what is cultural mosaic essay

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The Cultural Mosaic: A Metatheory for Understanding the Complexity of Culture

2005, Journal of Applied Psychology

Related Papers

Okoche Micheal

Organizational culture was initially thought to be monumental that could easily be conceptualized but globalization has challenged this notion. Culture the multifaceted concept of shared beliefs, philosophies, values, norms, customs and mental programming is no longer static but volatile. Most scholars argue that free movement of political, economic and cultural resources between and within countries has facilitated the change in culture as the elements interact during the movement of various cultures. Conceptualization of culture with volatile boundaries and dynamic nature calls for proper understanding of the movement in culture with its cognitive elements. Theoretical explanation of cultural movement through convergence, divergence and crossvergence attempts to explain the movement of culture. This process transforms cultures through conflict and stress which affects boundaries and elements of culture leading to shifts through natural adaptive mechanisms. Traditional management was not interested in organization environment but the paradigm shift of static culture has brought in new management concepts that are mindful about organizational culture and dynamics of its environment. The paper undertakes to define culture explain constituents of culture, the concept of national culture and organizational culture, theories convergence, divergence and crossvergence of cultural movement and contemporary factors influencing cultural movement. The paper strongly advocates for management to understand the cultural elements in order to effectively manage diversity. 1.0 Background Culture has variously been defined from different perspectives due to different contexts, time, society, organization, and nationality. Jacques (1952:251) defines culture as a customary and traditional way of thinking and doing things, which is shared to a greater or less degree by all its members and which members must learn, and at least partially accept, in order to be accepted into service in the firm. Hagget (1975:238) defines culture as a description of patterns of behaviour that form a durable template by which ideas and images can be transferred from one generation to another. On the other hand Swartz & Davis (1981:33) define culture as a pattern of beliefs and expectations shared by the organization members, responsible for production of norms and powerfully shape the behaviour of individuals and groups in the organization. Lorsch (1986:95) defines culture as shared beliefs top managers have about how they should manage themselves and other employees, and how they should conduct business. Lorsch looked at culture from the perspective of managers working towards transforming the culture of the organization unlike other scholars. Louis (1983:39) defines organization's culture as a bearing milleux, that is, they are distinctive social units possessed of a set of common understanding. Similarly Shein (1985:6) defines culture as a pattern of basic assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered, or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, and that has worked well enough to be considered valid, and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to these problems. This is closely related to Van Maanen (1988:3) who defined culture as knowledge members of a given group are thought to more or less share; knowledge of the sort that is said to form, embed, shape, and account for routine and not so-routine activities of the members of the culture... a culture is expressed (or constituted) only through the actions and words of its members and must be interpreted by a given a fieldworker...culture is not itself visible, but is made visible only through its representation. This notion has been argued by various scholars like Kotter and Hesket (1992), define " culture as shared values (that define what is important) and norms that define appropriate attitudes and behaviors for organizational members (how to feel and behave). " This is in agreement with Rousseau (1990), who also asserted that system of shared values and norms. Trice and Beyer (1993:2), cultures are collective phenomena that embody people's responses to the uncertainties and chaos that are inevitable in human experience. These responses fall into two major categories. The first is the substance of culture-shared, emotionally charged belief systems that we call ideologies. The second cultural forms-observable entities, including actions, through which members of a culture express, affirm, and communicate the substance of their culture to one another. Culture is a multifaceted concept of peoples shared people's beliefs, philosophies, norms, customs and mental programming of a group of people (Hofstede 1981, 1983, 1997, & 2001).

Nicklas Dahlstrom

Badri Nooshin Zolfaghari

Given the shortcomings of unidimensional accounts of culture that are based on nationality, this paper builds on and steps beyond current multidimensional conceptualizations of culture in order to provide first empirical evidence for a multidimensional operationalization of culture. It shows the multiple and simultaneous sources of cultural values (i.e., Family, Nationality, Urban/Rural Background, etc.) that individuals draw from in order to behave in accordance with their social setting. This contributes to our understanding of how and when individuals adopt multiple cultural identities. As the first attempt to operationalize the ‘mosaic’ framework of culture proposed by Chao and Moon (2005), this paper presents rich and detailed accounts from participants operating in various multinational organizations located in Munich, Germany and Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa. Findings reveal that the operationalization that was used in this study can determine which cultural facets are more influential than others in different settings. It further shows how some individuals willingly adopt distinct cultural identities in different social settings (i.e., home culture versus organizational culture), while others acquire permeable identities, bringing their home culture to work. Thus, we provide a multifaceted view of what constitutes culturally derived behaviour and how individuals' multiple cultural identities can be managed in the workplace.

Pylin Chuapetcharasopon

Mary Yoko Brannen

The body of this chapter will be organized along three central orientations: the first examines how current psychological research on multiculturalism informs organizational scholarship and practices. Specifically, we address particular skills and competencies of biculturals that are relevant for global organizations. Second, we examine how the broader, multi-level conceptualization of culture in organizational research can be capitalized to inform psychological research on multiculturalism. Third, we suggest how the psychological and organizational streams of work can be brought together to address a pressing question for both literatures: what types of policies can organizations use to develop multiculturalism at both the individual and organizational levels?

