Contact Between Cultures - Essay Example

Running Head: Contact between Cultures Contact between Cultures Some countries are reluctant to have contact with other cultures due to cultural and religious conflicts. It is the lack of understanding that is at the root of all exclusiveness or intolerance, mistrust or hatred (Allan, G. 1993). There are numerous examples of countries that are reluctant to have contact with other cultures. For example, relationship between Israel and Islamic countries, Pakistan and India etcThe difference between the various cultures in the world today on reflection is seen to be one of language or expression more than anything else.

The whole of mankind forms a single species; and outward diversities of feature and color, stature and deportment, behavior and customs notwithstanding, man everywhere is but man, a certain human quality supplying the link of unity in the midst of all diversity. Humanity is one, and human culture as the expression of an aspiration, an endeavour and an achievement, is also one. The countries that are reluctant to contact with other cultures are losing permutations and combinations of the same or similar basic elements of Human culture.

Basically, The physical urge for getting and begetting, for living and propagating, is everywhere present, as also is the desire for a state of permanent happiness for "all this, and heaven too". This desire, which is almost as compelling as the physical urge, is shared by the whole of mankind and has raised men above the level of the merely animal. Religion, with its Janus-face of fear and hope, attempts to unravel the mystery of life and being. These attempts, leading to science and philosophy and cultivation of the emotions (opening up the limitless joys of art and mysticism), are common to mankind in all ages and climes, and they spring everywhere from the pursuit of what the sages of India regarded as the only end for which man is really striving - cessation of suffering and attainment of an ultimate and abiding happiness.

And in this common striving, there has never been any isolation of a particular people or group of men from other peoples or groups, whenever contact between them either direct or indirect was made possible. The mainsprings of human culture are thus the same, they are universal; and certain ideals, values, attitudes or behaviors, whether good or bad from absolute or relative points of view, have always been found to be transmissible. These ideals, values, attitudes or behaviors form patterns comparable to languages.

All serve to meet the minimum needs of man, but those which express most adequately and most beautifully the aspirations, the endeavors and the achievements of man naturally have a predominant place in the affairs of men. Certain patterns of culture thus stand out pre-eminent; and, becoming feeders and sustainers of weaker or less complete ones, they attain an international and inclusive status (Beck, U. and Beck-Gernsheim, E. 1995). This play of action and interaction in the cultural sphere is going on for ever.

The opposing forces of centrifugence and centripetence are also constantly operating and strife - with occasional violent modification of one pattern by another, or harmony consciously or unconsciously brought about - is also in evidence (Allan, G. 1998). With the hope of one world, one mankind and one well-being for all inspiring our men of learning and wisdom to find a path that can be followed by all, this wistful readiness for a single world culture was never greater than now. We leave aside, of course, men of narrow outlook whose intransigent support of one particular pattern is merely an unconscious expression of a blind egotism which has its roots in both ignorance and a desire for domination.

The time is indeed ripe, and the stage is set, for a correct understanding of the various patterns of culture and for exploring the methods for their harmonizing, taking our stand on the fundamentals and not on the accidentals, on the agreements and not on the divergences. When this is achieved, and mankind everywhere is trained to accept the fundamental agreement based on the identity of human aspirations, a new period in the history of humanity will begin.References:Beck, U. and Beck-Gernsheim, E. (1995). The normal chaos of love.

Cambridge: Polity Press.Allan, G. (1993). 'Social structure and relationships', in S.W. Duck (ed.), Social Contexts and Relationships (pp. 1-25). Newbury Park: Sage.Allan, G. (1998). 'Friendship, sociology and social structure', Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15:685-702.