Sekutalu Nyekha
6th Semester, Sociology, St. John College, Dimapur
St. JohnCollege campus is made up of students from different tribe, language, community, race and religion.
We can call it a miniature version of Dimapur, which itself is sometimes referred to as ‘mini-India’.
UNESCO defines cultural diversity as ‘the variety of cultural expressions and practices that exist within a society or among different societies. This diversity encompasses differences in language, customs, beliefs, and values, contributing to a rich tapestry of human experience.’ Cultural diversity thus means people of different communities, traditions, and beliefs living together in one geographical location: St. John in this context.
From a sociological point of view,cultural diversity helps create a space for interaction among groups and individuals from diverse backgrounds. It leads to development and creation of society.
Through acculturation, students adopt traits from other cultures, while through enculturation, one learns about one’s own cultural practices.Oncampus, cultural diversity is visibly prevalent in everyday interaction. While the overall atmosphere is peaceful, minor misunderstandings or adjustments sometimes occur. However, cultural relativism helps resolve them.
As early evolutionist theorists like Tylor argued, culture is a process of evolution. In this process of evolution, we come into contact with different colors and creeds of culture. As a society, we must not be xenophobic or ethnocentric. Rather, we must constantly negotiate and keep our minds open to practice cultural relativism for a just and beautiful campus life.