Klaus Weber

Lukas Neville , Susan Brodt

This article introduces the concept of cultural mosaic beliefs as a component of effective multicultural work groups. Building on theories of group diversity and self-verification, and responding to calls to understand moderators that explain the impact of group diversity on performance outcomes, we conceptualize cultural mosaic beliefs as a psychological climate that individual group members perceive to promote the recognition, acceptance and expression, and utilization of cultural diversity (values, traditions, and practices) in their work. We also propose that cultural mosaic beliefs might attenuate conflict that can sometimes characterize culturally diverse work groups distinguishing groups that falter from those that flourish and benefit from the informational and other potential advantages associated with their diverse cultural composition. In a series of five studies (N=1,119), we develop a 17-item Cultural Mosaic Beliefs (CMB) scale comprised of three factors: Perceived Group Diversity, Cultural Acceptance and Expression, and Culture Utilization. We present evidence of convergent and discriminant validity, showing that the CMB scale is related to but distinct from other measures of diversity. We also demonstrate predictive validity, showing that the CMB scale is related to work group members’ identification with the group, commitment to the group, satisfaction with the group, and learning from the group. We conclude by proposing applications of our cultural mosaic beliefs concept and measure to multicultural workplaces and offer future directions for research on cultural diversity, specifically the study of group cultural mosaic beliefs as a moderator of cultural diversity's effects on groups.

Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation

Loïs Vanhée

Glenda Eoyang

Agnieszka Kołodziej-Durnaś

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cultural mosaic theory

Quick reference.

A theory that suggests that society should encourage ethnic groups to maintain their ethnic diversity and identity. Participation in sports may strengthen ethnic identity, for example, when a team comprised of members from one ethnic background compete against another team with members from a different ethnic background. Compare melting pot theory.

From: cultural mosaic theory in The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine »

Subjects: Medicine and health — Clinical Medicine

Principles of design

Other materials
Ancient Greek and Hellenistic mosaics
Roman mosaics
Early Christian mosaics
Early Byzantine mosaics
Middle Byzantine mosaics
Late Byzantine mosaics
Medieval mosaics in western Europe
Renaissance to modern mosaics
Pre-Columbian mosaics

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Table Of Contents

mosaic , in art , decoration of a surface with designs made up of closely set, usually variously coloured, small pieces of material such as stone , mineral , glass , tile , or shell. Unlike inlay , in which the pieces to be applied are set into a surface that has been hollowed out to receive the design, mosaic pieces are applied onto a surface that has been prepared with an adhesive. Mosaic also differs from inlay in the size of its components. Mosaic pieces are anonymous fractions of the design and rarely have the dimensions of pieces for intarsia work (fitted inlay usually of wood), whose function is often the rendering of a whole portion of a figure or pattern. Once disassembled, a mosaic cannot be reassembled on the basis of the form of its individual pieces.

Technical insight is the key to both the creation and the appreciation of mosaic, and the technical aspects of the art require special emphasis. There are also significant stylistic, religious, and cultural aspects of mosaic, which has played an important role in Western art and has appeared in other cultures . Although mosaic is an art form that appears in widely separated places and at different times in history, in only one place—Byzantium—and at one time—4th to 14th centuries—did it rise to become the leading pictorial art.

Between mosaic and painting , the art with which it has most in common, there has been a reciprocal influence of varying intensity. In colour and style the earliest known Greek figurative mosaics with representational motifs, which date from the end of the 5th century bce , resemble contemporary vase painting, especially in their outline drawing and use of very dark backgrounds. The mosaics of the 4th century tended to copy the style of wall paintings , as is seen in the introduction of a strip of ground below the figures, of shading, and of other manifestations of a preoccupation with pictorial space. In late Hellenistic times there evolved a type of mosaic whose colour gradations and delicate shading techniques suggest an attempt at exact reproduction of qualities typical of the art of painting.

In Roman imperial times, however, an important change occurred when mosaic gradually developed its own aesthetic laws. Still basically a medium used for floors , its new rules of composition were governed by a conception of perspective and choice of viewpoint different from those of wall decoration. Equally important was a simplification of form brought about by the demand for more expeditious production methods. In the same period, the increasing use of more strongly coloured materials also stimulated the growing autonomy of mosaic from painting. As a means of covering walls and vaults, mosaic finally realized its full potentialities for striking and suggestive distance effects, which surpass those of painting.

The general trend towards stylization—that is, reduction to two-dimensionality—in late antique Roman painting (3rd and 4th centuries ce ) may have been stimulated by experimentation with colour in mosaic and particularly by the elimination of many middle tones for the sake of greater brilliance. The central role played at that time by mosaic in church decoration, for which it is particularly well suited, encourages the assumption that the roles had shifted and painting had come under its influence. The strong, sinuous outlines and the absence of shading that came to characterize painting during certain periods of Byzantine and western European art of the Middle Ages may have originated in mosaic technique and use of materials. It is notable, however, that from the Renaissance to the 20th century mosaic was again wholly dependent on painting and its particular forms of illusionism.

