In an increasingly complex society, “Diversity” is emerging as an important issue. Diversity refers to the presence of various people, cultures, or ideas in a particular environment. It is essential to understand and appreciate the importance of diversity in all aspects of our lives. Mattel, an American toy manufacturer, recently launched a Barbie doll with Down syndrome. The company said that Barbie dolls give children more diverse perspectives, and Barbie dolls with down syndrome are intended to inspire all children to talk more through play. In recent years, diversity has also become a hot topic in many fields, including business, education, and politics. The concept of diversity goes beyond race, ethnicity, and gender and includes different perspectives, experiences, and values.
We can look at various attempts to embrace diversity in the media. “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” which deals with the narrative of a lawyer with an autism spectrum disorder, gained great popularity and achieved good results at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In addition, in the drama “Our Blues,” the lines were filled with various local dialects, including the Jeju dialect, and the actor with down syndrome performed. It can be seen on the screen that content deal with diversity. The main character of the movie “Bori” is not the only deaf muteness in the family. Bori feels lonely among other family members who are deaf-muteness and wants to be “like” other family members. Director Kim Jin-yu said in an interview, “I thought it would help the public understand the deaf-muteness more if I only showed the ordinary daily life of the deaf family and how they lived.” Physical differences such as autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, and deafness have naturally become accessible in the media. It can be said that the role of the media is important in that it sheds new light on characters that were not seen around us and unconsciously familiarizes us with various aspects of people. We can see that the media showed diversity and this trend was growing. If so, what can we expect if we gain experience in various aspects of life through the media and have a more open attitude to diversity?
Diversity is about acknowledging different things from us and embracing different things at the same time. Diversity naturally implies conflicts caused by differences, but it is assumed to be resolved wisely. It allows us to learn from people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. When we interact with people who are different from us, we can gain a better understanding of their culture, beliefs, and values. This helps us develop empathy and appreciation for their differences, which helps to break down stereotypes and promote understanding. By embracing diversity, we can learn from each other, grow together, and build a better future for all.