Culture Now: Culture Clash in Europe This past week or so weve seen a growing conflict, whose underlying cause is cultural misunderstanding. What started with Charlie Hebdos satire in France has now spread to other parts of Europe as political unrest. No ones laughing anymore. While it is debatable that Charlie Hebdo was ever funny, it is not debatable that there has been a negative impact on European society from the cartoons on its pages. There have been acts of reprehensible violence by so-called Muslims and by anti-Islamists, some of which are just plain racist. There have been protests in reaction to the violence in France, Germany, and in other European nations both for and against the cause of Islam. For and against cultural tolerance. Devout Muslims are saying, Weve done nothing against you, so why do you mock our religion? And secularist, under the guise of free speech, are saying, Cant you take a joke? Of course, this is a gross simplification on my part, but I do believe that this is the essence of both sides arguments. The Pope weighed in on this moral morass by describing a hypothetical situation where, if his good friend made a joke about his mother, that good friend could expect a punch...The head of the Catholic Church felt that all religion was under attack by secularist in France and that it is inherently wrong to mock someones religion. I concur, you dont have to believe what someone else believes, but you dont have a right to deride them because they choose to believe what they believe. For me God is real, but for my father Hes not. I love and respect my father. Respect is whats missing from this equation. Respect for the possibility that there is more than one way to do something, that there are different ways of living that are all equally valid. Ways of doing things is essentially what culture is. There are many definitions of culture; Sociology and Anthropology have definitions that focus on the collective beliefs and customs, laws, arts, etc. of a given group or society. Psychology sees culture more as a way of thinking and behaving in a given social context. Regardless, culture affects who our children become and how we live our lives. I married someone of a different culture and sometimes we have misunderstandings that are clearly because he was raised in one culture and I in another, but we respect each others experiences and how we were raised. Because I am in an inter-cultural relationship, the concept of culture has become very interesting to me again. I say again because I first became interested in culture in grad school, where I learned about organizational culture and climate. Now, its more personal, immediate, and obvious. This is why I have decided to produce a TV show called, Culture Now. It will air on FPA and episodes will be made available on YouTube and Vimeo. Heres what to expect... Culture Now is about identifying and reporting on current and emerging cultural phenomena. Culture Now is about what’s new, what’s next, and emerging cultural trends in Business and Lifestyle. Culture Now raises awareness in how the broad concept of “Culture” impacts everyday living, including politics, business, or in the private lives of citizens in Fairfax County and beyond. Culture is inspiring and influences economic, societal, and technological developments. However, cultural differences and misunderstandings often artificially divide people. Culture Now seeks to help bridge those gaps, while providing entertainment. Specifically, Culture Now features interviews, human interest stories, reviews of cultural events, exhibits, performances and other cultural activities, and news pieces on cultural trends, phenomena, and advancements that are of interest to those living in Fairfax County and beyond. Stay tuned...
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:17:03 +0000
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