Diversity In Southeast Asia

Running head: DIVERSITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 1

Diversity in Southeast Asia

Name

Institution

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Diversity in Southeast Asia

Introduction

Diversity is a circumstance characterized by a wide range of differences. It manifests

whenever people from different races, religions and nationalities come together. Diverse

societies value the existent differences among people by recognizing individuals with diverse

skills, experiences, backgrounds and attitudes. Southeast Asia has a wide range of cultures

characterized by diverse religions, culinary, linguistics and ethnicities. The identities are

differentiated based on island and mainland zones. Countries lying in the mainland zones of

Southeast Asia include Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand while countries found on

the island zone include East Timor, Malaysia, Brunel, Singapore and the Philippines. Notably,

the region experiences a huge shift in population, language and religion on a yearly basis. Some

of the aspects of diversity in Southeast Asia include language, religion, ethnic groups, art, food

and sports. This paper gives a reflection on the cultural diversity of countries in Southeast Asia.

Aspects of Diversity in Southeast Asia

The languages spoken by people in their areas of residence are considered native. In spite

of the fact that they are considered local and encompassing small groups of people, they fit in the

major language groups embraced by the people. The major language groups include foreign,

Sino-Tibetan, Papuan, Austro-Asiatic, and Austronesia. Most of the earlier languages have

already died out due to the conversion of the school curriculum delivery into Chinese and

English in most countries. Nowadays, business language is Chinese in countries such as

Malaysia and Indonesia. Consequently, children are made to learn Chinese rather than their local

language. Even though English is gaining much popularity due to its universalism in movies and

pop culture songs, efforts have been made to preserve local languages in most nations. Bangkok

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holds conferences with an intention of ensuring the local language is embraced at large. Major

religions encompassed by people in Southeast Asia include Hinduism, Animism, Islam,

Confucianism, Buddhism and Christianity (Sandy’s Geography, 2015). The oldest religion is

Hinduism which originated from India and took course in the South. However, few of them exist

today in Southeast Asia. Islam spread slowly but it presently has the majority of people. Their

presence is characterized by Muslim schooling systems in Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia.

Christianity is also a major religion since its arrival in the 1500s. Catholicism is a major religion

in East Timor and the Philippines. Buddhism on the other hand takes on Laos, Thailand and

Burma.

Similar to religion, there are many ethnic groups categorized on the basis of the peoples’

localities. Some of the groups include Burman, Khmer, Tibeto-Burman, and Shan, Naga, Mon,

Lao, Javanese, Chin, Karen and many others. The blend of ethnic backgrounds is made more

diverse with the inclusion of Arabs, Chinese and Indians as foreign immigrant groups. The

groups have played a role in introducing other cultures in the region, influencing the spread of

their religion and language. Art exists in diverse forms in Asia (Singh, n.d). Conventionally, each

ethnic group had their own exceptional artistic styles. The artistic forms became revolutionized

in the course of time after the expansion of Indian commerce southwards. It first reached out to

areas in the mainland before traveling to insular regions. Aside from the diverse ethnic groups,

religious art took course in most nations from the 9

to the 15th century. Trade played a central

role in influencing the change by sharing the Hindu and Buddhist arts from the North and Islamic

art from the East. European artistic forms came into perspective from Netherlands and Portugal

in the later years. In consideration of the fact that the Asian art had taken root in the Eastern

traditions, the European art forms did not have a negative effect on the Southeast Asian art.

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Each society has its own favorite cuisine fashioned by form, shape, size, texture, and

flavor with ordinary staples, techniques and ingredients. Some of the tools incorporated in

trading along with their foodstuffs include rice cookers, conventional work, cleavers and work

tools. Southeastern foodstuffs contain more flavors as compared to Western foodstuffs that

contain staples of rice, curry, broth, pork and vegetables. The diverse nations in the Southeastern

region have their own signature dishes. Sports, which turn out to be the most favorite pastime

activities differ depending on the localities. Cricket is common sport for most countries in the

region. The sports are exhibited in the World Cup qualifications after every four years. Southeast

Asian games compete after every two years. The intense competition entails sports that are

native to the region. The common sports include Wushu, traditional boat racing, Sepak Takraw,

Squash, Pentanque and Pencak Slat (White, 2011).

Reasons for My Interest in Diversity

I am interested in diversity because it is an avenue of amassing knowledge. It also

enhances effectiveness in achieving the set goals and objectives in organizations. Powerful

communities are characterized by the integration of diverse culture towards a common goal. It

allows people to bring together their different ideologies that represent diverse ways of solving

of solving a common problem. I have always been fascinated by the fact that it is possible to

apply means towards the derivation of a solution to a common problem. Ordinary life brings

problems and challenges which manifest in people’s daily endeavors. These challenges can be

tackled if an initiative is taken to identify and use the most appropriate tools and techniques.

