Changing a Country's Culture

[Pinkie-Dawn]

This topic has be going through my mind when examining how most of the misdeeds done in other countries are based on cultural traditions. For example, some animals are being critically threatened to extinction because one part of their anatomy is being used as medicine and are believed to heal the sick in an instant. This puts animal protection organizations at a tough challenge at trying to convince these people the immorality and dangers of wiping these animals out. Another example regards the age of consent, which varies from country to country. However, it feels like American countries are trying to convert every country to their age of consent due to how disgusted they are of seeing underaged people having sex and the amount of fanservice involving underaged characters in foreign entertainment such as anime. But one question has always struck me: Does one country have a right to change another country's culture? What other countries are doing to their own people and environment is their business, no matter how immoral it is and how bad it'll affect its other neighboring countries, and their culture is what makes them unique, for better or for worse. Your thoughts?

 

[Flushed]

Regarding having a right to change culture, I'm not sure. But it is something that's inevitable. The world is getting smaller as they say (at least I think they say that haha), and through business, politics, immigration, etc., cultures are bound to change, even when they're not being actively forced to change.

Now there's a moral/ethical human code I think that needs to be followed (objectively regarding things like genocide), but a majority of these hot-button issues I think are a bit blurry and subjective: drinking age, age of consent, and incest come to mind. I certainly think you have a right to challenge these cultural institutions, but I think a certain brand of objective reasoning is needed to incite change, reasoning that obviously has not been stumbled upon as of yet, since different cultures still differ regarding such aspects.

 

[Tek]

We're at a unique moment in human history. We can step back and examine cultural norms, and compare cultures to one another. Isn't it fun?

 

[ForgottenPass]

We should teach the animals how to fight. You don't want to get a hyacinth macaw angry.

it feels like American countries are trying to convert every country to their age of consent due to how disgusted they are of seeing underaged people having sex

That's disconnected from reality. A lot of teenagers (underage should be reserved for actual minors, aka children) do that. Sorry for the ad hominem, but I think they're just frusterated virgins. Sorry for anyone who values their chastity, too.s

 

[Blu·Ray]

On one hand I think that the way that culture is so specific to a certain group of people who have some values in common, be it geographical, historical or political, and the way that it is ingrained in the consciousness of the people who are a part of that culture makes it very much of a static thing, as traditions tend to be. However, on the other hand, the globalization of culture is slowly but surely eroding the very foundation of local cultures. As Flushed mentions, the world is getting smaller (yes, people say that, even though the trend has been going downward since 2000 as you can see in this Google Ngram :)) and culture is getting more unified. The Americanization of culture is also definitely a thing, but as far as I know that is mostly due to people from within cultures adopting the Western ideals rather than these values being forcibly shoved into the lives of people.

 

[Her]

but a majority of these hot-button issues I think are a bit blurry and subjective: drinking age, age of consent, and incest come to mind.

Interestingly enough, incest is a taboo in almost every culture, with remarkably little variation in what is tolerated and what isn't within the taboo.

 

[Flushed]

Interestingly enough, incest is a taboo in almost every culture, with remarkably little variation in what is tolerated and what isn't within the taboo.

Admittedly, I'm not too well-versed in the area. I know there's science behind possible genetic birth defects, but for some reason or another I could've sworn it wasn't universally considered taboo.

 

[Her]

Admittedly, I'm not too well-versed in the area. I know there's science behind possible genetic birth defects, but for some reason or another I could've sworn it wasn't universally considered taboo.

It's condemned in virtually every society, just the severity and practice of the taboo varying. It's one of the longest lasting culture condemnations of any kind as well, going back to at least Ancient Hebrew times.