Section 1. Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities

 

What is culture?

As community builders, understanding culture is our business. No matter where you live or work, you are building relationships with people whose experiences, identities, communities, and cultures influence how they understand and participate in the world.

What is culture? There is no single definition, but here is one useful way to think about it.

Culture refers to shared patterns of meaning, experience, values, practices, traditions, communication, history, and identity that develop within groups and communities. Culture can be connected with race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, region, social class, gender, disability, age, profession, family, or many other forms of identity and community.

People may belong to many cultures and communities at the same time, and those relationships can change throughout life. Moving to a new region or country, joining a profession or organization, becoming part of a disability community, changing economic circumstances, or developing new relationships may all shape how a person understands themselves and the communities to which they belong.

Culture is not fixed, and people who share a cultural identity are not all alike. Individuals may participate in cultural traditions differently, identify with several communities, or understand their own cultural experiences in ways that do not match other people's expectations.

Do you agree? How might this apply to you?

Why is culture important?

Culture can be an important part of people's lives. It may influence values, communication, humor, traditions, expectations, relationships, hopes, concerns, and ways of understanding community and the world.

At the same time, culture is only one part of a person. People who share a culture may differ in personality, beliefs, experiences, political views, religion, family life, economic circumstances, abilities, and many other ways.

As we explore culture, it is also useful to remember what people may have in common. People across cultures form relationships, care about others, seek meaning and opportunity, experience joy and loss, and develop hopes for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Recognizing common humanity does not mean ignoring cultural differences. Differences can matter greatly, particularly when they are connected with history, discrimination, unequal access to resources, exclusion from decision-making, or different community experiences.

This chapter will give you practical information about how to understand culture, establish relationships with people from cultures different from your own, act as an ally against racism and other forms of discrimination, create organizations in which people from different backgrounds can work together, understand internalized oppression, and build strong and diverse communities.

This section is an introduction to understanding culture, and will focus on:

• What culture is
• The importance of understanding culture in community building
• Envisioning your cultural community
• How to get started in building communities that encourage diversity

It is important to remember that everyone has a viewpoint and a role to play when it comes to culture. You do not have to be an expert to build relationships with people whose experiences differ from your own. You can continue learning, ask respectful questions, listen carefully, reflect on your own assumptions, and be willing to change what you think when new understanding develops.

Why is understanding culture important if we are community builders?

Communities include people with many different racial and ethnic identities, religions, languages, economic circumstances, abilities, family structures, histories, cultures, and life experiences.

In order to build communities that improve conditions and address shared concerns, we need to understand and respect cultural differences, establish relationships across communities, and make sure that people who have historically been underrepresented or excluded from civic life have meaningful opportunities to participate and lead.

Why?

• Communities are often more effective when people work across differences toward shared goals. Cooperation among different groups can bring together knowledge, relationships, skills, resources, and perspectives that might otherwise remain disconnected.
• Different communities bring different knowledge, histories, experiences, and perspectives. A wider range of voices can help identify problems that others may overlook and develop solutions that are more responsive to the people affected.
• Understanding culture can help communities address misunderstanding, discrimination, and conflict. Cultural understanding by itself does not eliminate racism, prejudice, or structural inequality, but it can support more respectful relationships and more informed efforts to address those problems.
• People affected by decisions should have meaningful roles in making them. Programs and policies are generally stronger when the people who will experience their effects help identify priorities, develop solutions, implement plans, and evaluate results.
• Respect for cultural diversity is connected with equity and belonging. Schools, workplaces, organizations, and communities are more inclusive when people do not have to hide or minimize important parts of their identity in order to participate.
• Understanding the contributions of different communities gives us a fuller view of history and society. Historical accounts that exclude the experiences of particular racial, ethnic, Indigenous, immigrant, disability, religious, gender, or other communities can leave important parts of the story untold.

Understanding culture also means avoiding assumptions. Learning about a cultural group can provide useful context, but it should never become a substitute for learning about the individual people you are working with.

As you think about diversity, it may be helpful to envision the kind of cultural community you want to build. If you hope to strengthen relationships across cultures, address inequities, resolve conflict, or build a diverse coalition, it helps to think clearly about what an inclusive community would actually look like.

What kind of cultural community do you envision?

Can you imagine the kind of cultural community you want to live or work in?

People have different ideas about what a diverse, multicultural, and equitable community should look like. Communities continue to discuss how people can maintain meaningful identities and traditions while also participating in shared institutions, civic life, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and public decision-making.

These questions may help start that discussion:

• How can people maintain meaningful cultural identities while also building a sense of shared community?
• Should participation in a larger community require people to assimilate, or can communities make room for multiple identities and traditions?
• Why can racism and other forms of discrimination persist even in institutions or communities that express commitments to equality?
• How can families pass along important cultural, moral, or religious values while also helping children understand people whose beliefs and experiences differ from their own?
• Are there policies, institutions, or economic conditions that create unequal opportunities or contribute to divisions among communities? How might they be changed?
• How can people support their own cultural communities while also participating in broader community life and cross-cultural efforts?
• What roles do laws, institutions, community norms, and individual behavior each play in addressing discrimination and oppression?
• How can communities support people who want to maintain their languages, traditions, and cultural identities while also navigating new institutions and environments?
• If your community or group is excluded from important decisions, what opportunities exist to increase representation, participation, and influence?
• How can families protect children from racism, sexism, ableism, religious discrimination, and other forms of harm while also helping them participate confidently in a diverse society?
• How much can individual changes in attitudes accomplish, and what changes also need to occur in organizations, institutions, policies, and systems?
• How can we recognize and challenge our own assumptions and prejudices?
• What forms of prejudice and discrimination continue today, including those that may be less visible or openly expressed?
• What helps people build respectful relationships when they have different identities, experiences, values, or perspectives?