Each cultural community has its exceptional strengths and qualities that can benefit a huge

community in meeting the peoples’ needs and requirements (Hirschman, 1995). Throughout the

time I have been on earth, I have learnt of the need to have a wide range of perspectives,

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traditions and wisdom in an attempt to solve a range of problems and participate in enriching life

in the community. I also believe that the ability of a region to perform is influenced by the

diverse perspectives characterizing the residents and the nation at large. An effort to appreciate

cultural diversity makes it possible for a society to operate in equitability and justice. In the

setting of a school, students are likely to do better if their diverse cultures are understood and

appreciated by their tutors. Appreciating students show that they are appreciated and accepted as

members of the community; hence, they are likely to work hard and become more successful in

the society.

My Investment in Diversity

My investment in the diversity of Southeast Asia will be manifested in the experience I

have gained in interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. I enjoy interacting and

learning from people in the specific places that we meet. I would contribute to the diversity of

the region by sharing what I have learned from them with people from other places. Sharing the

diverse experiences and perspectives helps in enhancing diversity. Being well versed with the

aspects that distinguish people from each other is vital in enabling me to explain and translate

here possible. There are many people who have an idea of the various traditions practiced by

individuals in the Southeast of Asia but lack knowledge on the implications of the various

practices. For example, Buddhism is among the religions embraced by the residents of South

East Asia. A huge number of people around the world might have heard of Buddhism but lack

knowledge on what the religion is all about. A clear understanding of the specific precepts of the

discipline can put me in a better position to explain it to other people. Notably, my personal

investment in the diversity of Southeast Asia will be to learn the cultural uniqueness so that I can

educate others on the same.

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Ways through Which Diversity Contributes To My Growth

Connection with others: An understanding of diversity helps me in establishing pragmatic

connections with other people. The environment plays a huge role in shaping the people’s

perceptions, thoughts, behavior and judgment. The thoughts, judgment and perceptions are

usually required in group project assignments in schools. The ideologies can be cultivated well in

students after creating an all-inclusive environment where everyone is appreciated for who they

are (Kristina, 2010). Learning institutions play a vital role in shaping the students’ ability to

embrace and appreciate teamwork. This is fostered through participation in group projects.

Students in a group project will feel free to contribute if they are comfortable and peace. The

establishment of a peaceful environment starts with acceptance of the respective peoples’ diverse

values. Notably, an understanding of diversity will put me in a better position to understand and

appreciate our differences so that I can enhance my ability to work in a team.

Leadership Skills

An understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds is crucial in developing leadership

skills. For a leader to be capable to cultivating the diverse abilities of their members, they have to

be accommodative. Accommodative leaders celebrate the cultural differences of their members

as strengths rather than weaknesses. An understanding of the diverse traditions opens the mindset

of an individual to acknowledge that the differences imply different solutions to a common

problem. This understanding helps in developing an all-inclusive culture where every

participant’s contribution counts. The ability to accommodate everyone in the operational

structure of an organization forms the basis of a good leader. Therefore, embracing diversity is

beneficial in eradicating toxic environments in any normally functioning organization.

Conclusion

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Cultural diversity in Southeast Asia keeps on facing challenges of extinction from the

intrusion of western cultures and traditions. Consequently, sustenance of the traditions is a

continuous struggle. Based on the fact that the region is widespread, it receives cultural

challenges and influences from foreign cultures on a regular basis. Regions whose ancient

cultural practices are highly threatened are those with fewer numbers of people. Their aspects of

diversity have been influenced and sharpened by the unique precepts of the foreign traditions.

The Indian and Chinese culture has made a huge and powerful influence over most of the less

populated areas in Southeast Asian nations. The foreign influence is huge on foodstuffs,

language, ethnicities, customs and religion. In most parts of the nations, the English, Dutch and

Portuguese have made considerable incursions in the Southern East Asian culture. However, the

foreign cultural intrusions can be linked to globalization. Globalization is an inevitable wave

with many probable impacts in both the economic and cultural realms of the society. However, a

clear understanding of the essence of diversity can help in guiding foreigners to embrace the

traditions rather than destroying them.

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References

Hirschman, C. (1995). “Ethnic Diversity and Change in Southeast Asia.” In Calvin Goldscheiner

(ed.) Population, Ethnicity and National Building, pp 19 – 36. Boulder: West view Press.

Kristina, J. (2010). Unity-in-Diversity? Regional Identity-building in Southeast Asia. Journal of

Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 29, 2, 41-72.

Sandy’s Geography. (2015). GEOG101/GEO220 Chapter 13 Southeast Asia. Retrieved from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_WwM0m5FZE

Singh, J. (n.d). Cultural Value: The Cultural Value of South Asian Arts. Arts and Humanities

Research Council.

White, J. (2011). Emergence of Cultural Diversity in Mainland Southeast Asia: a view from

Prehistory in Dynamics of Human Diversity: the Case of Mainland Southeast Asia.

Australia: Canberra.

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