In modern mosaic practice, the main tendency is to build on the unique and inimitable qualities of the medium. Although not a few of the works created in the 20th century reveal the influence of painting, figurative or abstract, the art came a long way toward self-realization. By and large the modern mosaic makers share with their medieval predecessors the conviction that there are functions to which the materials of mosaic lend themselves with particular appropriateness.

In antiquity, mosaics first were made of uncut pebbles of uniform size. The Greeks, who elevated the pebble mosaic to an art of great refinement, also invented the so-called tessera technique. Tesserae (Latin for “cubes” or “dice”) are pieces that have been cut to a triangular, square , or other regular shape so that they will fit closely into the grid of cubes that make up the mosaic surface. The invention of tesserae must have been motivated by a desire to obtain densely set mosaic pictures which could match, in pavements, the splendour of contemporary achievements in painting.

Tesserae vary considerably in size. The finest mosaics of antiquity were made of tesserae cut from glass threads or splinters of stone; ordinary floor decorations consisted of cubes about one centimetre square. Medieval works often display a differentiation in tessera size based on function: areas requiring a wealth of details, faces and hands, for instance, are sometimes set with tesserae smaller than average, while dress and jewelry are occasionally set with very large single pieces.

As long as mosaic was a technique for the making of floors, the main requisite of its materials was, besides their colour, their resistance to wear.

Stone , therefore, was long dominant, and throughout antiquity the natural colours of stone provided the basic range of tints at the artist’s disposal. They put their mark not only on the earliest Greek works but continued to determine colour schemes far into Roman times. Stone continued to be used in Christian monumental decorations but on a more limited scale and for special effects . In Byzantine mosaics, faces, hands and feet, for example, were set with stone, while cubes of marble , often of coarse crystals, were used to depict woollen garments. Stone was also used for background details (rocks, buildings), probably to bring about particular illusions . Though marble and limestone were ordinarily preferred, in a period when Roman mosaic cultivated a black and white technique, black basalt was widely employed. Marble cubes painted red, probably to substitute for red glass, have been found in many Byzantine mosaics, in 9th-century works at Istanbul , for example.

Because its granular, nonpolished surface is often preferred to the hard brilliance of other materials, stone is also widely used in modern mosaics. At the University of Mexico in Mexico City , for example, the mosaics covering the exterior of the library by Juan O’Gorman (1951–53) and the exterior of the stadium by Diego Rivera (1957) are made with natural stone.

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9.3: The Cultural Mosaic- Diasporas, Race, and Ethnicity

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Learning Objectives

Describe the geographies of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its significance.
Identify forms of African resistance as a feature of the cultural mosaic of Middle and South America.
Explain the context and significance of the Haitian Revolution.
Identify the geographies of the East Asian, South Asian, and European Diasporas.
Explain blanquiamiento, mestisaje, and some of the criticisms of the racial democracy narrative.

The African Diaspora

The transatlantic slave trade.

The historic demographic collapse of Indigenous peoples in the Americas was followed by the largest forced migration in human history, the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Between the 15th and the 19th century, around twelve million Africans were violently uprooted and taken across the Atlantic to repopulate the Americas as forced laborers in plantations of the so called “New World.” The Transatlantic Slave Trade took enslaved peoples mostly from the west African coasts, from Senegal to Angola. As much as 95 percent of African captives were taken to Middle and South America, mostly to Caribbean and Brazil. [1]

Over four hundred years, African people were a principal form of capital in a larger economic trading system known as the triangular trade, a trans-Atlantic trading system moving people and goods from Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Europeans would exchange manufactured goods such as cloth and guns for enslaved Africans who would be forced to cultivate commodity crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar in the Americas. At every step of this system, mechanisms of scientific thought were used to reduce captive Africans to quantifiable commodities and to extract maximum profits from African bodies and the colonized lands. Enslavers would deprive captives of food, deny them medical attention, and pack them tightly onto slave ships to maximize their profits. Slave ships were overcrowded and unsanitary, vessels of trauma, sickness, and death. Such horrendous conditions earned their name of coffin ships, tumbeiros in Portuguese. It is estimated that as much as 20 percent of African captives died in transport to the Americas. Still, slavery was an extremely profitable system that supported Empire building and accumulation of wealth in Europe. [2] In the process, Indigenous and African survivors were dispossessed of their personhood; their labor, knowledge, and skills; their land and natural resources; and their cultural heritage, family ties, and social networks.

Largest flows of enslaved Africans to South America and Caribbean

African resistance

Colonial violence was never met with passiveness or submission. Africans and African descendants (and Indigenous peoples) in the Americas employed a myriad of tactics to fight back in waves of resistance and rebellion. Many large-scale runaway communities were formed in isolated regions, beyond the reach of colonists, like the remote interior lands of Brazil and the mountainous regions of Mexico, Jamaica, and Colombia. Some of these communities were organized like African-style kingdoms with an armed military prepared to defend against colonists. These self-liberated communities were territories of survival and emancipation, called quilombos ( in Brazil), pelenques (in Spanish America), or maroon societies (in English-speaking areas). In northeast Brazil, Quilombo dos Palmares banded several settlements into a larger self-emancipated republic that reached a population of about 15,000. [3] It was the largest quilombo in the colonial Americas, and it lasted for over a hundred years. Maroon societies also existed in Africa, in regions that were overrun by the slave trade. Africans attempted to protect themselves and their communities using a range of tactics, including evading kidnappers to form maroon settlements as well as revolting on slave ships. Many young warriors who had been fighting capture in Africa became warriors of abolitionist movements in the colonies of the Americas. [4]

