DOCSLIB.ORG

Exploring Subcultural Perceptions That Influence Change Success Within a Hybrid Organization Kevin Morgan Sorbello Walden University

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Exploring Subcultural Perceptions That Influence Change Success Within a Hybrid Organization Kevin Morgan Sorbello Walden University Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 Exploring Subcultural Perceptions That Influence Change Success Within a Hybrid Organization Kevin Morgan Sorbello Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Kevin M. Sorbello has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Kenneth Sherman, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. David Gould, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. Sheryl Kristensen, University Reviewer, Management Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2019 Abstract Exploring Subcultural Perceptions That Influence Change Success Within Hybrid Organizations by Kevin M. Sorbello MA, Naval War College, 1999 BS, California Maritime Academy, 1979 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University May 2019 Abstract Global change-failure rates remain over 70%, despite over a half-century of research, theory development, and mitigation strategies. Although researchers studying the problem of change failure recognize that subcultural perceptions influence change success, especially in hybrid organizations where subcultural differences are more profound, the perceptions that predispose a subculture to support or resist organizational change remain relatively unknown. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to address the problem of the high cost of change failure by identifying perceptions that influence change success within a maritime organization. The study’s conceptual framework was founded on the interpretive paradigm and social constructivist epistemology, leveraging insights from change, conflict, social identity, attachment, cultural, and construal level theories. Data were collected from 20 shipboard workers attending a maritime institute through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and face- to-face interviews. Manual and software assisted analysis of the data revealed potentially influential perceptions related to trust, value, communication, inclusiveness, and respect that are worthy of future research and quantitative analysis, particularly in relation to their situational context and net combined influence. Researchers and change designers may use insights and methods from this study in developing future studies on subcultural perceptions. More successful perception-mitigating change designs could support positive social change by reducing operational costs associated with change failure and fatigue, as well as organizational stress and frustration associated with directed change. Exploring Subcultural Perceptions That Influence Change Success Within a Hybrid Organization by Kevin M. Sorbello MA, Naval War College, 1999 BS, California Maritime Academy, 1979 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University May 2019 Dedication This study is dedicated to my parents, who always believed that I would one day earn an advanced degree and perform research for the benefit of society; especially to my mother, who while working as an assistant county librarian would keep the library open until 2:00 a.m. so that I and other students in the seventh and eighth grade could work on science projects before the advent of the Internet. Her thirst for knowledge and joy in reading inspired me, and my only regret is that neither she nor my father lived long enough to witness the fulfilment of their desire to see me succeed as a scholar. Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Roger Chappell, Dr. Jacobs, Dr. Howard Thor, Chief Engineer Fred Stevenson, Chief Engineer William Hyde, Mr. Al Milani, Mr. Lon Denison, and Captain Jeffery Siepert for the roles they played as mentors and friends throughout several important stages of my life. I would also like to acknowledge my oldest friend, Donald Valentine, whose constant questioning of natural phenomena and thirst for knowledge have been nothing less than infectious. I want to thank my committee chair, Dr. Kenneth Sherman; committee member, Dr. David Gould; and the numerous teachers, friends, and peers who never expressed any doubt in my abilities or determination. I also want to thank those senior managers at the Military Sealift Command who sent me to the Naval War College to earn my MA, which paved the way for my PhD at Walden. Finally, the person I would like to thank most of all is my wife, Herminia, for her faith and patience while quietly allowing my attention to be focused on my studies instead of other activities that would have more directly involved us both. She has been my faithful companion and confidant for over 38 years, and I simply could not have made it this far without her love, compassion, and understanding. Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background of the Study ...............................................................................................2 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................7 Research Question .........................................................................................................8 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................11 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................16 Definitions....................................................................................................................19 Assumptions .................................................................................................................20 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................22 Limitations ...................................................................................................................24 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................26 Significance to Practice......................................................................................... 27 Significance to Theory .......................................................................................... 27 Significance to Social Change .............................................................................. 28 Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................28 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................30 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................31 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................34 i Literature Review.........................................................................................................39 Organizational Change.......................................................................................... 