Imperij ili zajednica? Homogenizacija i raznolikost kultura u kontekstu globalizacije i identiteta
Empire or Community? Homogenisation and Diversity of Cultures in the Context of Globalisation and Identity

Summary/Abstract: In the article the author discusses two general options of the future of human civilization: the pressure of Western culture on the standardisation of elements of culture and the creation of cultural imperialism via the mass media which leads to cultural entropy and the possible establishment of a new world empire; the other option is a critical appraisal of the uniformity of life, prevention of cultural entropy and preservation of diversity as humanity’s wealth for alternative directions of development and a future community of diversities. The author supports the latter option. The dilemma between empire and community is not of political but cultural nature. The subsistence of cultural diversity presupposes that cultural diversity be understood (a) as a normative value because it contains in itself the ethical aspect and (b) as a practical value because it contains the political aspect. Awareness of the possible alternative choice between empire or community of diversities, reflects the contradiction of the modern age and enables variations of the “third” paths from long-term anthropological to shortterm developmental projections. In favour of the tendency of the emergence and domination of imperial culture stands the emergence of uniformity of the global cultural environment and standardisation of the environmental conditions of life, while against it stands cultural diversity. The social projection depends on the meaning of the symbolical world, thus making the question of future social options also a question of cultural options. The world of culture is a world of symbols, so society cannot do without its symbolical dimension. “Empire” and “community” symbolically reflect the ambivalence of social perspectives.

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