by Andreea Dumitru » Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:06 pm
Some people who oppose the whole phenomenon of globalization do so by invoking the disappearance of cultural identity as one of the consequences. In other words, they fear that cultures will become interwoven to the point of losing their defining characteristics. I think that is a fear without foundation, as, for example, the melting pot of the United States managed to include a large number of different cultural backgrounds, and, although blended, they retained most of their defining features.
Furthermore, I think the phenomenon of things being mixed together is perfectly natural, and unavoidable, especially when it comes to cultures, and the only way to avoid such a thing is to opt for a policy of isolationism, which is definitely not productive.
Last but not least, I believe some of the elements which people consider as being impossible to assimilate are not actually part of culture, but remnants of an old, antiquated, and, most importantly, non-democratic way of thinking. For example, some people say that treating women as second-rank citizens, not granted all the rights of their male counterparts, is part of a country's tradition, and must be respected. I strongly disagree with such a stance, and I believe elements of culture are extremely flexible, and quite easy to mix, as long as such elements are in agreement with all the basic human rights and freedoms. In other words, the example mentioned above is not one of cultural incompatibility between two cultures, but one of one country needing to revise its human rights policy.
To sum it all up, I don't believe there is such a thing as incompatible cultures. All of them are the result of a variety of human communities interacting with each other and with other communities over time, so they are a mixture of customs and influences to begin with.