What is cultural diversity? Is it something as large scale as people from different, maybe far countries meeting and discussing their ethnic beliefs and traditions? Or can it exist on a smaller scale? Maybe even as small as neighbors within our on Philadelphia community meeting and discussing their differing beliefs and traditions?
Well Wade Davis believes that before we can even begin to think about cultural diversity on the small scale level, we must first be open to addressing cultural diversity on the large scale level. In a June 2002 article, "Explorer Wade Davis on Vanishing Cultures," Wade explains that "There's a tendency for those of us in the dominant Western culture to view traditional people—even when we're sympathetic to their plight—as quaint and colorful, but reduced to the sidelines of history, while the real world, which of course is our world, continues moving forward." He goes on to point out, however, that this is simply not true. "Change," however Wade explains, "is the one constant in history. All societies in all times and in all places constantly adapt to new possibilities for life."
It is this point that makes me wonder. If change is constant throughout history, crossing both temporal and cultural boundaries, then each society has at least that factor in common. I believe that to truly have a constructive and productive discussion about cultural diversity, everyone should change not only creates diversity, but it is also the common thread through each society.
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