   Will all cultures eventually merge together?
  Different cultures develop because groups of people live in isolation with no interaction.As the world globalizes more and more, and more and more people from different locations can communicate with each other because of technology, tourism, migration, ..., could it happen that all cultures eventually mix, merging together to one large culture or non-culture that's no different over the entire planet?And the same question with skin color: won't all people eventually be a mix of all different races that are now spread over the planet?Discuss.   
Quote:Original post by LodeDifferent cultures develop because groups of people live in isolation with no interaction.I think there will always be groups of relatively isolated people, even if they're located among other people.   ;  more and more, it's happening as we speak. i think it is inevitable.but i think there's going to be problems with having a one world culture.im kinda anti-globalization. if we become one culture and we truly have one worldy economy, suddenly, the world becomes kinda dull, dont you think?   ;Quote:Original post by GekkoCubemore and more, it's happening as we speak. i think it is inevitable.but i think there's going to be problems with having a one world culture.im kinda anti-globalization. if we become one culture and we truly have one worldy economy, suddenly, the world becomes kinda dull, dont you think?We still have aliens to invade the Earth. We have yet seen them. When aliens come, we can call ourselves United Earth Federation or earthlings, or simply humans. There would be real racism in intergalactic football and soccer games.   ;  Doubt it. There will always be at least subcultures.  I mean, look at Canadians or Americans (Or any sufficiently large countries) where there exist large cultural differences between the borders.Then just look at high schools, colleges or businesses, and look how different cultures rise and fall within those institutions.Of course, it depends how you define cultures...   ;Quote:Original post by GekkoCubemore and more, it's happening as we speak. i think it is inevitable.but i think there's going to be problems with having a one world culture.im kinda anti-globalization. if we become one culture and we truly have one worldy economy, suddenly, the world becomes kinda dull, dont you think?The only way peace can be established is if we form a single united world culture. Almost every war was started because of: A) land and/or B) Religion. If we become a single culture those reasons don't mean anything anymore. Land will be useless because we can go anywhere and live. People could become more and more tolerant of other religions, so that reason is gone. The best thing that could happen is the world forming one culture.I believe one day the world will become one culture. Really, we aren't that different. Americans and Canadians are both humans, and they are very very similar  in other ways too. There is no reason to define one's self by where you live anymore. One day, people will realize this and stop. One day, we will all call eachother "Humans" instead of "Americans, Canadians, etc."   ;  I highly doubt it.I've been living with 70 of the same people for the good side of 3 years now, and still think some of them have weird habits and customs that I will never sucumb to, even though I respect the persons greatly.What I do think will happen is that different cultures will more easily be able to get offended by eachother. (See Jyllands Postens Muhammed Drawings (Which by the way was republished by another danish newpaper just last week)) The frontier will be sharpened and the more we try to integrate with eachother the more the idiots on each side will be able to encourage racism and violence.I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but the whole thing about the Muhammed Drawings makes it seem to me that even though we live and walk so much closer, we still understand eachother as little as we did 100 years ago.   ;Quote:Original post by CowardI highly doubt it.What I do think will happen is that different cultures will more easily be able to get offended by eachother. (See Jyllands Postens Muhammed Drawings (Which by the way was republished by another danish newpaper just last week)) The frontier will be sharpened and the more we try to integrate with eachother the more the idiots on each side will be able to encourage racism and violence.I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but the whole thing about the Muhammed Drawings makes it seem to me that even though we live and walk so much closer, we still understand eachother as little as we did 100 years ago.I highly disagree.  You are talking primarily of religion, which is a byproduct of culture.   Religion cannot be the sole means to make that assumption. In any event, your own understanding shouldn't be used to gauge the cultural interpretations and demeanor of the greater whole. The truth of the matter is that culture itself (wherever that may be) is always in an evolutionary phase.  As people learn more about other cultures, they may be less inclined to look upon different viewpoints with a sense of mystery and perhaps fear and disgust.  Instead, this will break down barriers, allowing respect to flourish instead.  In the technological age, it has never been easier to learn about regions and peoples outside of ourselves.  We are all beginning to look around...(some with negative intent from the very beginning), but many of us come to the understanding (as a result) that even culture (and different interpretations of what that means) isn't enough to truly make us different.   ;Quote:And the same question with skin color: won't all people eventually be a mix of all different races that are now spread over the planet?if skincolor was the result of random genetic drift, maybe.but it isnt. in africa, i am clearly the untermensch. id burn like a crisp. on the other hand, a lighter skin makes sense in areas with less sunlight, and where sunlight penetrating your skin is welcome as it helps you form certain vitamines.sure, more diffusion means a lesser gradient, but as long as there is a driving force, it will never go to zero.the same applies to cultures really.but depleting fossile fuel reserves will probably limit globalization anyway.   ;Quote:Original post by Rain 7I highly disagree.  You are talking primarily of religion, which is a byproduct of culture.Whatever religion is, it's a strong force that separetes me from them, should I believe the radical priest or the radical imams of my country.I don't see religion going away anytime. For some reason most cultures have always needed gods to believe in, and there are two major ones out there. Quote:Original post by Rain 7Religion cannot be the sole means to make that assumption. In any event, your own understanding shouldn't be used to gauge the cultural interpretations and demeanor of the greater whole. The truth of the matter is that culture itself (wherever that may be) is always in an evolutionary phase.  As people learn more about other cultures, they may be less inclined to look upon different viewpoints with a sense of mystery and perhaps fear and disgust. Instead, this will break down barriers, allowing respect to flourish instead.  In the technological age, it has never been easier to learn about regions and peoples outside of ourselves.You are asuming that the hum kind is open minded and want to learn about eachother. I'm asuming they are notQuote:Original post by Rain 7We are all beginning to look around...(some with negative intent from the very beginning), but many of us come to the understanding (as a result) that even culture (and different interpretations of what that means) isn't enough to truly make us different."Truly different"?All I know is that they are different from me. And they know I'm different from them. Whether we are "truly differnt" I don't know. We disagree on key issues and that will cause trouble sooner or later, causing them to seek their own and me to seek my own. I know the idiots at Jyllands Posten were idiots to publish those drawings, and I know that the ones burning down our embasies we're a minority of radicals, but I also know that it's them that the general population will hear about and judge the entire culture on.The reason I dragged out the Muhammed Drawings case is because it's such a great example of how the fact that two very different cultures can now speak together doesn't mean they'll understand eachother but instead that they'll get extremely mad at eachother.Edit: Just to clarify, I'm not saying people don't socialize between cultures. Everybody does so, me too. What I'm saying is that when stakes go high, you tend to go with the things that is most familiar, and in most peoples cases that is people of the same culture.   