In Cultural Security conferences and tea party drawing room discussions,
there seems to be much concern about two particular issues
on the subject: the articulation of an accurate definition of ‘culture’,
and identifying the external threats to the same.Extremely complicated
definitions are obsessed over, and thus, much time and effort
is expended on what seems to be an endless pursuit.
The United Nations may defineculture in a particular way, dictionaries
in anotherand learned professors in their way, but in the wake
of this intellectual wrestling, the bottom line isthat whatever it may
entail, culture is, simply put, a way of life.
Then, in the twists and turns of the intellectual jousting regarding
what aspects of the human existence may be includedin or excluded
from it, the issue of security is considered, and the default
stress seems toprimarily be placed on the ‘external’ forces as being
the greatest threat.It is rare for one to hear participants and others
who are concerned about their cultural security, to lay equal,
let alonegreater, stress on the factors of theinternal threat to their
culture. |