Cultural Diversity in America

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Recommended: Technology's effect on culture

Cultural diversity is an American ideal yet our cultural experience is similar to many around the world. An analysis of two vastly different scientists’ views on the nature of cultural change and diversity sheds light on why deep-rooted cultural intricacies from generations ago are fading into oblivion. Thomas Sowell and Wade Davis clearly have differing opinions on the evolution of cultures and the significance of diversity. Wade Davis (2007) presents in “Dreams from Endangered Cultures,” that he is not concerned about the fact cultures evolve over time in a “dance with new possibilities of life,” but that power and corruption is destroying the unique expression of the human spirit in various indigenous peoples of the world. On the contrary, Sowell (1990) believes cultural changes results from a Darwinian law of survival of the fittest. He contends cultural diversity and change occur as a dynamic process that evolves from things that work over time, and if these changes don’t work, they disappear much like Roman Numerals (Sowell, 1990). Both scientists have valid points but their diverse perspectives on cultural change and diversity and its implication on society as a whole are particularly interesting.
Sowell, a pragmatist, is concerned with empirical data, while Davis, a humanist, looks at effects on a broader scale based on anthropological experiences in remote locales. Davis appreciates subtle differences that made the changes in culture so important to a society. He believes technology is not the real evil, but that power and corruption take hold. Sowell uses the economist perspective in that ideas or practices that improve our lives remain while ineffective ones vanish. Sowell (1990) contends not accepting chang...

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...an enhance our way of life, but it is imperious of one culture to assume all must adopt its practices.

Works Cited

Davis, Wade. Wade Davis on Endangered Cultures. TED Talks. 2007. Accessed on 3 March 2014. Internet.
Doods, James. Batak: Ancient Spirits, Modern Worlds. 2003. Films for the Humanities and Sciences . Accessed on 13 March 2014. Video.
Sharp, Lauriston. Steel Axes for Stone-Age Australians. Classic Edition Sources, Edited by Elvio Angeloni, 2008. pp.186-193. McGraw Hill, Dubuque, IA. Print.
Sowell, Thomas. Cultural Diversity: A World View. Francis Boyer Lecture AEI Annual Dinner. 5 December 1990. Accessed 31 March 2014. Internet.

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