SHARED WISDOM

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Cultural differences characterize social groups. These differences can best be handled based on tolerance and acceptance. Cultural and religious differences characterize social groups. Some people regard these differences as the root of all conflicts. They argue that to end conflicts, these differences in the name of culture and religion should be completely wiped out, and a society characterized by cultural and religious unity should be established. However, this proposal is simply impractical. Cultures cannot be made or destroyed by individuals at will in this way. A culture always emerges from a long historical process. It cannot be invented by someone sitting in an office preparing a ‘cultural plan.’ In the wake of the Second World War, numerous ideologues emerged in different countries. They began calling for the establishment of a monocultural society in the hope that this would promote national unity. This approach was promoted, for instance, in Canada, but it proved impractical there and was soon abandoned. Canada has officially adopted multiculturalism as its policy and has dropped monoculturalism for good. The same happened in the USA as well. After the Second World War, a movement to promote ‘Americanization’ emerged, which sought to impose a single culture on all Americans. However, this movement failed because it was