Intercultural Aspects of Conflict Resolution

INTERCULTURAL ASPECT OF CULTURE

Intercultural Aspect of Culture

Understanding Culture

Before evolving an intercultural model of conflict resolution it is important to understand and identify aspects of culture that lead to creation of the framework of conflict . The cultural spectrum holds different shades for a person , a society and a nation , accordingly helping each of them to assimilate and adapt to a common identity that is defined and shaped by culture (Holliday , Hyde and Kullman , 2004 . In the process of evolving this collective identity , culture transcends its traditional role of

providing an aggregate set of beliefs , customs norms , values , ethics , traditions , moral , social and legal codes perceptions , and philosophy , to become the overall physical framework for the society to function . Culture is strongly related with geographical setting of a place , religion , ethnicity , and race explaining why different countries have different cultures , and also why places on seashore share common elements of culture that is quite different from culture of mountainous places

The imprinting of culture on ways a person thinks , acts , perceives the environment and models his /her reaction is very strong and virtually indelible , determining every aspect of human behavior and giving rise to cultural identity in addition to individual and national identity Although the classic rational choice framework says that people are independent in choice of their behavior and approach towards events , its seen that at subtle levels the structural model provided by culture acts as final determinant in predicting a person , a society and a nation Although culture is dynamic , evolving and continuously upgrading itself in essence , these changes occur within the context of culture 's own timeframe

One of the most important contribution of culture to human civilization is the orientation provided towards other cultures , making the culture in question receptive , tolerant , indifferent or outright hostile towards different cultures . Societies are seldom mono-cultural , displaying a range of cultural traits , achieved through generations of trades contact , and cross cultural mixing (Holliday , Hyde and Kullman , 2004 However , although for people belonging to a particular culture , their culture would hardly seem complex , the cultural realities are hidden beneath the surface , difficult to observe and discern from outside These improper understanding and imperfect perceptions of culture often give rise to conflict when different cultures are required to meet or come across

In the workshops I have attended I have come across people from various cultural background and my first attempt is always to know as much possible as about them not their individual preferences , but their cultural orientation and philosophy . My this approach has helped me immensely in not only developing an understanding of other cultures , but my own adaptability and flexibility in my relation towards them

Conflict and Culture

Conflict is an integral part of human culture . When a number of people of interact with their own individual perspectives , view points ideologies , cultural and social backgrounds and intellectual development then differences and debates are bound to arise as a logical and inevitable consequence of the interaction (Killian and Pammer...