- How we do cope with cultural dilemmas in an increasingly globalized world?
I opine that this is a very controversial question that is why day after day our classes, streets, hospitals, our life is becoming more multicultural. The human diversity and everything it refers envolves our daily routines. In fact, we are a mixed of all of them. Taking everything into account what is culture in its own meaning and what is it for a person? There is any difference? If I was born in Spain do I should follow the Spanish traditions even though I do not like some of them? Can I belong to a totally different culture group?
As a clear sample of my thought, a Chinese alarm clock wakes me up every single morning, I drink green tea from England, I kiss my Colombian boyfriend, I wear Italian clothes, I currently walk on danish streets, I speak English, Spanish, Latinoamerican spanish, Catalan, French and I stammer Danish...In order to deal with cultural dilemmas we must know the meaning of the wide term: culture.
In class we have talked about the Evolutionary concept of culture which I completely disagree cause it believes that some cultures are better than others.
On the other hand, according to the Relativistic concept all cultures are right and equal in their own believes. To conclude with the definitions, the Complex concept of culture states that it is created by people with their actions.
From my point of view, the third definition fits better my thoughts cause the Evolutionary and the Relativistic both focus on the group culture not in the human being. As I was wondering before ones could belongs to an specific culture because ones was born there, for example. But the person can join other believes, values, customs and so on because it is an individual human. As we live in a globalized world we are part of different cultures and as long as we grow up our ideas/cultures will be mostly changed.
I would like to explain my personal belives about what is culture; for me culture ties different concepts such as language, traditions, religion, music, food, customs, climate, etc.
I was born in Barcelona (Spain) but I hate a traditional custom: bull fight. In addition, I have many friends around the world, my favourite music is salsa (Latinoamerican music style) and I have a relationship whit a Colombian person.
On balance, I feel I belong to Spanish culture cause my family is from that country, my mother tongue is Spanish but on the other hand I feel identitfy with Latinoamerican life. In other words, I think that the person is free to belong one culture or even more cause we are totally mixed and this is WONDERFUL!!!!
So, how the Education system could do to cope with cultural dilemmas?
Unfortunately, cultural dilemmas appear in class due to the fact nowadays the world is becoming more and more multicultural and the awful stereotypes are always present.
First of all, as a future teacher I should avoid that global ideas/characteristics of countries. An example is that most of the people who think in Latinomarica, pictures such as lazyness, hot/sexual people, relax, poverty, violence, coke, corruption...comes to their mind.
These pictures about countries lead to huge problems because we are judging a person before knowing him. In fact, we must teach not judge the behaviour of other using the standards of their own culture. We have to be aware of the differences but always respect them. We should teach to the children that our cultures does not have the truth, any culture is superior than other. We are completely equal humans and as a consequence everybody has to have the same rigths!