40 Change Failure ...................................................................................................... 42 Influence of Perception ......................................................................................... 45 Organizational Subcultures and Subcultural Identity ........................................... 46 Influence of Conflict ............................................................................................. 52 Literature Related to Method ................................................................................ 55 Literature Contrasting Method to Other Methodologies ...................................... 56 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................59 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................62 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................62 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................64 Methodology ................................................................................................................65
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Understanding the Value of Arts & Culture | the AHRC Cultural Value
    Understanding the value of arts & culture The AHRC Cultural Value Project Geoffrey Crossick & Patrycja Kaszynska 2 Understanding the value of arts & culture The AHRC Cultural Value Project Geoffrey Crossick & Patrycja Kaszynska THE AHRC CULTURAL VALUE PROJECT CONTENTS Foreword 3 4. The engaged citizen: civic agency 58 & civic engagement Executive summary 6 Preconditions for political engagement 59 Civic space and civic engagement: three case studies 61 Part 1 Introduction Creative challenge: cultural industries, digging 63 and climate change 1. Rethinking the terms of the cultural 12 Culture, conflict and post-conflict: 66 value debate a double-edged sword? The Cultural Value Project 12 Culture and art: a brief intellectual history 14 5. Communities, Regeneration and Space 71 Cultural policy and the many lives of cultural value 16 Place, identity and public art 71 Beyond dichotomies: the view from 19 Urban regeneration 74 Cultural Value Project awards Creative places, creative quarters 77 Prioritising experience and methodological diversity 21 Community arts 81 Coda: arts, culture and rural communities 83 2. Cross-cutting themes 25 Modes of cultural engagement 25 6. Economy: impact, innovation and ecology 86 Arts and culture in an unequal society 29 The economic benefits of what? 87 Digital transformations 34 Ways of counting 89 Wellbeing and capabilities 37 Agglomeration and attractiveness 91 The innovation economy 92 Part 2 Components of Cultural Value Ecologies of culture 95 3. The reflective individual 42 7. Health, ageing and wellbeing 100 Cultural engagement and the self 43 Therapeutic, clinical and environmental 101 Case study: arts, culture and the criminal 47 interventions justice system Community-based arts and health 104 Cultural engagement and the other 49 Longer-term health benefits and subjective 106 Case study: professional and informal carers 51 wellbeing Culture and international influence 54 Ageing and dementia 108 Two cultures? 110 8.
    [Show full text]
  • Collection Development Policy for the Conservation Collection, Available Upon Request
    Collection Development Policy Collections Information Center Statement for the Conservation 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700 Los Angeles, CA 90049-1684 Collection in the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute This Collection Development Policy Statement for the Conservation Collection in the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute (GRI) articulates the precise scope and policy for cultural heritage conservation literature acquired and retained within the Research Library. What began as a modest collection supporting the program activities of the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) has become a significant resource for conservation research throughout the world. Nearly thirty years of sustained growth in the Research Library’s holdings of conservation literature has prompted periodic assessments of the Conservation Collection, and the revision of this policy statement for its continued growth and development. This policy will be reviewed and updated as needed at least every three years by the GCI Collection Development Librarian, the Manager of GCI Research Resources, and Manager of Library Collection Development and Acquisitions. Purpose of the Policy Statement This Collection Development Policy Statement is designed to serve a range of purposes. The Policy is intended to: • define and clarify the collecting policies of the Collection • guide the Collection Development Librarian in coordinating the activities to select and acquire resources for the collection • justify budget appropriations and guide expenditures • delineate and evaluate existing strengths and weaknesses in the Collection • articulate and emphasize the Collection’s vital relationship to other research resources managed by the Research Library and the GCI This Policy Statement for the Conservation Collection documents its: I.
    [Show full text]
  • Influencing Behavior During Planned Culture Change: a Participatory
    Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2016 Influencing Behavior During Planned Culture Change: A Participatory Action Research Case Study Michael Valentine Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change Follow this and additional works at: http://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, and the Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons Recommended Citation Valentine, Michael, "Influencing Behavior During Planned Culture Change: A Participatory Action Research Case Study" (2016). Dissertations & Theses. 322. http://aura.antioch.edu/etds/322 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR DURING PLANNED CULTURE CHANGE: A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH CASE STUDY MICHAEL VALENTINE A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Ph.D. in Leadership and Change Program of Antioch University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September, 2016 This is to certify that the Dissertation entitled: INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR DURING PLANNED CULTURE CHANGE: A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH CASE STUDY prepared by Michael Valentine is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Change. Approved by: Elizabeth Holloway, Ph.D., Chair date Mitchell Kusy, Ph.D., Committee Member date Ashley Lackovich-Van Gorp, Ph.D., Committee Member date Stephen A.
