SOCIO-POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
Culture is the collective norms, attributes, beliefs, and activities that are transferred from one people to another. It should be noted that culture defines a people and even the individual. There are several cultures in the world today and though there may exist similarities between various cultures, the differences are still there. This means that it is difficult to have these cultures inter-relate harmoniously without some compromise. The dilemma here comes from the fact that since culture defines a person no one wants to lose their identity for the sake of another (Reynolds, 2010, p. 19). Hence the best way to have people from different cultural backgrounds inter-relate is by having them understand each other.
Understanding each others culture and heritage is a positive step towards ensuring global peace and prosperity. Take for example the issue of Hitler’s massacre of the Jews; the only reason the German dictator authorized this was because he believed that the Jewish culture was contaminating the earth. He considered their ways as offensive to his people and also to himself (Huntington & Harrison, 2001, p. 169). This is a perfect example of what happens when a person does not understand another person’s culture; they get offended by the least of things not knowing that what they hate defines the other person.
Globalization processes such as the internet have contributed to the greater interconnection of people despite the geographical distance. This means that people need to learn to appreciate each others culture at a faster rate as soon cultural integration will be very rapid. Without an understanding of each others culture then this integration and general development may not be successful as for all the great steps to be achieved peace and unity is required (Moghaddam, 2002, p. 27). This is why understanding each other’s culture is significant to the global future.
References
Moghaddam, F. (2002). The Individual and Society: A Cultural Integration. London: Worth
Publishers.
Reynolds, J. (2010). Celebrate!: Connections among Cultures. New York: Lee & Low Books.
Huntington, P. S. & Harrison, L. E. (2001). Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human
Progress. Boston: Basic Books