European enslavers generally dismissed forms of resistance by categorizing them as actions of an animal. The Spanish word ascribed to maroon societies or fugitives of enslavement, cimarrón , means “wild beast.” European colonists sought to suppress cimarrones and destroy runaway communities everywhere they existed. In Brazil, the Portuguese launched military expeditions to eliminate quilombos. For decades, most of them failed. Where they succeeded, new spurts of rebellion would establish new quilombos after old ones had been destroyed. In Colombia and Venezuela, pelenques were in constant formation as newly arrived Africans would escape to the mountains and form new communities or join existing ones. In Jamaica, maroons exhausted the British, who eventually signed a peace treaty with maroons that recognized them as free and sovereign until slavery was abolished. [5]

Even as slavery was abolished in Middle and South America, quilombos, pelenques, and maroon communities continue to be spaces of Black self-determination to this day. In Brazil, the 2022 Census estimates that approximately 1 million Afro-descendants live in quilombos. [6] Some Afro-descendants who have rooted ancestry in maroon communities recognize their African heritage as a cultural identity, not a perceived race. The Garifuna , for example, are a recognized culturally distinct group that occupy an area that spread through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They are descendants of shipwrecked enslaved West Africans who lived in the island of St. Vincent, where they mixed with the Kalinago Indigenous population (Caribs) and adopted Indigenous practices. [7] They speak a type of Creole , a hybrid language that combines Carib/Arawakan and several European languages. Although the Garifuna initially coexisted with French colonists, they engaged in a series of revolts in the late eighteenth century against British colonial authorities. After losing the war, they were resettled by British forces on the island of Roatán (off the coast of Honduras), from where they migrated to the Atlantic coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In these countries, they are recognized as an Afro-Indigenous ethnic group.

Rebel Island: Maroonage and the Haitian Revolution

Maroon rebellions waged costly wars against colonial troops. In Hispaniola, they weakened Spanish colonial control in the 16 th and 17 th Century. By the time the French formally secured their claim to the western parts of the island in 1697, Hispaniola already had several loosely organized maroon communities. But under the control of the French, Saint Domingue (colonial Haiti) experienced the expansion of violent and repressive sugar plantations, prompted by the increased demands for sugar in Europe. The French Code Noir legalized the cruel treatment of enslaved persons as material property. For most of the 18 th Century, Saint Domingue represented the depths of the violence underlying the slave trade and the plantation system. Nearly half of enslaved Africans brought to Saint Domingue died within three to five years from malnourishment, brutality, overwork, and various illnesses. The slave trade continued to funnel hundreds of thousands of new African captives to replenish the bonded population. These extreme conditions of dehumanization, death, and brutality inflicted upon enslaved peoples was the foundation of the profitability of the sugar plantations. Colonial Haiti was the crown of the French monarchy, the world’s largest sugar producer, and the most valuable colony in the Americas. Its wealth was funneled almost exclusively to France.

The rapidly growing population of African and African descendants in Haiti also enhanced the creation of liberated spaces and networks of solidarity around common lived experiences. In August 1791, Haitian-born and African-born rebels gathered in a sacred Vodoo ritual ceremony to conspire against the plantation system. They joined in African-based oaths of secrecy and pleas to the spirit world for protection during the impending revolt. The moment forged a spiritual connection among rebels of diverse ethnic identities, bound in struggle and vision to abolish slavery. Their will was carried out in the subsequent uprisings of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) , a successful rebellion that led to the abolition of slavery and the overthrow of French colonial rule. It was the first abolitionist rebellion to form a free republic in the Americas, then named Haiti (from the Indigenous name of the island, Ayiti in Taïno). The founding of Haiti was an astonishing shock to the prevailing system of slavery in the Atlantic world. It shut down the world’s largest slave market in the Caribbean and freed 500,000 enslaved persons in Haiti. [8] Word of the Haitian Revolution quickly spread among Black communities of the Americas, influencing unrest among enslaved people and maroons and unleashing cultures of resistance.

The Haitian Revolution represents how Africans and African descendants assumed the role of redefining and universalizing liberation, taking advantage of the American and French Revolutions to abolish slavery, colonialism, and white supremacy. It actualized the principles of freedom of the American and French Revolutions before they were enshrined in national clauses that overlooked slavery. Both France and the United States rejected Haiti’s freedom. The United States provided aid to suppress the Haitian Revolution, fearful that it would inspire emancipation movements and disrupt the profits of American slave owners. Newly independent Haiti was forced to pay France the equivalent of $20-$30 billion dollars, as reparations paid to enslavers. [9] It took Haiti more than a century to pay a debt that economically crippled its beginnings as a sovereign state. The United States did not recognize Haiti’s independence until 1862, nearly six decades after the Haitian revolutionaries expelled the French and slavery from their shores. Even then, interventions with Haitian sovereignty came in the form of a violent 18-year US military occupation (starting in 1929) and a continued US meddling with Haitian affairs thereafter. [10]

The absurdity of paying enslavers for freedom is not lost in contemporary politics in Haiti. Democratically elected Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide tried to hold France accountable for the plundering of Haiti. In 2003, he demanded the precise amount of $21,685,135,571.48 as reparations for the unjust payments Haiti was forced to give France for its liberation. [11] Aristide’s multi-billion-dollar demand may seem astonishing at glance. However, a recent analysis suggests that his estimate may have been modest when accounting for direct payments and loan interests paid to France and the immense losses in economic growth that these payments imposed on Haiti. [12] Even as an underestimate, demands for restitution were perceived as political grenade thrown at France on the world stage. Aristide soon found himself removed from power, and France has yet to consider a tangible way to settle with history.

