Definition

1. Affluence = wealth.

Abu Dhabi is an example of an affluent society.

The opposite of affluence is poverty.

2. Ethnicity.
Your ethnicity is determined by factors such as race, religion, language.

3. Ability= skill.

He has the ability to get very high grades.

4. Diversity = the quality of being different.

This course is about cultural diversity, which means people of different cultures living and working together.

5. Assimilation = absorption.

Cultural assimilation is the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs.

6. Demographics = composition of a population.
The demographics of the UAE are discussed in our first post. You can analyse demographics according to race, religion, age, wealth, etc.

7. Religion = a set of beliefs.

Religious people try to live according to the teachings of their religion.

8. Race = a group of people with similarities, particularly physical appearance.

You can a similar nationality but a different race.

9. Multiculturalism = many different cultures.

A multicultural society is one where people of different cultural backgrounds live and work together.

10. Personality = individual character.

She has a very nice personality: kind, patient, tolerant and loving.

11. Prejudice = bias.

Apartheid in S. Africa was based on racial prejudice against black people.

12. Acculturation = the mixing of different cultures.

If a foreigner here in the UAE says he does something like an Emirati, then that would be an example of acculturation.

13. Bias = prejudice.

Bias is a negative opinion of a person or group based on race, colour, culture or whatever.

14. Discrimination = treating people differently.

Apartheid meant discrimination in favour of whites and against blacks.

15. Fringe = edge, margin.

A fringe group is a small minority, usually expressing an extreme opinion.

16. Population = the number of people.

A census is a count of the number of people in a country.

17. Stereotyping = making assumptions or generalisations about a person or group of people.

Americans are rich, while Mexicans are poor.

18. Gender = Sex.

There are two genders, male and female.

19. Resistance = Opposition.

There have been many signs of political resistance to established governments in the Arab spring of this year.

20. Advantage = A favoured position.

If you are an expatriate, being able to speak the local language is a big advantage.

21. Racism = Hatred of another person or group of different race, often based on colour.

The apartheid system in S. Africa was an example of racism.

22.Ethics = Morality, i.e. what is right or wrong.

Ethical behaviour is honest behaviour.

23. Productivity = The ability to produce something.

The company's productivity rates are rising.

24. Behaviour = The manner of acting/conduct.

The students' behaviour is very good.

25. Belief = Confidence, opinion..

I have great belief in her.

Tibetans believe in re-incarnation.

26. Majority = Most.

The vast majority of Arabs are Muslim.

27. Income = Salary.

All employees have a monthly income.

28. Adverse = Bad, harmful.

We didn't go on a picnic because of the adverse weather conditions.

29. Values = Beliefs.

I value honesty very highly.

30. Traditions = Customs.

They are handed down from generation to generation.

31. Generation = Group of people born at about the same time.

In some societies people talk about a generation gap; each generation has its own ideals & standards.

32. Sensitivity = Empathy, awareness of someone else's feelings.

She's very sensitive. She cares about how other people feel.

33. Slang = Slightly improper language.

Have a shufti at my blog.

34. Ethnocentrism = Seeing everything from the viewpoint of your own culture.

An ethnocentric viewpoint is narrow and limited.

35. Stratification = Rigid division of society.

The Indian caste system is an example of social stratification.

36. Socio-cultural = Relating to society & culture.

Language, ethnicity, religion are all socio-cultural factors.

37. Resident = Someone living in a particular place.

Khalid, Aziz and Hedley are all Abu Dhabi residents.

38. Poverty = Being poor.

The opposite of poverty is affluence or wealth.

39. Nationality = The country you belong to.

You can have different race or ethnicity but the same nationality.

40. Minority = Less than half.

Christians are a minority of the UAE's population.

41. Class = Group.

You can have upper class, middle class, lower class.

42. Globalization = Worldwide connectivity.

Global brands or logos today are recognised worldwide; we all know the logos of Nike, McDonald, Mercedes etc.

43. Virtual = Not real, imaginary.

Computer games create a virtual world which is not real.

44. Barriers = Obstacle.

To make progress you have to climb over or go round or go through barriers.

Blindsight

Types of cultural diversity in the movie: the German woman who sets up a school for the blind in Tibet. Erik, the blind American mountaineer who volunteers to guide blind children up Everest. They are from western cultures, based on Christianity, as opposed to the traditional Tibetan culture based on Buddhism. The traditional Tibetan view that blindness is a form of divine punishment for sins committed in a previous life or incarnation, as opposed to the western desire to overcome disability, to achieve, to get to the top. The support that Erik received from his father when learning to hike, as opposed to the Tibetan woman who said ‘without eyes a man is not complete.’

Challenges people in the movie encounter: they all, in the expedition, face the physical challenge of lack of oxygen at high altitude. The blind children have the additional challenge of performing an extreme feat blind. The blind girl with 2 blind brothers and a blind father, whose mother died of a heart attack, leaving her daughter with no effective support. Erik losing both his sight and his mother at an early age.

Stereotyping/bias/prejudice/discrimination: the traditional Tibetan view of blindness; the difficulty Tashi, the street kid, had in gaining acceptance from the other children; the cigarette burns on his body. The boy who was sent away to live with a Chinese couple and who was beaten when he failed to beg enough money, or when the money was stolen from him. Tashi hid the fact that he was Chinese, believing only Tibetan children could join the expedition.

Benefits because of different culture: the Tibetan girl gets a place in an English language school as a result of coming into contact with western culture. Tashi similarly finds his father and would almost certainly not have done so without western help. The bonding & sense of group belonging seemed to promote a greater mutual understanding and a greater sense of cultural diversity. The greatest conflict within the group which we saw was between the westerners, some of whom wanted to go for the summit and others who wanted to turn back together.

Cultural Diversity

Most people you would have met in Abu Dhabi 50 years ago were of the same culture: the same language, Arabic, the same religion, Islam, and the same traditions such as camel racing & falconry.

This culture still exists but there are now many people from different cultures, with diverse first languages, religions & traditions.

We can say, then, that the UAE, over the past 50 or so, has become more culturally diverse. It is more cosmopolitan, in the way that cities like London & New York have been for centuries.

Reflection

          The population of the UAE from the year 2000 was 4.5 million. My reflection on the demographic is that the population would have increased by a large number from that date. Mostly because all the locals have large families and their numbers increase rapidly. Furthermore, a lot of people are looking for jobs, so they come to work in the UAE. The number of people that are looking for jobs is increasing because the population of the world is increasing, and because the UAE offers a lot of jobs for many people. Because of the recession that happened in the United States, a lot of families came looking for jobs, so that is a factor that helped in increasing the population of the UAE. In the future I believe that a huge increase will happen in the population of the UAE.

UAE

Introduction to Diversity

UAE Demographics:

Ethnic Groups Percentage 2,ooo 

Arab 48.1% 

12.2% UAE Arab

9.4% Bedouin

6.2% Egyptian Arab

4.1% Omani Arab

4% Saudi Arab

South Asian 35.7%

Iranian 5%

Filipino 3.4%

White European 2.4%

Others 5.4%


Religions Percentage 2005

Muslim 62% (80% Sunni)

Hindi 21%

Christian 9%

Buddhist 4%

Others 4% 


Source: http://www.worldstatesmen.org/United_Arab_Emirates.html