    [Show full text]
  • Cannabis (Sub)Culture, the Subcultural Repository, and Networked Mediation
    SIMULATED SESSIONS: CANNABIS (SUB)CULTURE, THE SUBCULTURAL REPOSITORY, AND NETWORKED MEDIATION Nathan J. Micinski A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2014 Committee: Ellen Berry, Advisor Rob Sloane © 2014 Nathan Micinski All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Ellen Berry, Advisor Subcultural theory is traditionally rooted in notions of social deviance or resistance. The criteria for determining who or what qualifies as subcultures, and the most effective ways to study them, are based on these assumptions. This project seeks to address these traditional modes of studying subcultures and discover ways in which their modification may lead to new understandings and ways of studying subcultures in the contemporary moment. This will be done by suggesting a change in the criteria of examining subcultures from that of deviance or resistance to identification with a collection of images, symbols, rituals, and narratives. The importance of this distinction is the ability to utilize the insights that studying subcultures can offer while avoiding the faults inherent in speaking for or at a subculture rather than with or from it. Beyond addressing theoretical concerns, this thesis aims to apply notions of subcultural theory to study the online community of Reddit, in particular, a subset known as r/trees–a virtual repository for those images, symbols, rituals, and narratives of cannabis subculture. R/trees illustrates the life and vibrancy of a unique subcultural entity, which to this point has evaded a cultural studies analysis. To that end, this project advocates for the importance of the cultural studies approach to analyzing cannabis subculture and further, to insert the findings of this study into that gap in the literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Collection Policy
    COLLECTION POLICY Collecting is at the heart of the Witte Museum’s mission and must be done with clear purpose and well-articulated guidelines. The museum’s Collection Plan provides the guidelines for what the museum will collect. The Collection Policy sets forth the professional standards and responsibilities for the care and management of collections as required of an accredited museum. The Collections Department Procedures Manual covers procedures for implementing this policy. This policy should be reviewed every five years or as necessary to reflect changes in staff, strategic plan, Collection Plan, or museum practices at large. I. MISSION Statement The Witte Museum promotes lifelong learning through innovative exhibitions, programs, and collections in natural history, science, and South Texas heritage II. VISION STATEMENT Through innovative programs in history, science, and culture the Witte Museum enriches lives, promotes a quality of life for all South Texas people and generates a legacy of knowledge. III. VALUES Learning organization Collection Stewardship Quality programs and exhibitions Fiscal stability Environmental stewardship Professional ethic Welcoming environment Approved 09/20/2017 1 IV. TYPES OF COLLECTIONS The Witte Museum possesses five types of collections: Accessioned, Library, Research, Living, and Educational. The Witte shall designate at the time of acquisition the collection category to which material is assigned. The assigned category may change as the priorities and collections of the Witte evolve. Accessioned Collections Items in the Accessioned Collections shall relate directly to the Mission Statement of the Witte and shall be used solely for exhibitions, research, publications, exhibition loans, education, and Witte branding and merchandising. The documentation, care and disposition of accessioned items are governed by this policy and museum best practices.
    [Show full text]
  • Collection of Online Sources for Cultural Anthropology Videos In
    Collection of Online Sources for Cultural Anthropology Videos in Anthropology Man and His Culture (14:51) The movie shows, in the imaginative form of a 'REPORT FROM OUTER SPACE,' how the ways of mankind might appear to visitors from another planet. Considers the things most cultures have in common and the ways they change as they pass from one generation to the next. Key words: Culture, Cultural universals, Language, Culture Change Chemically Dependent Agriculture (48:59) The change from smaller, more diverse farms to larger single-crop farms in the US has led to greater reliance on pesticides for pest management. Key words: Agriculture; Culture change, Food, Pesticide, Law The Story of Stuff (21:24) The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. Key words: Culture of consumption; Consumerism, Environment The Real Truth About Religion (26:43) Although the ancients incorporated many different conceptions of god(s) and of celestial bodies, the sun, the most majestic of all entities was beheld with awe, revered, adored and worshiped as the supreme deity. Key words: Religion, Symbolism, Symbolic Language, System of Beliefs Selected by Diana Gellci, Ph.D Updated 5.3.16 Collection of Online Sources for Cultural Anthropology The Arranged Marriage (Kashmiri) (20:48) Niyanta and Rohin, our lovely Kashmiri couple are an epitome of the popular saying "for everyone there is someone somewhere". Love struck when Rohin from South Africa met the Kashmiri beauty from Pune. They decided to get married. Everyone called it an arranged marriage, an "Arranged Marriage" with a rare amalgamation of Beauty, Emotions and above all Trust.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Culture and Culture Change
    2 Culture and Culture Change CHAPTER SUMMARY The second chapter introduces us to culture. What is culture exactly? For most sociologists, culture refers to the knowledge, traditions, values, practices, and beliefs held by members of an organization, community, or society. As Eric Weissman describes, culture is a social force that impacts our daily lives and the choices we make. It can be both material and immaterial and produces “webs of significance” that influence both individual identity and entire societies. One distinction that you should take away from this chapter is that of culture versus structure. Structural elements of society are comprised of the enduring patterns of social relations and social institutions, whereas cultural elements are those that carry meanings. We interpret these meanings and attach them to certain values, ideas, and beliefs. In terms of time and space, culture can cover a vast area of meaning. It can refer to one’s entire social reality, or a particular social or geographical location. Even within Canada, when one thinks of Canadian culture, a few images immediately come to mind—the maple leaf and the game of hockey, for example. Yet within this one nationally unified culture, there exists several different cultures. These can be divided up by province, ethnicity, age, and so on. In terms of time and space, the other important distinction you must remember when looking at culture is that the culture of any people or place rarely stays the same over time. Culture is a fluid object and is always changing. Culture also influences the values and norms of a society.
