Culture: 1) an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning, and/or 2) the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group.
Cultural historian and former Catholic monk, Thomas Berry, in The Great Work asserts that humanity now faces a challenge of epic proportions in eco-crisis and must make profound cultural shifts in order to avoid the tragic destruction of much of earth’s once flourishing life, including humans. His succinct view is echoed by numerous other renowned scientists, economists, sociologists, social justice advocates, business consultants, and religious leaders and scholars.
Fundamentally, we must carry out a transition to a period in which humans are “present to the planet as participating members in the comprehensive Earth community,” which Berry calls the “Ecozoic Era,”1 because current human society operates through unjust systems that exploit and degrade much of human and non-human life alike. The recovery of the natural world, on which we all ultimately depend, therefore, requires radically new practical societal systems and a “conversion experience deep in the psychic structure of the human,” such that all relations among humans and between humans and Earth/other creatures become just2 and life affirming.
Though we think of our “relations” as being between ourselves and those with whom we have personal contact, we are actually in very concrete relationships with the ecosystems, non-human creatures and foreign peoples of the world through the mediation of our economic, political, legal, and communications systems. For example, I impact the rainforest in my level of meat consumption from multinational suppliers or the labor conditions of Bangladeshi women via my country's trade policy. Further, the creation, support and evolution of our mediating systems is significantly determined by our knowledge base, our values, our daily habits, and our worldview narratives or, in other words, our education, lifestyle and religious systems.
Taken together, economic, political, communication, education, idealogical, lifestyle and religious/story elements make up our overall culture, and, so, it is comprehensive culture that must change if we are to achieve the necessary eco/social fairness, or justice – in our relations – that a sustainable life for all demands. More specifically, if we only focus on the technical aspects of our challenges – the engineering, policy or informational dimensions – we will fail. Rather, we must also address the ways we see the world and ourselves, our values and goals, our creativity, our communication, and the heart of our interactions with one another if real change is to occur.
Grasping this urgent need for comprehensive change on behalf of life-affirming sustainability and sensing a true hunger for positive transformation at the “hearts and minds” level of culture, Deep Conversion Communications enthusiastically offers its unique products and services targeted at cultural innovation.
1Thomas Berry, The Great Work: Our Way into the Future (New York: Bell Tower, 1999) 8.
2Berry, 8, 60-61; “Just” here generally means fair, balanced, mutual, reciprocal, respectful of integrity and dignity, and non-exploitive/oppressive. This secular definition also correlates closely with the economic and relational justice advocated by the Old Testament prophets and Jesus in Judeo-Christian religion.