INTERCULTURALISM: CHARACTERISTICS AND STAGES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The interculturalism refers to an ideological and political current that promotes respect and tolerance among individuals in a country regardless of race, creed or ethnicity. Likewise, it stimulates social and cultural interaction between the different communities that exist in a place.

Interculturalism does not prohibit the practice of religion or various cultural manifestations, as long as rights are respected and xenophobia or racism is not incurred. The important values ​​of this ideology include respect for diversity.

In addition, they take into account horizontal communication and mutual enrichment, under a democratic political scheme where all individuals must abide by the constitution and the same system of laws.

This thought has as its main objective the interaction and contact between people with different traditions, which also arises as a criticism of multiculturalism, which only contemplates the coexistence of different cultures, without promoting equality or exchange.

Main features

- Thanks to the fact that it promotes exchange between various cultures, two important phenomena take place: miscegenation and cultural hybridization.

- Underlines that there is no better culture than another. Each and every one is equal in importance, so they deserve respect and consideration.

- Individuals develop a certain empathy that helps them understand the implications of diversity.

- There is a commitment to the development of solidarity attitudes towards others.

- Promotes individual rights for everyone.

- Has minimal tolerance to totalitarian and theocratic systems.

- Reject xenophobia, racism and any type of discrimination.

- You want to generate a civic attitude that is in favor of democracy, freedom and human rights.

- There is no prohibition to express any cultural expression.

- Seeks the satisfaction of the basic needs of the peoples, while offering development opportunities.

- All groups are urged to form part of the political and national task.

- It is nourished by migratory movements in the world.

- Regardless of the group they belong to, everyone must respect the laws and institutions established in the State in order to guarantee a harmonious coexistence.

- Understand that a society cannot evolve without the participation or influence of another.

Stages of the intercultural process

For a successful intercultural process, a series of important steps must be completed:

Meeting

It occurs with the acceptance of the interaction and the presentation that can generate the identities that are manifested.

Respect

It consists of recognizing the existence of other models in reality. It implies respect and dignified treatment of others.

Horizontal dialogue

Exchange with equal conditions and opportunities, without imposing a single way of thinking.

Understanding

Mutual understanding and enrichment. The ability to understand the needs and expressions of the other party is manifested.

Synergy

Valuation of the diversity with which you can work together to obtain good results.

Difficulties

Although the primary purpose of interculturalism is tolerance and respect in the exchange process, it is possible to encounter a series of obstacles:

- Cultural hegemony.

- Obstacles in communication due to the diversity of languages.

- Lack of State policies that guarantee the protection of the various racial and ethnic groups.

- Exclusionary economic system.

- Social hierarchies.

- Lack of knowledge of social and racial groups.

- Discriminatory ideologies.

- Lack of exercise of human rights.

- Stereotypes.

- Colonialism.

Differences between interculturalism and multiculturalism

The differences can be established as follows:

Interculturalism in Mexico, Peru and Spain

Understanding the intercultural process in Latin America requires taking into account a common feature in the region: the distinction between dominant and subaltern cultures.

In this distinction, unequal relations prevail between the culture of origin and those products of the legacy of the Conquest.

Mexico

Mexico is considered one of the most multicultural nations in the world thanks to the wealth and variety of ethnic groups, and the cultural heritage that persists to this day.

However, there is no established legal framework that allows these groups to survive and fully develop in the national territory. In addition to this, they are not in the capacity to participate actively in political decisions or national problems.

In this case, indigenous groups are usually the most affected by problems such as:

- Extreme poverty.

- Little access to education.

- Little access to the health system.

- Racism.

- Xenophobia.

In the S. XX the governments tried to integrate these communities with the intention that they would form part of the Mexican society.

However, the measures were unsuccessful because no major concessions were made in the political and economic arena. As if that were not enough, a major problem also persisted - and persists: colonialism.

Colonialism produces an unequal interaction between groups due to the persistence of social and economic differences that come from the colonial era.

Obligations necessary to promote interculturality

To guarantee a successful intercultural process, a type of State must be established that takes into account a series of obligations:

- The transformation to a plural state.

- Guarantee conditions for economic development, giving the people the possibility to make decisions about the exploitation of resources.

- Establish policies for the distribution of goods.

- Recognize the autonomy of indigenous peoples.

- Create mechanisms that guarantee the correct interaction and exchange between the different cultural groups.

- Promote interculturality as a means for the ideal coexistence between individuals.

Peru

One of the most relevant characteristics of Peru is the presence of a great variety of original peoples of the Andes, which have unique features in terms of cultural and linguistic expressions.

However, an obstacle present in the intercultural process in the country is due to the dynamics established between social classes, which began with the arrival of the Spanish in the region.

Since then, an important difference has been generated between "Indians" and "Spaniards", which brought with it a strong hierarchical system. As a consequence, there is a marked discriminatory attitude between different people and ethnic groups.

In view of the situation, efforts have been made to promote this process in the country through policies and public institutions that reinforce the importance of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the groups found in the country.

Peruvian initiatives in favor of interculturality

- The Constitution highlights in article 2 that the State has the task of recognizing and protecting the plurality of ethnic and cultural groups.

- In December 2012 the Judiciary established the so-called Intercultural Justice. This justice seeks that all citizens have access to it, at the same time that it recognizes indigenous justice and communal justice.

- The Intercultural Vice Ministry is created, which seeks to “formulate policies, programs and projects that promote interculturality”. In addition, it seeks the dissemination of traditions and manifestations of different ethnic groups, with the intention of avoiding exclusions or discrimination of any kind.

Although these processes are contemplated in Peruvian legislation, they have not yet been fully implemented in practice.

Spain

Historically, Spain is recognized as a multicultural country, since the arrival of Germanic peoples in 409 and with the subsequent settlement of the Arabs, who transformed the country into a region of the Arab Empire.

During and shortly after World War II, migratory movements to various European countries, as well as outside the continent, intensified. However, in the 1990s the Spanish government established a series of policies for foreigners with various objectives:

- Promote social integration.

- Generate more controls for entering the country.

- Unify the figures of asylum and refuge.

Despite the first efforts to integrate cultural groups, the Spanish legal system is based on the acceptance of minorities, as long as they adapt to the model of the dominant culture.

Spanish reforms that promote interculturality

A series of reforms and proposals have emerged to promote interculturality in the country:

- The creation of the Citizenship and Integration Plan, which seeks to be taught in the classrooms to encourage interaction and integration of the different groups. The goal is to ensure democratic and egalitarian societies.

- Promotion of intercultural education in the communities.

- The entry into force of interculturality in the Constitution thanks to the statutes set out in the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This allows for a clear definition of the concept in terms of the legal scope.

References

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