    [Show full text]
  • Pleistocene Climate Variation and the Origin of Human Culture
    Built for Speed: Pleistocene Climate Variation and the Origin of Human Culture Peter J. Richerson Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, California USA 95616 [email protected] Robert Boyd Department of Anthropology University of California Los Angeles, California USA 90024 [email protected] Abstract. Recently, several authors have argued that the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations are responsible for the evolution of human anatomy and cognition. This hypothesis contrasts with the common idea that human language, tools, and culture represent a revolutionary breakthrough rather than a conventional adaptation to a particular ecological niche. Neither hypothesis is satisfactory. The “Pleistocene hypothesis”, as proposed, does not explain how Pleistocene fluctuations favor the particular adaptations that characterize humans. The alternative hypothesis does not explain what has prevented many animal lineages in the remote past from evolving a similar adaptive complex of tools, language and culture. Theoretical models of the cultural evolutionary process suggest some answers to these questions. Learning, including social learning, is rather generally a useful adaptation in variable environments. The progressive brain enlargement in many mammalian lineages during the last few million years suggests that climatic deterioration has had the general effect predicted by the Pleistocene hypothesis. Increased dependence on simple social learning was a preadaptation to the evolution of a capacity for complex traditions. The evolution of a costly capacity to acquire complex traditions is inhibited because, initially, complex traditions will be rare. Having the capacity to learn things that are far too complex to invent for oneself is not useful until traditions are common, but traditions cannot become complex before the capacity to acquire them is common.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Theorizing Has Dramatically Increased
    Cultural CHAPTER 9 Theorizing Another Embarassing Confession Like the concept of social structure, the conceptualization of culture in sociology is rather vague, despite a great deal of attention by sociologists to the properties and dynamics of cul- ture. There has always been the recognition that culture is attached to social structures, and vice versa, with the result that sociologists often speak in terms of sociocultural formations or sociocultural systems and structures. This merging of structure and culture rarely clarifies but, instead, further conflates a precise definition of culture. And so, sociology’s big idea— culture—is much like the notion of social structure. Its conceptualization is somewhat meta- phorical, often rather imprecise, and yet highly evocative. There is no consensus in defini- tions of culture beyond the general idea that humans create symbol systems, built from our linguistic capacities, which are used to regulate conduct. And even this definition would be challenged by some. Since the 1980s and accelerating with each decade, the amount of cultural theorizing has dramatically increased. Mid-twentieth-century functional theory had emphasized the importance of culture but not in a context-specific or robust manner; rather, functional- ism viewed culture as a mechanism by which actions are controlled and regulated,1 whereas much of the modern revival of culture has viewed culture in a much more robust and inclusive manner. When conflict theory finally pushed functionalism from center stage, it also tended to bring forth a more Marxian view of culture as a “superstructure” generated by economic substructures. Culture became the sidekick, much like Tonto for the Lone Ranger, to social structure, with the result that its autonomy and force indepen- dent of social structures were not emphasized and, in some cases, not even recognized.
