Culture change, cultural values, & Kiwis

One of the fascinating things about culture is that it is constantly shifting. Like tectonic plates societies gradually move as the thinking and behaviour of their peoples alter with time. And like their seismic counterparts societies occasionally experience big shifts that really shake people up. Immigration is one of those shifts that is impacting many countries and, according to experts, is only going to increase.

So what does this mean for New Zealand? I suggest it means more mosques, more burqas, more covered girls in schools, more Indians behind the counter, fresh expressions of art, alternative greetings, more accents on the phone, and more "Kiwis" getting upset about immigration. It also means more colourful variety in communities, new terminology being introduced, new recipe combinations being tried, new fashion developing ...

One thing I like about New Zealand culture is our relaxed acceptance of other people. But so often it comes with a rather naive hope that they will keep to themselves and we won't impact each other. The reality is, of course, we will. How we influence each other depends on how we relate together. Reports from the Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research (Victoria University Wellington) state that the more interaction different ethnic groups have with each other, the more the intergroup respect grows between them (presuming the interaction is positive), and furthermore, this reduces intergroup fear. This all seems pretty logical to me! However, it does seem easier to stay apart and worry, than to take initiative and meet strangers.

I suspect that apart from the common hesitation to bowl up to strangers and "interact" more, many people are concerned that immigrants will change society by eroding our prized way of life. I would like to hear your comments on two things:

1. what are your most prized "Kiwi" values - what's really important to you?
2. how do we continue to grow in ethnic diversity AND maintain our core values?

Please leave your thoughts. If you don't have an account just email me.