Globalization, Transnationality and Culture Diversity

Introduction

Culture is about ways of being, knowing and relating to others; it is through culture that we give meaning to our lives and develop a sense of who we are. It is dynamic and constantly changing through dialogue and interaction; it is a window to new horizons, creating conditions of self-reflexivity, conviviality, creative adaptation and anticipation. Culture is the custodian for values of integrity, equity, accountability and transparency; a source of identity, belonging, citizenship and participation.

Culture belongs to whole people of a community and is a national characteristic. Different nations have developed their own cultural traditions. Iranians are distinct from Turks and Arabs about national cultural attributes. Geographical dispersion is a contributing, multiplier factor in this regard- according to language, literature, food habits, religion, and so on.

However, some cultural elements or characteristics are imported from other nations and create similarities visible among most cultures. Increased Human mobility accelerated by open market policies, climate change and new, faster forms of communication have affected on Cultural and social transformations with an increasingly rapid pace which can results in profound social ramifications for societies as they try to adapt. Most broadcasting companies, singers, etc. work to reach global audience and this practice is proving success as a pop music from Justin Bieber has lots of teen fans in many countries, while most of the listeners might be unable to understand him as a matter of different native languages. It is to mention that the culture has a transnational foundation (flow) beside nationally-bound characteristics.

Transnational or National

Cultural natio...

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...onsequently, the current shift from culture to cultural diversity is more complex than the notion of a ‘mosaic of cultures’ or a ‘global cultural mosaic’. Cultures are no longer considered as fixed, bounded, crystallized containers. Instead, they are transboundary creations exchanged throughout the world. Therefore cultures have to be seen as processes rather than finished products to better understand that all cultures are “dialogical” by their very nature. Cultural diversity is therefore an intrinsic expression of human creativity; and the inverse is true also: cultural diversity becomes a platform for ongoing exchanges and dialogues among cultures from local to transnational levels, and hence an unfailing source of human creativity, a source of endless opportunities for innovation and inventiveness, critical for sustainable development and mutual understanding.