Stone fortress among mountainous terrain; T. L'Overture with a sword towering over mountains holding a piece of paper

Trans-Atlantic Worlds

The African diaspora is a core element of the cultural character of many parts of Middle and South America where large populations of African descendants live today. In 2015, based on self-identification in their national census, there were about 133 million Afro-descendants in Middle and South America, close to 24 percent of the total population. [13] Over 91 percent are concentrated in Brazil (105 million) and Venezuela (17 million). Other countries like Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Mexico collectively make up another 7 percent. In the Caribbean, a high percentage of the population identifies to be of African ancestry, like Jamaica (92%) and St. Lucia (87%). In Brazil and Venezuela, Afro-descendants constitute the majority of the population, and most identify with mixed-race categories of the national census .

African cultural influence is easily detected in the cultural expressions found in Middle and South America. Jamaican reggae, Dominican merengue, Brazilian samba, and Cuban rumba are clear examples of how African influences became global symbols of the musicality and culture of their respective countries. African influence is also well represented in the syncretic religions, mixed belief systems, that are prominent forms of spirituality in the region. Voodoo, for example, is a form of folk Catholicism based on elements of West African spirituality, a syncretic belief system practiced mostly in Haiti. Voodoo cemented the struggle of African and African descendants from diverse ethnic identities and became a unifying force in the Haitian Revolution. Santería ( Cuba) and Candomblé ( Brazil) are other prominent examples of religious syncretism. In both religions, the polytheistic belief systems of the Yoruba integrate Yoruba deities, called orishas or Orixás, into the pantheon of Catholic saints. While each of these belief systems have unique characteristics in their religious and healing traditions, they share the commonalities in how participants interact with the spiritual world in transcendent drumming and dancing rituals. They also represent the ways which African belief systems have survived and adapted in the Americas.

Race & the Myth of the Racial Democracy

Racial whitening.

In colonial times, Middle and South America had predominantly nonwhite societies that were subjected to colonial laws of social stratification known as sistema de castas , a system that placed nonwhites on an inferior legal and social status. Driven by European ideas of racial purity and blood descent, whiteness was an index of honor and value, which entitled individuals to public office, recognition, and wealth. The casta system is illustrated in paintings from eighteenth-century Mexico and Peru. Afro-descendants were systematically relegated to the bottom of the social scale, experiencing little social mobility and facing extreme forms of deprivation. Ascription to a casta implied not only civil and religious rights, but also determined aspects of taxation, limits on public and religious office, travel restrictions, and property, among others. In principle, however, the blood-based ideology allowed certain mobility by means of racial mixing, known as mestizaje (miscegenation) . Individuals of lower castas could “whiten” their descent through intermarriage. Wealthy mixed-race individuals could pursue upward mobility by purchasing a document from the Crown that would buy them entry into a superior casta .

By the 1830s, most countries in Middle and South America gained independence from the Spanish and Portuguese empires and progressively dismantled the colonial system of castas . But national leaders in much of the region maintained an obsession with crafting societies that resembled those of Europe. Blanqueamiento (Spanish for “whitening”) were whitening ideologies that sought to physically transform the demographics of the region. It informed policies, discourses, and practices built on the racist idea that white and European traits were superior to African or Indigenous ones . The impact of blanqueamiento ideologies on policymaking was clearly visible in the immigration policies of the time, which encouraged European migrants to settle in the continent as a means of progressively whitening the population and wipe out the perceived barbarism of nonwhite populations. As a result, from 1880 to 1930, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Uruguay received over 11 million European immigrants. Altogether, the European diaspora represents a mass migration that shaped the cultural characteristics of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina, where most of the population have and European ancestry and European cultural expressions are pronounced.

Eight families depicted with different skins tones and dress

Browning & Mestizaje

Spearheaded by postrevolutionary Mexico, national elites began shifting from ideologies of whitening in favor of narratives that emphasized harmonious race relations, celebrating the mestizo , the mixed Spanish and Indigenous heritage of the country. The mestizo identity was adopted as a way of moving beyond race, of parting from the colonial past and the racial antagonisms of the early republican period. Mestizos combined the alleged liberal and forward-thinking traits of Europeans along with the rooted traditions embodied in the Indigenous cultures of the country. The notion of Mestizaje spread rapidly, and most countries in Middle and South America promoted a version of national mestizo identities, even removing racial categories from the national census. This was seen as a solution to the class and race tensions accumulated after the young republics failed to deliver on their promises to the majority, the mixed-race working population.

