The Cultural Alchemy: How Traditions and Culture Paints the Canvas of a Nation’s Outlook

The world is made up of different thoughts and ideas. One’s ability to separate wrong from right and his own understanding of the ultimate reality—humanity and history—are results of his perseverance. Most of the time, this perseverance is derived from cultural nourishment.

Illustration by The Geostrata

Scholar Mary Clark, in her book In search of human nature emphasizes on due to our worldview is how we perceive the world, the total of all of our values, experiences, and information influences how we perceive the world to varying degrees depending on the individual and the significance of the belief, experience, or knowledge to the individual. Identity and purpose are fundamental aspects of human existence in all societies.

Our feelings for one another and the knowledge we receive combine to create meaning. Our cultures teach us about ideal identities (who we are, who we want to be, and how we interact with others) and the foundations of meaning (what matters and why).

Today, we can see multiple conflicts around the world. Out of many reasons, the culture and national perception of each other are important. A realisation that conflict encompasses a lot more than what seems on the surface. It concerns identity and meaning—who we believe ourselves to be and how we create and discover meaning in our conversations with others, thoughts, and the world.

In the ongoing Middle Eastern crisis, the narrative focuses on the promise of a Jewish homeland, which is stated in religious texts and supported by historical agreements for the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

Palestinians, notably those connected with Hamas, frequently stress the historical displacement of Palestinian villages during Israel's founding in 1948. Ghassan Kanafani has elaborated in his ‘Men in the Sun’ about how the Nakba, or "catastrophe," is a watershed moment in Palestinian history, resulting in a massive refugee population. An accurate example to articulate the link between culture and worldview is to say that the worldview defines what we think and how we see the world, which is in the form of an ongoing war, whereas our culture expresses and lives out that worldview, which is the history and religion of that region and people in this context.

THE CHANGING DYNAMICS

Analyzing culture in international relations is difficult due to its complexities and dynamic nature, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. Language, religion, history, values, and beliefs are all variables that contribute to culture. These characteristics influence how individuals and groups see the environment, understand events, and interact with one another.

Different cultures have distinct ways of perceiving and expressing themselves, which can lead to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Furthermore, cultural distinctions can be leveraged for political or economic dominance, resulting in multiculturalism and the marginalization of minority cultures.

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Adding to this are the genocide in Rwanda, ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri pandits in India, and the Balkan wars, which influenced regional and international stability, impeded international collaboration, and exacerbated instability in the afflicted region.

DIFFERENT TRENDS AND TIDES

Culture and a country's worldview are inextricably linked, influencing how a country perceives itself, its place in the world, and its interactions with other countries.

Cultural legacy, traditions, and historical narratives are the foundations of a country's identity. These aspects influence how a country perceives its previous accomplishments, challenges, and development path. Chinese assertive behavior supports this argument. In the external atmosphere China believes that its growth will restore the natural order of international relations, with China functioning as the world's largest economy and the world's power center.

China regards its "century of misery" during the Opium War and subsequent political subjugation and national fragmentation as a historical anomaly that must be corrected. Also Chinese internal politics is also influenced by Chinese ethnic group Han; which is the largest ethnic group with the sense of superiority and dominance in Chinese society.

Cultural principles and convictions have a huge impact on a nation's worldview. Individualistic countries, for example, may promote ideals like personal freedom and autonomy in their internal and foreign policies. In contrast, countries with collectivist cultural norms may promote communal well-being and harmony, influencing their methods when it comes to governance and relationships abroad.

CONCLUSION

Along with culture, identity plays an important role in foreign policy, as evidenced by India's foreign policy towards Nepal. India's position as a regional force and leader in South Asia influenced its actions toward Nepal, which is frequently viewed as falling under India's sphere of influence. Similarly, Japan's status as a pacifist state influenced its foreign policy actions, notably its support for international peacekeeping missions and disarmament projects.

Cultural values and priorities shape a country's global interests and goals. After the Meiji restoration by the Japanese empire in 1868, a technologically, militarily and economically weak country was able to establish itself as independent and powerful on a global platform. Countries that place a high cultural value on economic prosperity, may prioritize trade agreements and economic partnerships in their foreign policy. Countries with a strong cultural emphasis on economic prosperity may prioritize trade agreements and economic partnerships in their foreign policy. 

Because resolving conflict requires some form of change, it is critical to understand how worldviews operate. When people are pushed to modify their identity or what they consider meaningful, they will resist, even if the alternative is death.

Worldviews keep our lives together, providing a sense of meaning, purpose, and connection. further Michelle Lebaron concludes that, For conflict resolution cultural alchemy must help people examine one another's worldviews without attempting to change them. As demonstrated by many critical examples, it is feasible to discover shared values or parts of values without fundamentally altering worldviews.

Approaches to identifying common values from different traditions are an important area for future growth in conflict analysis and resolution. Recognizing and accepting other cultures entails bridging gaps, encouraging cross-cultural interchange, and promoting cultural diplomacy, which allows for mutual understanding and collaboration in addressing global concerns like climate change, poverty, and conflict.

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BY GARGI TAMBOLI

THE GEOSTRATA

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