We seem to live in a culture that appreciates diversity, which is wonderful. There have been times in the past when cultures do not appreciate diversity, and this ends up leading to tragedy and death. There are many reasons why homogeny within a culture is detrimental to society, but there are even more reasons why diversity only enriches society.
1.Cultural relativism
According to a theory in Anthropology, there are many cultural practices that are equal to one another. There can be more than one way of going about a process, and there should not be one "type" to dominate over others without scientific justification. For example, people have proven that ethnicity and race do not determine superiority and inferiority between people. However, there have been political movements that tried to suggest otherwise. Ethnicity and race do not determine intelligence or level of "humanity" within people. We may have different ancestors, but that does not mean that those differences should determine a social power hierarchy between people. Just like there is not one color on the color wheel that is superior to any other color, i.e. red vs. blue or green vs. white, we should not determine skin tone as defining who could be superior to someone else. We should also not try to say that someone with different physical attributes is inferior or superior to us, especially based on disability. Physical differences should not be used as measurements for superiority, and we should not attempt to use any kind of tool to try to create superiority and inferiority complexes within people anyway.
2. Diversity means more perspectives to increase understanding
There are usually multiple perspectives over hot-button topics, and all perspectives are important for understanding the hot-button topic at hand. We do live in a society where usually one perspective, the person in power, ends up choosing to exert power based on their own perspective. Without seeing multiple perspectives over the hot-button topic, the person in power may not understand all the issues that concern that hot-button topic. This is why we need everyone to have their ability to communicate their perspectives. The more perspectives that are given over a topic, the more understood that topic will be.
3. Diversity means arguing about conflicts, which is good and necessary
If no one argued, then no one would ever question their decisions or values. The issue with this is that sometimes decisions need to be questioned, just like our values. People can make impulsive decisions without realizing what the consequences will be for those decisions. Diversity allows for arguments, which allow for a depth of reflection upon hot-button topics. We need to reflect on our values and decisions every day in order to keep our characters in check. This is because making the same wrong decision over and over again can create unhealthy habits. Reflection also allows people to analyze their behavior instead of constantly giving into impulses. We need to argue with each other because arguing provides perspectives that can provide accurate perceptions of conflicts. We only have conflict when motives between people clash, and those motives tend to clash when miscommunication occurs or when lack of collaboration occurs. Arguing is a step in the right direction for collaboration. We need to not silence each other, we need to communicate, and we need diversity.