National projects of mestizaje were not the same everywhere. Brazil and Cuba incorporated African culture as a central element of their mixed-race identity. In some countries, mestizaje national discourse tended to favor the selective inclusion of Indigenous traits while downplaying African ones. In Mexico, for example, the emphasis on the historical value of European-Indigenous miscegenation ignored large populations of Afro-descendants. Still today, Mexico has a population of two million Afro-descendants who struggle for recognition in a mestizo- majority country. The 2020 Census was the first time Mexicans had the option to self-identify as Black, Afro-Mexican, or Afro-descendant. [14] In the Dominican Republic, the state celebrated European and Indigenous Taino cultures while disavowing Blackness as something foreign and associated with neighboring, poorer Haiti. This has important consequences in the identification of Afro-Dominicans today, most of whom are counted as indio in the national census.

Largest percentage of population identifying as Indigenous in the Yucatán peninsula and southern Mexico

Beyond Race? Brazil and the Myth of the Racial Democracy

Diasporas and racial mixing in Middle and South America have shaped complex racial identities. Terms like negro, moreno, pardo, mulatto, indio, caboclo, zambo, and creole, for example, are much closer to the understanding of race and identity of peoples of African ancestry in the region than the binary racial categories used in the United States. In Brazil, it is more common to refer to color than race, as the continuum of hue and shade better grasps the Brazilian conceptualization of racial difference. Racial groups have historically been classified based on extensive color identifications. For example, one survey conducted in 1976 found that Brazilians identified themselves in more than 100 categories of color. [15] In 1995, another survey found similar results, but most survey respondents used only six racial categories. [16] Still today, the everyday language that Brazilians use to identify themselves is often in a color continuum that is not entirely grasped by official figures, like the popular everyday term moreno , used to describe the continuum of skin shades of brown.

The census depicts the Brazilian notion of skin color in a more restrictive sense, in five categories. In the latest census (2008), Brazilians identified as follows: 43.1% as pardo (brown), 7.6% as preto (Black), 0.5% as indígena (indigenous), and 47.7% as branco (white) and 1.1% as amarelo (yellow, translating as Asian). [17] This census indicates that most Brazilians racially identify as nonwhite. Brazil has the largest population of peoples of African origins in the Americas and the second largest of any country in the world (only after Nigeria). Thus, Brazil is often central in discussions about Blackness and racial relations.

Brazilian author Gilberto Freyre coined the term racial democracy as a way of depicting Brazil’s racial relations. In the book The Mansions and the Shanties (1936), Freyre claimed that in Brazil slavery had been more benign, and racial mixing was publicly celebrated and made into a positive national symbol. Highlighting the absence of United-States-like segregation laws, Freyre distinguished Brazil as a society of racial harmony where societal divisions were based on socioeconomic class, not race. Since then, Brazilian state discourse has long promoted itself as a racial democracy, suggesting that Brazil had achieved a racially harmonious and racially equal society, in contrast to the United States.

In recent decades, the notion of a racial democracy in Brazil (and beyond) has been challenged by social movements of Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups who have pointed that the promotion of national mixed-race identities only serves as a form of denial of the unique lived experiences of Afro-descendants and Indigenous peoples. Rather than moving beyond race, the racial democracy narrative promotes an idealized worldview that obscures persisting racism, discrimination, and ample evidence of rampant racial inequalities. Consider the fact that Afro-descendants are disproportionately represented among the poor in Brazil and throughout the region. They have fewer chances of social mobility, are 2.5 times more likely to be chronically poor, have fewer years of education, and are more likely to be victims of crime and violence. [18] These intersecting socioeconomic inequalities culminated in the wreckage of the covid-19 pandemic that was disproportionately fatal among Afro-descendants in Brazil (like in the United States). [19] These are indicators of racial inequalities that have become grounds for policy agendas and social movements in the country.

Angelica Dass presenting her photographic project, Humanae

References:

[1] Slavevoyages.org maintains a renowned historical database of transatlantic slave voyages filled with educational resources worth exploring.

[2] Inikori, J. E. (2020). Atlantic slavery and the rise of the capitalist global economy. Current Anthropology , 61 (S22), S159-S171.

[3] Andrews, G. R. (2016). Afro-Latin America: Black Lives, 1600–2000 . Harvard University Press . Pp. 38

[4] Andrews, G. R. (2016). Afro-Latin America: Black Lives, 1600–2000 . Harvard University Press . Pp 38.

[5] Infrantry, A. (Feb 19, 2021). Meet the legendary community that fought for freedom in Jamaica . National Geographic.

[6] Agência Brasil (Oct 15, 2021 ). População residente em área indígena e quilombola supera 2 milhoes. *Based on a revived counting of quilombo populations that have not been identified in the census in 150 years.

[7] Oro, P. J. L. (2021). A Love Letter to Indigenous Blackness: Garifuna women in New York City working to preserve life, culture, and history across borders and generations are part of a powerful lineage of resistance to anti-Blackness . NACLA Report on the Americas , 53 (3), 248-254.

[8] Fortes-Lima, C. A. (2021). " Chapter 10 Disentangling the Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in African Diaspora Populations from a Genomic Perspective ". In Africa, the Cradle of Human Diversity. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.

