The Freedom Culture:
3. Cultural Relating
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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.†And this is Freedomblog.com
The theme for today is Cultural Relating
For thinking people, this means how effectively we relate between cultures, classes, and issues groups.
With constructive relating, all human endeavors will be successful with a 95% degree of certainty. With constructive Cultural Relating at high levels, all national initiatives are possible with a similarly high degree of certainty. The plain fact of the matter is that nations cannot trade if they do not relate. Emphatically, nations cannot trade in The Global Marketplace without relating in The Cultural Marketplace!
In this context, the levels of Cultural Relating are defined in The Freedom Model:
| Level 5: | Free and interdependent relating is defined by “mutual processing for mutual benefit†with other cultures and/or nations. |
| Level 4: | Collaborative relating is defined by shared goals and common means to achieve the goals with other cultures and/or nations. |
| Level 3: | Independent relating is defined by reserving the right and power to compete as well as cooperate with other cultures and/or nations. |
| Level 2: | Competitive relating is defined by achieving and maintaining the “competitive edge†with other cultures and nations. |
| Level 1: | Dependent relating is defined by dependency in relating with other cultures and nations, including adapting and reacting. |
Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.â€
Remember, people, relating enables us to share images with others and, then, possibly to merge with them.
We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.
“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.â€
July 19th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Dear Bob,
As I read the Levels of Cultural Relating I apply my understanding of the levels to my work with children and parents. Parents have the responsibility to teach/guide/model interactions with other people so children become “socialized.” In some families parents teach respect and tolerance to their children. In other families parents teach “getting ahead” and “doing whatever it takes to make it.” Such parents permanently damage their children’s capacity to relate to an ever changing world, not only cognitively, but emotionally. While it is not inherent in any child’s nature to hate or hurt other human beings, children learn quickly to do what they see/hear. The Levels you have outlined set a standard by which parents/teachers/caregivers/religious leaders could/should model their interactions on a local as well as broader level. The children are always watching, and like a night watchman, always testing the doors they pass by. If we could quantify the cost/benefits of interacting with each other at Levels 4 and 5 perhaps “making it” or “getting ahead” could be redefined based on those standards.