Cultural futures

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Culture, values, identity and historical background are essential to understanding how a country perceives the international system and approaches international challenges. The importance of recognising and understanding the identities and preferences of the major global players has increased over the last 10 years as a result of the diffusion of international power among a greater number of actors. Increasing multi-polarity implies that no one single hegemonic culture can dominate the international system, and that multiple ways of approaching international challenges need to be recognised and understood if international cooperation is to be strengthened.

However, the cultures and identities of key global players are not constant and static, but dynamic and changing. The pace of change has been exceedingly rapid in the recent past, as a result of the complex and varied impact of globalisation on collective identities. Civic and national identities, which are primarily mediated through local and state institutions are weakening in many parts of the world. Globalisation is said to be destroying communities, displacing peoples, and leading to a homogenised, westernised and consumerist culture. Yet at the same time, individuals and groups are reacting to the threat of homogenisation by reaffirming specific and exclusive identities, often with ethnic or religious affinities. New transnational movements have emerged that emphasise shared values, religions and ethnicities.

How the major global players respond to these processes will have implications for international peace and stability, not least because collective identities often cut across international borders. Nation states have, historically, been particularly reluctant to pursue international cooperation in the field of culture, perceiving this field as one of their sovereign prerogatives. Some might argue that in a multi-polar world, these sensitivities will be come even stronger. However, as power is diffused and international cooperation depends increasingly on achieving consensus between states with very different cultural backgrounds, there will be a need for more, not less, intercultural dialogue.

The questions for debate that Foresight will analyse under this theme include:

  • What has been the impact of new information technologies on national identities and cultures?
  • What has been the impact of international migration on national identities and cultures, and how do different global players approach migrant communities and diasporas?
  • What are the approaches that different global players have adopted to accommodate diversity within their borders?
  • How are global players tackling a rise in religious extremism?
  • How do the cultures and identities of global players affect the way they approach international challenges?
  • How could greater international cooperation on cultural issues such as combating extremism and managing the impacts of migration be achieved?