Thursday, September 4, 2008

Cultural Heritage Areas - Bring Back the Reservation

If not really, then definitely in my new sci fi book, we will have reservations again. They will be areas of cultural significance where necks will be lengthened, noses will be pierced, tv will be denounced etc.

By the end of 2008, UN predicts that 50% of the world's population will live in cities. This figure will rapidly increase and a couple of megacities will be formed by 2050. Before then I believe that the ubiquity of the web and movies, tv and advertising (in a far more homogenous way than say music or books) will lead to a couple of megacultures.

Reservations will become the world's new gated communities. But darling, everyone is Islamic these days!

This is obviously problematic as some cultural heritage groups practice sufficient censorship to prevent churning. Can there be a globally appointed culture churn law? or will it depend on the culture?

Why would we have reservations though? Why would the UN (or equivalent) mandate cultural heritage areas that involve social groups not just buildings? How could anyone insist that if you lived on the island of Ba'atu that you grew coconuts, fished in hollow trees and lived in a hut with your cousins? Or that if you lived on the north coast of NSW, that you formed mudbrick communities and recycled the 60s... or farmed cattle.

Perhaps because this creates and maintains new markets for goods and services and will become economically driven! Doesn't current popular culture seem largely reductive and stale. Also very expensive. DEMAND NICHE CULTURE! It will foster diversity and more opportunities for emerging trends and businesses.

You will have the world's support to continue in your uniquely culturally appropriate fashion. This will become the world's new housing estate. But darling, everyone is Islamic these days!
This will become rather interesting when some cultural heritage groups practice sufficient censorship to prevent churning. Can there be a globally appointed culture churn law? or will it depend on the culture?

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