Strengthening ESD in universities through cultural pluralism

Simply put, culture is the shared way of life of a particular group or society. A culture can develop whenever two or more people come together to achieve a shared goal. Thus, cultures can develop not only in social communities but also in any place where people gather for a common purpose such as the workplace, social gatherings and the like. As people work and live together, common beliefs, values, norms, customs and traditions develop over time and this shared knowledge is passed down from generation to generation.

As a result, cultures develop their own unique identity, which may be characterised by race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender, language, ideology, religion, worldview and interests, among other characteristics. However, no culture is completely static and no culture is completely homogenous because people have differences. Thus, even within a society that may appear to be homogenous, there will likely be subcultures and sub-subcultures, even if they are not readily apparent.

Subcultures emerge from the main culture, and sub-subcultures emerge from subcultures, and so on. Although a subculture shares some characteristics of the main culture, it also has its own unique identity that is different, to one degree or another, from the main culture. Although sub-subcultures share some of the characteristics of the subculture they are embedded in, a sub-subculture also has its own unique identity, and so on.

As a society evolves and becomes more complex and more diverse, its culture, at all levels, will also tend to evolve and become more complex and diverse. Like living organisms, cultures also continually develop and adapt to the wider environment in which they live. However, in order to maintain a relatively stable social structure, societies establish laws and rules that define the boundaries of the culture so that one culture does not use their power to dominate and control other cultures within a society.

As with any ecosystem, subcultures and sub-subcultures intersect and interact in complex ways. In highly heterogenous societies, many thousands of subcultures and sub-subcultures exist. Thus, cultures evolve as the society evolves and a system of rights and justice is needed to protect the rights of all people.

Shifting forces of change

Cultural change is not the result of a single factor. Rather, there are several factors that can cause cultural change, including political forces, economic forces, social forces, technological forces and environmental forces. Depending on the speed and magnitude of these forces, cultural change can occur relatively slowly or quickly. In addition, the degree of cultural inertia, among other factors, will influence how, and to what degree, a culture changes.

Over the past few hundred years, democratisation, industrialisation, digitalisation and globalisation have probably had the biggest impact on cultures around the world. These forces have interacted in complex ways to bring about the world we know today. As these macro forces have swept around the world, they have had an enormous impact on culture, often in unforeseen and unpredictable ways. Although disruptive, cultures have learned to adapt to the winds of change.

For example, the Second Agricultural Revolution, circa 1650 CE, created a huge increase in agricultural productivity due to improvements in agricultural mechanisation, improved farming methods, production of new crops, creation of large-scale market economies, and improved transportation systems, among other factors. Dramatic increases in food production often translated into the commoditisation of food products, lower food prices, higher economic growth, and expanding international trade.

With fewer farm hands needed as a result of mechanisation, farm labourers were compelled to move to the cities to secure employment. The mechanisation of the manufacturing sector, circa 1800 CE, brought about by the Industrial Revolution, led to increasing manufacturing productivity, improved transportation systems, and creation of new international markets. These developments completely transformed economies, societies and cultures and fuelled the rise of globalisation around the world.

As a result, globalisation has had a tremendous impact on cultures around the world. Globalisation has allowed knowledge, ideas, products and other forms of capital to be transmitted quickly to any society around the world.

Globalisation has allowed cultures to be influenced by other cultures through popular music, movies, food, fashion and the like. The internet, in particular, has allowed information and language to be easily transmitted in real time around the world. All of these changes have had both positive and negative effects, depending on one’s perspective.

Cultural diversity

While the overall effect of globalisation has brought about many economic benefits to societies around the world through international trade, travel and communication, it has also impacted upon cultural identity in different ways.

While globalisation has altered local cultural boundaries by giving people access to products, ideas and information in ways never before imagined, it has also led to the development of a global culture and has challenged established ways of living.

Whenever one culture encounters another culture, some amount of cultural change occurs – this is inevitable and natural. This interaction among cultures has been occurring, to varying degrees, for tens of thousands of years. The main difference between now and then is that the rate of change has accelerated over the past few hundred years.

The ongoing interaction of people around the world enables people to extend their economic and social relationships across geographic boundaries. These extended relations, in turn, create shared knowledge and values, thereby adding more layers and more complexity to cultural identity.

In some ways, as societies become more interconnected, they become more homogenous. Yet, in other ways, as cultures become more influenced by the ideas of other cultures, they also become more diverse. This is the paradox of change.

Because globalisation is inevitable, all nations and all people must learn to adapt to this dynamic reality. No one is immune from the forces of globalisation, not even the most remote and insular communities. Whenever people interact, tensions naturally arise as each person strives to protect his or her own interests. Thus, there are ongoing tensions between the forces of cultural homogeneity and cultural heterogeneity.

Cultural diversity refers to the presence of different cultural groups and subgroups within society. Cultural pluralism, on the other hand, builds upon cultural diversity by recognising the rights of different cultural identities among the diverse groups. Human rights, principles of justice and a humane rule of law helps protect those rights for a more resilient and healthy society.

Cultural pluralism

Cultural pluralism is a principle that embraces the differences in people. It promotes the understanding and acceptance of others, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds and beliefs. It values different perspectives and worldviews. It fosters an attitude of equity and inclusion.

Cultural pluralism is also important in strengthening education for sustainable development (ESD). Cultural pluralism is also important because the main problems facing the world today require diverse viewpoints, collaborative thinking and collective action.

ESD entails the teaching and learning of sustainable development issues and principles, especially those articulated in the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as economic prosperity, high quality of life, high quality of education, clean energy, climate action, human rights and justice.

ESD educates students on how to make informed decisions about the welfare of the planet. It creates citizens who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to promote a healthier environment and a more peaceful planet.

Culture not only influences what is taught but how it is taught. Cultural pluralism is important for ESD because it respects indigenous knowledge and practices that have sustained indigenous populations for thousands of years. It is also important to foster a culturally pluralistic educational environment. Higher education institutions should align their institutional strategy with ESD in order to become more socially responsible organisations.

For instance, the American University in the Emirates started a collaborative online intercultural learning initiative wherein students developed projects on environmental stewardship by integrating diverse cultural perspectives with students from various cultural backgrounds. This type of project highlights the need to prepare students to be culturally competent, environmentally conscious and socially responsible citizens.

Patrick Blessinger is an adjunct professor of education at St John’s University in New York City, United States, and chief research scientist for the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association or HETL. Abhilasha Singh is professor and vice-president for academic affairs at the American University in the Emirates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Madasu Bhaskara Rao is a professor in human resource management and organisational behaviour at the ICFAI Business School, a constituent of the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education in Hyderabad, India.