[9] Rosalsky, G. (Oct 5, 2021 ). 'The Greatest Heist in History': How Haiti Was Forced to Pay Reparations for Freedom. NPR.

[10] Danticat, E. (July 28, 2015). The long legacy of occupation in Haiti. The New Yorker.

[11] By Méheut, C.; Porter, C.; Gebrekidan, S.; and Apuzzo, M. (May 20, 2022). The root of Haiti’s misery: reparations to enslavers . The New York Times.

[12] By Méheut, C.; Porter, C.; Gebrekidan, S.; and Apuzzo, M. (May 20, 2022). The root of Haiti’s misery: reparations to enslavers . The New York Times.

[13] “Freire, German; Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina; Schwartz Orellana, Steven; Soler Lopez, Jorge; Carbonari, Flavia. 2018. Afro-descendants in Latin America; Afrodescendientes en Latinoamérica; Afro-descendants in Latin America: Toward a Framework of Inclusion; Hacia un marco de inclusión. © World Bank, Washington, DC.

[14] Censo Mexicano (2020)

[15] Guimarães, A. S. A. (2012). The Brazilian system of racial classification. Ethnic and Racial Studies , 35 (7), 1157-1162.

[16] Telles, E. E. (2014). Race in another America. In Race in Another America . Princeton University Press. Pp 87.

[17] Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE). Censo 2010. *The 2020 Census was delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic, thought to be released between 2023-2025.

[18] Freire, German; Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina; Schwartz Orellana, Steven; Soler Lopez, Jorge; Carbonari, Flavia. 2018. Afro-descendants in Latin America: Toward a Framework of Inclusion. World Bank, Washington, DC

[19] Martins-Filho, P. R., Araújo, B. C. L., Sposato, K. B., de Souza Araújo, A. A., Quintans-Júnior, L. J., & Santos, V. S. (2021). Racial disparities in COVID-19-related deaths in Brazil: black lives matter? Journal of Epidemiology .

Attributions:

"African Diaspora", including the highlight of "Rebel Island", is adapted and remixed from Eddins, C. (2022). Maroon Movements Against Empire: The Long Haitian Revolution, Sixteenth-Nineteenth Centuries. Journal of World-Systems Research , 28 (2), 219-241. CC BY 4.0 .

"Whitening, Browning, and the Myth of Racial Democracy" is adapted and remixed from Freire, German; Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina; Schwartz Orellana, Steven; Soler Lopez, Jorge; Carbonari, Flavia. 2018. Afro-descendants in Latin America: Toward a Framework of Inclusion. World Bank, Washington, DC. CC BY 3.0 IGO ; and Mitchell, J. (2022). Back to race, not beyond race: multiraciality and racial identity in the United States and Brazil. Comparative Migration Studies , 10 (1), 1-17. CC BY 4.0.

The Cultural Mosaic

This blog was prepared by YMCA Newcomer Information Centre Information and Referral Specialist, Prashant Shori.

Canada is a country that is full of diversity, where people from countries around the world live and work peacefully in an inclusive, fair, and equitable society. Therefore, Canada is often called a “ Cultural Mosaic ” – a mix of different ethnic groups, languages, and cultures.

The idea of a cultural mosaic is intended to champion an ideal of multiculturalism . Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau laid the foundation of Multiculturalism in 1971 when he announced multiculturalism as an official government policy. It was further strengthened in 1988 when the Canadian Multiculturalism Act came in the form of a law that aims to enhance cultural diversity in the country.

Canada has always been a respectful and compassionate country. Therefore, Canada has played a significant role on many occasions working with United Nations to maintain peace and protect human rights in different geographical places throughout the world. Canada’s accomplishments make us proud to be Canadian. It is what attracts many immigrants to this amazing country.

We are all united no matter where we come from and how long we have been here!

This multilayered session will touch on many aspects of Canada’s geography, people, cultures, festivals, holidays, Canadian art, and architecture. The Cultural Mosaic webinar will also provide information related to popular food, sports, and famous Canadian personalities. Moreover, this session will explore Canadian inventions and contributions that are enormous and beyond imagination to the world.

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Multiculturalism: Mosaic or melting pot

The perception of multiculturalism can vary as much as the diversity of cultures within a country’s borders. As I’ve been diving deep into cultural research of late, I’ve stumbled upon multiple descriptions. One particularly captured my attention: the difference between the Canadian and the US perspective of multiculturalism. Canada tends to view its cultural variety as a mosaic while the US refers to theirs as a melting pot. The metaphors interestingly illustrate the conceptual distinction between the close neighbours.

The Canadian Mosaic

In its pure form, a mosaic describes a collection of unique pieces assembled to create a harmonious work of art. Using this colourful representation to explain Canada’s perception of multiculturalism attests to its sensitive approach to difference, respectful of particularities. The vibrant image also informs on the intention to preserve cultural identity within diversity, be it of race, beliefs or even generations.

Our Prime Minister further elevated the notion by declaring diversity to be Canada’s strength . His words: “Canada has learned how to be strong not in spite of our differences, but because of them” have echoed far and wide and set the tone for the country’s immigration policy.

