What is a monocultural society?
Digital MarketingDo you live in a mono-cultural or multicultural society? We often find it difficult to define. What is a mono-cultural society?
Most experts agree that the essential features of a mono-cultural society are a common heritage, a belief structure, a language, and generally a mono-racial identity. Since we live in a more globalized world, many of our societies are essentially multicultural. But still many of today’s societies still share the common traits of a mono-cultural society.
What are these common traits?
1. A common heritage
The historical heritage of society could be based on the perception that nations, food, language, attitudes, racial traits, and religious beliefs are essential to the identity of nations.
2. A shared belief structure
Most of the citizens of a country have a shared belief structure, based on the nation’s heritage. These beliefs form the national identity and the “psyche”, which create for many a stronger united society, but for the detractors a nation that loses the benefits of a multicultural ethnic society.
3. An inward-looking ‘psyche’
For many, mono-cultural societies tend to look inward rather than outward, and this can show up in the culture of the nation. TV shows and news tend to be locally focused and cultural identity is heavily promoted. A certain degree of ignorance of the outside world is often the product of looking inward.
4. A suspicion of “foreigners”
The “psyche” of a mono-cultural society can often be suspicious towards “foreigners” and their beliefs unacceptable. This could lead to discouraging multicultural associations, to a “ghetto” mentality of separating cultures across the areas in which they may live. .
5. Common religious values
While in some societies religion is considered less important, other cultures see it as part of their national or ethnic identity. A strong monocultural official religion is often a strong feature of this type of society.
6. Tribalism
Citizens of strong multicultural societies tend to be more tribal when they live outside of their own culture. Multicultural marriages are unacceptable, the neighbors, the food and even the workplace tend to be ‘tribal’. The influence of the new society diminished by this strong cultural bond, among other people who share it.
7. Purchase of goods
Monocultural societies tend to endorse their own products, rather than buying products from other nations. They tend to take pride in their industries and economic achievements, encouraging the purchase of domestically produced products rather than others. This is beneficial in a recession, but in an expanding economy it can hinder the choices that consumers have.
Monocultural societies tend to feel more secure, as long as they are identified as “one of the group”, but also conservative when it comes to accepting change. Although threatened, these societies tend to bond more quickly, but they can also be guilty of the worst types of ethnic abuse.
Historical examples could be the Armenian holocaust in Turkey, or the past bloodshed in the Balkans and Rwanda. Events that generally do not occur in more modern multi-ethnic societies, which accept differences in ideas and beliefs.
Recessions often create a more monocultural outlook in societies, and suddenly, even in multicultural societies, fault lines can appear, often under the guise of competition for jobs and economic rights. However, despite the economic difficulties, without the color, the music and the openness of a multicultural society, we would live in a very boring and limited world.