Global-Local Negotiations. Development and Culture

Academic Paper from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - Topic: Development Politics, , course: Development Studies, Cultural Studies, Peace Studies, Environmental Studies, language: English, abstract: Development has to be understood holistically. It is very closely connected to culture, which is very difficult to define. Cultural factors have powerfully affected the pace of development. This paper begins with the status of culture in the international development paradigm. Then the author will examine the relationship between culture and sustainable development, going on to reflect the importance of culture in environmental sustainability. Next, the paper will discuss the role of culture for peace and reconciliation, for only when there is peace there can be proper development. In the last part of his paper, the author looks at the relationship between media culture and development. In the media mediated society, which we live in today, culture is influenced by the media resulting in what is called media-culture , which leads to a unique kind of development. The recognition that development programmes and strategies at the global, regional and local levels should integrate culture within their goals, indicators and targets is still not as widespread as it should be. Without such a globally agreed and shared recognition, the potential of culture to contribute to sustainable development risks being largely untapped. Giving due consideration to specific settings (a stronger concern for local cultural perspectives) in which the development processes should be conceived and implemented, is paramount.