Perhaps we need to embrace ‘new-age’ cultures?

Culture has been defined as, “the integrated pattern of knowledge, customs, beliefs, and behaviours, that require a capacity for learning, in order to be passed from generation to generation.” I believe we all need to become cultural activists, and that we should each have our own definitions, for that will demonstrate that we embrace some form of responsibility for what we pass on to future generations.

Then, if it’s all talk, without action stimulated by responsibility, we only have ourselves to blame.

For myself culture should be more appropriately identified as the global, collective manifestation of our intellectual awareness and achievements, delivered collectively.

However, in line with the thinking that if we get the little things right, the big things will look after themselves, it’s individual action that will eventually make the difference.

If we deliver individually, in each of the areas of ‘ new-age’ culture, in a practical and sustainable manner, we will be delivering a responsible, collective, message to those generations that will follow us, and will occupy the same living space, or environment, that we leave them.

As such, it’s vitally important that we continue to develop an ecological culture that responds to the needs of ourselves, and our planet, today.

Val Plumwood has written Environmental Culture: The Ecological Crisis of Reason (Environmental Philosophies). In this book she looks at what has gone wrong in regard to our thought processes about the environment, as we continue down the path of what she sees as environmental degradation.

She examines the connections between contemporary Western culture and the level of ecological destruction that we appear to accept today, as a ‘trade-off’ with Mother Nature, happy to justify our actions as the price of ‘progress.’ Plumwood makes a disturbing point, identifying that 4 out of 5 scientists today are employed by corporate entities, therefore ensuring that our planet, and our environment, are less understood, than manipulated, for commercial gain.

Arguing that we should see nature as an entity, rather than a resource, and ourselves not only as the instruments to get what we want from nature, Plumwood presents reasons for greater environmental awareness, and why our culture must change to include consideration of the generally homogenous nature of our environment.

It is a situation where the environment is hostage to our actions, because it cannot act for itself !

A vigorous educational culture is an absolute necessity. Roland Fryer, noted American educationalist says that, “class size, per-pupil spending, and the number of teachers with advanced degrees had nothing to do with student test scores.” In fact, schools that poured money into more resources actually got worse results.

He advocates, based on his research, “a greater focus on teacher development, and the creation of a culture based on greater student achievement and higher academic expectations.” He advocates, in many respects, a ‘retro’ focus on education, where a relentless adherence to active and disciplined learning, and more demanding academic goals will reap greater rewards, if the teacher is actively supported in their pedagogical development, by administrators, and denying a general antagonism between the two educational delivery streams.

However, as Professor Ratib Saud explained, “Education is an issue that requires political solutions,” and those with political solutions usually want to keep control.

Whether any education system is strong enough to ‘take the money and run,’ is another matter.

It is also clear that if the demands upon students are to be greater, parental support for that educational ethos must be implicit.

Societal, or social cultures too, must change. There has to be compassion for others that engenders more than talk, but instead, positive action.

The first step, on the road to delivering practical assistance, is in the recognition of, and acceptance that, there is an issue, and that someone has a need.

This requires an individual compassionate nature, which can surely be imbued through generations of understanding. It stands too, that there has to be greater collective consideration for the practical needs of others, whether they are financial, employment, education, or healthcare related. This can be institutional, organisational, or community based, but again, requires a cultural change.

We need an acceptance of those who are different! Whether that be in the colour of our skin, the clothes we wear, those things we do, or don’t, and who, and how, we worship.

We should, individually and collectively, develop a tolerance of others spiritual leanings, for I don’t think any of the entities we worship would advocate and cultivate conflict and suffering, in their names.

Those who have gone before us have left us their cultures, and they are not necessarily ours.

Our world is different, having absorbed a rate of change that could never have been imagined as recently as 50 years ago.

We have a duty to our children, and our children’s children, to leave them a sustainable environment, viable educational opportunities, and social stability.

Perhaps we do need to embrace these, ‘new-age’ cultures, if we want those who come after us to enjoy their lives, and not have living in that world, and environment, as a trial, an onerous existence, among the detritus of our follies.