The Decline of Cultural Diversity

Thomas Poole

Alan DeRatt

Danielle Stanley

Research Question

Is cultural diversity declining? If so, is this

morally acceptable?

What is Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is important because it affects everyone. Cultural diversity is more than racial classification, ethnicity, gender and sexualorientation. Cultural diversity encompasses the whole range of human experiences including but not limited to age, gender, racial classification, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, physical disabilities, national origin, geographical location, political orientation, physical size and appearance. These factors influence the cultural experiences and backgrounds of individuals and groups.

Taken From: University of California, Santa Barbara Student Handbook

Aspects of Cultural Diversity

• Languages

• Foods

• Religions

• Beliefs

• Morals

• Ethics

Indicators of Decline

• Language demise– Half of the worlds languages are spoken by 10,000

people or less– It is estimated that one language will disappear every

two weeks– Causes for Language demise include globalization,

political pressures, economic advantage, or negative attitude toward specific languages.

– http://www.ethnologue.com/nearly_extinct.asp– http://www.ethnologue.com/show_map.asp?name=W

orld&seq=10

Causes: Vandana Shiva

• Global Companies Threaten Diversity– Unfair Trade, Not Supply is the cause of

hunger.– Traditional cultures are threatened by Patents

on their age old methods.– Traditional Cultures and Women have

provided much of the agricultural wealth we have today

General Implications

• Identity – Identity is linked to spoken language– Creates loss of certainty– produces shame in those afflicted by poverty – Possible use of Religious Convictions and

Identity to achieve political goals

General Implications

• “Generally speaking, the blurring of boundaries in the context of globalization has favored the emergence of a nomadic spirit, which can be seen as the new horizon of contemporary cultural experimentation.” • Taken from UNESCO

General Implications

• International Migration

• Increased Tourism

• Loss of local, rural, or indigenous knowledge of the local environment and ecosystem – Traditional languages are tied to individual

ecosystems, their loss causes losses in ecological diversity

Ethical View

• Everyone has the right to live Diversely• Budhist view: unselfish concern for the welfare

of others• Virtue: People should be allowed to embody the

virtues of their culture

“One should always behave so as to treat with respect the dignity of reason and moral choice in every human being, no mater where that person was born, no matter what that person’s rank or gender or status may be” –Martha Nussbaum

Stopping the Decline

• Education

• Understanding/empathy

• Protecting Smaller Languages

• Stopping Poverty Spiral – Restores since of pride that returns the value

of cultural heritage

Promoting Human Rights

• Simultaneously Promotes Diversity

• Allows Cultural Flourishing

• Fosters a Nourishing Environment

• Doesn’t impose on traditional values or beliefs– Cultures Emanate Human Rights

Accommodating Governments

• Acknowledge Differences• Equal Treatment• Empowerment of all groups• Political participation• Media sharing• Educational Imput• Empowering Policies• Enabling environment

What’s been done?

• UNESCO• Convention for the Safeguarding of the

Intangible Cultural Heritages (2003)– Includes protections for oral histories, folk art,

performance arts, and “traditional know-how”

• Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. (2005)– Wants to preserve elements of individual culture while

promoting development on global scale

Questions For The Class

• Do you agree with the current trends in globalization? If not what would you change?

• What do you think the biggest consequences are of the decline of cultural diversity?