Culture is the most important factor that organizes the spiritual life of people. The meaning of the concept of "culture" is very broad and not always definite. By it we understand the state of society, its characteristics, and the totality of traditions, customs, beliefs, and technologies of the inhabitants of a certain area. Culture does not arise by itself, in a natural, natural way, it always appears thanks to man, it is a product of his activity.
The symbiosis of peoples
And the interaction of cultures is very similar to the relationship between people. They can be in a hostile, antagonistic relationship (recall, for example, the Crusades), one culture can crowd out another (how much is left of the culture of North American Indians?). They can be mixed together (the interpenetration of the traditions of the Saxons and Normans led to the emergence of a new - English - culture). However, the current state of the civilized world shows that the optimal form of interaction between cultures is dialogue.
Examples of the past
The dialogue of cultures, as well as the dialogue between people, arises from mutual interest or urgent need. The young man liked the girl - and he asks where he could see her earlier, that is, the young man begins a dialogue. No matter how much we like the boss, we are forced to conduct a business dialogue with him. An example of the interaction of cultures antagonistic with respect to each other: even during the time of the Golden Horde, interpenetration and mutual enrichment of ancient Russian and Tatar cultures took place. And where to go? The spiritual and material life of a person is very diverse and diverse, therefore it is not difficult to give an appropriate example. There are a lot of dialogues, their vectors and spheres: a dialogue between Western culture and the East, Christianity and Islam, mass and elite cultures, past and present.
Mutual enrichment
Just like a person, culture cannot be isolated for a long time, alone, Cultures strive for interpenetration, the result is a dialogue of cultures. Examples of this process are very obvious in Japan. The culture of this island state was originally closed, but later it was enriched by the assimilation of traditions and historical identities of China and India, and from the end of the 19th century it became open in relation to the West. A positive example of dialogues at the state level can be observed in Switzerland, where 4 languages are simultaneously state languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh), which contributes to the conflict-free coexistence of different peoples in one country. International film festivals, song contests (Eurovision) and beauty contests (Miss Universe), exhibitions of oriental art in the West and west - in the East, spending days of one state in another (Days of France in Russia), distribution of Japanese dishes “sushi” around the world, Russia's acceptance of the elements of the Bologna model of education, the popularity of martial arts in Europe and the USA are also an endless example of cultural dialogue.
Dialogue of cultures as an urgent need
Naturally, each culture seeks to preserve its identity, and there are realities that different cultures will probably never accept. It is unlikely that a Muslim girl will dress like her European peer. A European woman is unlikely to be able to put up with polygamy. But there are many more things that you can agree with, or at least be reconciled with, endure. After all, a bad world is still better than a good quarrel, and a world without dialogue is impossible. An example of dialogues, forced and voluntary, constructive and futile, is preserved in world history, reminding contemporaries that any conversation involves respect for the values of a different original nationality, overcoming one’s own stereotypes, willingness to build bridges, and not destroy them. A constructive business dialogue of cultures is a necessary condition for the self-preservation of all mankind.