Preface - Culture - Beacon Of The Future

There is mounting evidence to suggest that culture will play a powerful role in the world of the future.

One evidence of this is the growing importance of culture in individual, institutional, community, national and international affairs, as confirmed by the creation of a World Commission on Culture and Development and a World Decade for Cultural Development by UNESCO and the United Nations. Another is the increased use of terms like global culture, corporate culture, media culture, political culture, social culture, and environmental culture in public discourse. A third evidence is the commitment of many educational institutions to departments, courses and chairs in cultural studies. A final evidence is the predication of a number of scholars and statesmen that the world is entering a period of cultural conflict and confrontation, characterized by 'the clash of cultures and civilizations.'

Clearly much more will have to be known about culture in general and cultures in particular if culture and cultures are to play a constructive rather than destructive role in the world. On the one hand, this means dealing with culture and cultures as concepts, particularly as this manifests itself in theories, ideas, ideals and definitions. On the other hand, it means dealing with culture and cultures as realities, especially as it manifests itself in the development of cultures, a cultural interpretation of history, the cultural life of the individual, the community, the state and the world, and the art of cultural development and policy.

Dealing with culture and cultures as concepts and realities makes it possible to examine real and ideal situations, as well as to profit from the age-old adage that theory informs practice and practice informs theory. It is the author's hope that this highly interactive and exploratory approach to the problem will help to broaden and deepen collective knowledge and understanding of two of the most evocative but elusive terms imaginable. For if one overriding conclusion emerges from this intensive probe into culture and cultures, it is that culture and cultures have a crucial role to play in human affairs, environmental sustainability and global well-being in the future, particularly when they are dealt with in positive and holistic terms and the proper precautions and safeguards are taken.

Culture - Beacon of the Future is available from the World Culture Project dpaulschafer@sympatico.ca; Greenwood/Praeger; Amazon.com