits that come along with diversity.
When everyone around me thinks pretty much the same as me, it’s easy to stagnate. Being around like-minded people is comforting, and good for the soul. It is not, however, always good for the brain.
Different perspectives challenge my own, and that’s as exciting and stimulating as it can be… frustrating. It’s easy to be a good listener when everyone around you is referring to the same thing; it’s much more difficult when the person sitting across from you has come to a completely different conclusion than you have. It is then that listening reaches a higher note: it forces us to find some sort of common ground between all the “sides” our society likes to make up.
Yes, I am that annoying friend who bombards you with dozens of questions about all the ways that we are different. I want to hear about what it was like being a little girl in Poland back in Communist time and watch my neighbor cook Indian and Pakistani food. I want to really listen when my American friends explain why they vote Republican. I’m the girl that will ask for all the details about cultural or religious rituals different than mine, and be thrilled when you invite me over on a Friday evening to observe Shabbat - and I’ll ask you to tell me why you eat challah. It usually takes my friends a little bit to get used to and realize I’m genuinely curious and not being willfully rude.
It’s just that I want to know. I want to know all the things I do not know. The more different we are, the more I have to learn, and learning new things gives my brain the same snap-crackle-pop buzz that traveling does.
I speak, read and write 5 languages. Learned two at home (Spanish and Dutch), English at school, Italian and Portuguese as result of being a globe trotter. I can easily switch from one language to another. Traveling becomes much more pleasant as I can communicate with people in their own language. I get the tips that take me to less run-of-the-mill places and see the real beauty of a country.
Also, because of the languages and the exposure I had from home, I landed interesting and well-paid jobs that took me to live in different countries, further broadening my world, and growing my network .
According to a 2012 study, thanks to enhanced auditory nervous system processing and better working memory, bilinguals are better able to pay attention.
“Because you have two languages going on in your head, you become very good at determining what is and is not relevant,” says Dr. Nina Kraus, a professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern. “You are a mental juggler.”
I can’t put my hand in fire for the memory (can also be age related) but I stand firm on the mental juggler statement. As result of knowing different languages and understanding folkloric slang and sayings, my imagination is so enriched it’s at times difficult for me to keep pace with what goes on in my mind. And that allows me to come up with practical solutions to every-day situations.
Diversity opens up a whole new set of possibilities for friendship, as well as love, as the increasing number of mixed-race and mixed-culture relationships shows.
Thanks to diversity and migration, we are now exposed to alternatives in music, art, literature, food, etc. For example Dutch cuisine lacks, in my perception, any hint of imagination and though healthy it is flavorless. Globalisation has made it possible that I find and try dishes from other places that are geographically far, but close to my heart and even more so, my taste buds, whether in supermarkets or regional cuisine cafés. So I can enjoy arepas, fried plantains, curry’s, and more importantly really good espressos.
Language and cuisine are the two elements that most speak of a country and its people, and also the ones that fastest adapt to changes. When we get to learn a different language, or to appreciate the delicate balance of different flavors, we also get to better understand the culture and the people behind it. And with understanding comes acceptance. And with it comes harmony.
As much as I am a fan of diversity, I also think that globalisation is a good idea that in some aspects panned out awfully wrong, mainly because being a new thing, there is no road map. Though significant progress has been made, barriers still exist.
Coming into contact with different types of people, different points of view, and different ways of thinking and different lifestyles helps us understand our own culture and the world around us better, to grasp the values and assumptions that strengthen them, and hopefully progress as individuals and as societies.
Diversity is not something to be tolerated, but something to be cherished. It’s time for fresh thinking about diversity.
By Claudia Schalkx
Claudia is a multilingual consultant fluent in Spanish, English, Italian, and Dutch with over 25 years international experience in communications, public relations & marketing. She was born in Venezuela from Dutch parents, has lived and worked in Venezuela, Colombia, Curacao, St. Maarten, USA, Italy and The Netherlands where she resides. She is Colors Chief Editor. Her duties include content selection, revision & editing, finding and attracting collaborators, and identifying new business opportunities for Liberty Publications. More info
Sources: diversityweb.org, yaleglobal.yale.edu, philippelegrain.com, Forbes.com, WSJ.com, Fostering Innovation through a Diverse Workforce, Is there a pay-off from top team diversity, How Multicultural Networks Promote Creativity, How diversity leads to economic growth
Image: bridge2more
