Want to be the driver of positive change both locally and globally? After attending a guest lecture in the INDEV 101 lecture series by Dr. Michaela Hynie, identifying and understanding culture has been suggested a good place to start to create developmental change.
Culture is traditionally viewed as the knowledge, morals, customs or habits of a society. Alternatively, it can be used to describe a way of life in which values are expressed through a person’s ordinary behaviour. By putting both of these definitions together, culture can be seen as something shared amongst individuals with similar experiences, conceptions or beliefs. “We need to think about culture and its relationship with development” says Prateep Nayak, Associate Professor and lecturer for INDEV 101. In development studies, culture is used to explain poverty, economic growth and violence. In fact, UNESCO places culture at the heart of development policy and states that cultural diversity is an essential investment in the world’s future.
But what does this mean in practice? Dr. Hynie, a Professor of Psychology at York University, is interested in how to use research as a means for social change. Her current research has three broad areas of focus, all of which place an emphasis on culture. The first area is culture, immigration and health. The second looks at how the basic interpersonal or social psychological processes are affected by cultures. The third analyzes sexual behaviour and safer sex, with a focus on culturally appropriate interventions and the evaluation of international initiatives.
In Dr. Hynie’s lecture she stressed the importance of encouraging students to find what drives them and gear that focus towards a complex social problem. “We need to start looking at incorporating culture into all development policies, be they related to education, science, communication, health, environment or cultural tourism”. UNESCO has set the stage for this idea. Currently, UNESCO is working on the MDG-F Culture and Development Thematic Window, which is a ground-breaking experimental investment in large-scale culture and development programmes. 18 such programmes have been implemented in Africa, the Arab States, Asia, Latin America and South-East Europe.
Dr. Hynie's final questions inspired us to ask you: What ideas inspire you? How can you leverage cultural diversity in your ideas to make them more achievable?