    [Show full text]
  • Organisational Culture, Organisational Change and Emotions: a Qualitative Study
    ANZAM 2008, Auckland Organisational Culture, Organisational Change and Emotions: A Qualitative Study Roy K Smollan Management, Faculty of Business, Auckland University of Technology Auckland, New Zealand Email: [email protected] ANZAM 2008, Auckland Organisational Culture, Organisational Change and Emotions: A Qualitative Study Roy Smollan Management, Faculty of Business Auckland University of Technology Auckland, New Zealand [email protected] ABSTRACT Some organisations have strong cultures of innovation and adaptability that influence individual responses to change. Another dimension is affective culture, which shapes the way emotions are experienced and expressed, and which plays a particularly important part during changes to the culture or to any other aspect of organisational life. Organisational change triggers emotions as people anticipate or encounter gains or losses. This paper illustrates the two and three way relationships between culture, change and emotions and presents the results of a qualitative study. Key words: organisational culture, organisational change, emotions Organisational culture is regarded as a set of assumptions, beliefs, values, customs, structures, norms, rules, traditions and artefacts (Schein 2004), and a system of shared meanings (Pizer & Härtel 2005), although how much is really shared is debatable (Martin 2002). More colloquially culture is “how things are done around here” (Martin 2002: 3) and it moulds the behaviour of its members in overt and covert ways. The term organisational climate, which is often used instead of culture, or in addition to it, is the employee perception of the culture and a manifestation of it (Allen 2003). The debate as to the similarities and differences between them, and discussion of the multiple theoretical perspectives on each (Allen 2003; Denison 1996), lie outside the scope of this paper, and to simplify matters the term organisational culture will be used, even though it is employee perceptions that will be engaged.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Patterns of Emotion Perception and Expression Across Cultures
    Understanding Patterns of Emotion Perception and Expression Across Cultures by Yay-hyung Cho A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) in The University of Michigan 2018 Doctoral committee: Professor Phoebe Ellsworth, Chair Professor Richard Gonzalez Professor Shirli Kopelman Professor Ethan Kross Yay-hyung Cho [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9705-3923 © Yay-hyung Cho 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I dedicate this dissertation to a group of people who supported me to get through this journey. I would like to first thank Phoebe Ellsworth for her endless support. I will be forever indebted for your mentorship. Thank you so much for not giving up on me even when I gave up on myself. It has been and always will be my honor to be your student. I am also thankful for my committee members (Richard Gonzalez, Ethan Kross, Shirli Kopelman) and Ramaswami Mahalingam for their time advising my work and for their encouragement. I would like to thank Elizabeth Axelson for her teaching me how to write and for being a tireless cheerleader. I also thank Jiyoung Park, Stephanie Chen, Ziyong Lin, Jackie Kim, Erin Bogan, Adrienne Doherty, David Lee, Patricia Chen, Katie Foster, Jeong Eun Kim, Juhyun Julie Song, Yujeong Yang, Bomi Lee, Ruby Kim, Kamin Kim, Holly Shablack, Soomin Bang, Jihyun Sung, Daun Lee, Yuri Lee for their friendship and support. My deep appreciation and affection go to my patient and loving partner, BC, for always being there for me. Finally, I would like to thank my family (Byungkoo Cho, Younglan Chung, Deukhyung Cho) for their unending love and encouragement.
    [Show full text]
  • Conflicts Among Civilizations: the Nfluei Nce Behind War and Art Ross Pickett Roger Williams University
    Reason and Respect Volume 4 Article 8 Issue 1 Spring 2008 4-1-2008 Conflicts among Civilizations: The nflueI nce behind War and Art Ross Pickett Roger Williams University Follow this and additional works at: http://docs.rwu.edu/rr Recommended Citation Pickett, Ross (2008) "Conflicts among Civilizations: The nflueI nce behind War and Art," Reason and Respect: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 8. Available at: http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/8 Copyright ©4-1-2008 by the authors Reason and Respect is produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress). For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pickett: Conflicts among Civilizations: The Influence behind War and Art Conflicts among Civilizations: The Influence behind War and Art Ross Pickett, Marketing ‘09 The idea that conflicts among civilizations result from a cultural difference rather than an economic or political standpoint is a courageous one. These conflicts are too deeply rooted and complex to analyze in one single concept. Using only this central point, this theory attempts to define the reason behind all civilization, conflicts, and why culture exists. Is not money or economic value an underlying factor in wars throughout time? Political events have an incredibly important impact on the inhabitants of a civilization. Do these events not have influence on people, and in turn affect the ideas and beliefs of a nation? Is the rivalry between two peoples really caused by its cultural differences; or the thrill of competition, conquering, and becoming the most powerful? These questions come to mind when trying to validate the theory that conflict results from a cultural difference.
    [Show full text]