What do you think about these questions? Which issues do you struggle with? What other issues are important to you or the communities you are part of?

As you envision the kind of diverse community you want, you and your neighbors may want to consider these kinds of questions. They reflect real tensions that arise when communities try to balance difference, belonging, identity, equity, freedom, and shared responsibility.

There are rarely simple answers. Communities may disagree about the best approaches, and people within the same cultural group may disagree with one another as well.

So, what kind of community do you envision for yourself? How will cultural differences be approached? What would meaningful inclusion look like? If your ideal community does not exist yet, what practical next steps could move it in that direction?

Here are some questions that may help you think about your community:

These questions can help you think about how to build the kind of community you hope for. What other questions are important in your community? What might your next steps be?

So, you may ask, “How do we get started?” Here are some ideas that can help create conditions for a diverse and inclusive organization or community.

Helpful tips to start building a diverse community

The following principles can help create an environment where people from different cultures, identities, and experiences can participate meaningfully.

Welcome everyone.

People are more likely to participate when they know that they are valued and that their perspectives matter. A welcoming environment communicates that people do not have to minimize or hide their identities in order to belong.

Welcoming everyone does not mean pretending that everyone has had the same experiences or that every group has had equal access to power and opportunity. It means creating conditions in which people are treated with dignity and have meaningful opportunities to contribute.

Focus on responsibility and growth rather than shame.

Conversations about racism, discrimination, privilege, and inequality can create discomfort. That discomfort does not necessarily mean the conversation is harmful, and it should not be used as a reason to avoid difficult issues.

At the same time, lasting change usually requires more than making people feel personally guilty. It requires opportunities to understand how inequities operate, reflect on one's own role, take responsibility when harm occurs, and identify concrete actions that individuals and organizations can take.

Treating everyone exactly the same does not always produce equitable results.

Fairness does not always mean giving every person the identical response. People and communities may face different barriers because of disability, language, discrimination, economic conditions, history, or other circumstances.

Recognizing those differences can help organizations respond more effectively. It can also help people understand one another more fully without assuming that any cultural identity determines exactly what an individual needs or believes.

Approach difficult issues with both realism and hope.

Racism, discrimination, exclusion, and inequality can be difficult subjects. Effective community building does not require minimizing those problems, but it should also help people identify possibilities for action.

A useful approach might be: “This is a serious problem, and we have strengths and relationships we can build on as we work to change it.”

Build a team around the work.

Institutional and community change rarely depends on one person alone. A group of people who communicate, share responsibility, challenge one another respectfully, and remain committed over time can provide support and continuity.

Build relationships with people who bring different experiences and perspectives. Avoid creating a team in which one person is expected to represent an entire racial, ethnic, religious, disability, gender, cultural, or other community.

Recognize diversity within groups as well as between groups.

Groups that appear culturally similar from the outside may contain significant differences in religion, language, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic background, age, political views, family structure, region, immigration experience, education, profession, and many other areas.

Recognizing diversity within communities can help prevent stereotyping and create space for people to describe their own identities and experiences.

Listen before assuming.

General knowledge about a culture can provide context, but it cannot tell you everything about an individual. Ask people how they describe themselves, what is important to them, and what they need in order to participate.

Listen especially to people who are directly affected by the issue you are trying to address.

Make participation accessible.

Inclusion depends on more than invitations. Consider whether people can actually participate.

Depending on the community, this may involve:

• Interpretation or translated materials
• Disability accommodations and accessible communication
• Childcare
• Transportation support
• Meetings at different times or through different formats
• Remote participation
• Plain-language information
• Compensation for community expertise when appropriate

Share decision-making power.

Diversity is not only about who is present. It is also about whose ideas influence decisions, who has leadership opportunities, who controls resources, and who is held accountable.

Ask whether people from different communities are participating early enough to shape priorities rather than being invited only after major decisions have already been made.

Expect learning to continue.

Culture changes, language changes, communities change, and people continue learning throughout their lives.

No training or set of guidelines will make someone an expert on every culture. Strong community builders remain curious, recognize mistakes, seek feedback, and continue developing relationships over time.

In Summary

Culture includes shared experiences, histories, identities, practices, values, traditions, and ways of understanding the world. People can belong to many cultures and communities at once, and no cultural group is internally uniform.

Understanding culture is important in community building because people affected by decisions should have meaningful roles in shaping them. Different communities bring knowledge, relationships, experiences, and perspectives that can strengthen programs, organizations, and public decisions.

Cultural understanding does not mean memorizing traits about groups or assuming that people behave a certain way because of their identity. It means listening, recognizing history and inequality, learning how people understand their own experiences, and avoiding stereotypes.

Building a diverse community also requires more than bringing different people into the same room. Communities should consider who participates, whose perspectives influence decisions, whether people face barriers to participation, and whether institutional practices distribute opportunities and resources fairly.

Welcoming people, addressing difficult issues without relying on shame, recognizing that equal treatment does not always produce equitable outcomes, sharing decision-making power, making participation accessible, and continuing to learn can all help create stronger and more inclusive communities.

The goal is not to erase differences or expect people to assimilate into a single culture. It is to create communities where people can maintain meaningful identities, build relationships across differences, participate fully in community life, and work together toward shared goals.