The image of a mosaic is in and of itself a statement to welcoming difference, enhancing what makes a person, a group or a community unique. While not always easy, finding ways to “collage” the uniqueness of each culture so as to foster harmony is a creative and diplomatic way to address multiculturalism.

The US Melting Pot

While not necessarily opposing the notion of mosaic, the United States’ concept of melting pot echoes a more blended approach. One could perceive an intention to homogenize cultures into a single unique blend. My first thought was: What does this mean for cultural identity?

Approaching this concept as one would a succulent sauce or flavoursome soup, the melting pot can conjure up a tasteful, pleasing mixture. One wonders though if mixing means to substitute (or remove) an ingredient’s particular taste in favour of creating an entirely different flavour.

Welcoming Differences

In either case, imagery informs perception which in turn, informs our perspective of difference. Mosaic or melting pot, the challenge remains accepting cultural differences whether of country, nation, race, gender, or beliefs.

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Cultural Assimilation—How It Affects Mental Health

Zuva Seven is a freelance writer and editor focused on the nuanced exploration of mental health, health, and wellness.

Ivy Kwong, LMFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in relationships, love and intimacy, trauma and codependency, and AAPI mental health.

Kelvin Murray / Getty Images

Voluntary vs. Forced Cultural Assimilation

Is It a Good or Bad Thing?

Forced Cultural Assimilation and Its Impact on Mental Health

Things to Consider

Cultural assimilation refers to the process in which a minority group or culture assumes the behaviors, values, rituals, and beliefs of their host nation’s majority group.

The term cultural assimilation is often used to describe immigrants who have migrated to new locations; however, it is also used to discuss Indigenous groups. As a result, it comes in two forms:

Forced assimilation
Full assimilation

People are often encouraged or pressured to culturally assimilate, but these changes are often forced. Indigenous, immigrant and ethnic minority groups often change or hide elements of their own culture, including their language, food, clothing, and spiritual practices, in order to adopt the values and social behaviors of the dominant culture.

Those who advocate for cultural assimilation believe that it decreased conflict, contributes to a more cohesive national identity, and improves the social and economic opportunities for minority individuals.

Not everyone agrees, however, and suggests that cultural assimilation contributes to the loss of culture and history, increased discrimination and violence, and damage to people's self-esteem and confidence.

While cultural assimilation is often presented as an easy solution, it contributes to other problems and difficulties.

Evolution of the Term

Initially referred to as assimilation, cultural assimilation was defined as the economic, social and political integration of an ethnic minority group into mainstream society. Since then, the assimilation process has been elaborated upon and split into several subprocesses.

Melting Pot Theory

Modern references to cultural assimilation state that it occurs when minority groups take on the culture of the majority group in order to integrate into society. Often, you’ll hear people state that their country or city is a “melting pot.”

What Does the Term "Melting Pot" Mean?

This melting pot theory is a common analogy used to describe cultural assimilation. It is used to describe how different cultures "melt" together to form a new culture, just as metals are heated together to form a new, stronger compound.

While the melting pot theory can be applied to any country, it is usually used to describe the American context. As a result, the melting pot theory has become synonymous with the process of Americanization.

While the melting pot theory suggests that people will integrate into the dominant society, critics suggest that this process harms diversity and leads to cultural loss. Instead, some people promote the idea of multiculturalism, utilizing metaphors such as a mosaic or puzzle in which people are able to come together yet retain their unique culture.

As stated above, cultural assimilation comes in two primary forms:

Integration into the dominant culture over generations

Occurs over time

Often in response to pressure from a more predominant culture, and conformity is a solution for people to remain in safety

Minority groups are forced to give up their identities

Involves a threat of violence

Occurs quickly

Non-consensual

Example: The residential school system in the USA and Canada

Voluntary assimilation: This is when members of the minority group become indistinguishable from those of the dominant group. This form of assimilation occurs in stages or over the course of generations. In this form, assimilation is usually easier for the children of immigrants as they are either born, socialized, or educated in the dominant culture from a young age. It is important to remain mindful that voluntary assimilation is often in response to pressure from a more predominant culture, and conformity is a solution for people to stay safe and survive.
Forced assimilation: This is when a minority or Indigenous group is forced to give up their cultural identity, language, norms, and customs to fit into the dominant group. As a result, forced assimilation tends to occur much quicker due to the threat of violence. This process was conducted after an area changed nationality after a war; however, it has had other applications throughout history, such as the forced assimilation and traumatization of Native Americans for centuries, with residential schools operating as recently as 1996.

Acculturation can also occur. This is a form of assimilation in which people from a minority group accept some of the beliefs, customs, or behaviors of the dominant group, but still keep some of their own cultural traditions and customs.

History of Cultural Assimilation

Even though cultural assimilation has taken place throughout history, most academic research into it focuses on the U.S. context and race relations due to its history of immigration.

That said, while it is a common process attributed to the States, it is still a divisive political issue—with some politicians and the public holding the view that European immigrants assimilated quicker in the past than minority groups are doing in the present.

The United States has struggled with steady and significant hostility toward immigrants, indigenous communities, and anyone perceived as an " other ." Today and historically, many White Americans in this country have viewed immigrants and ethnic minorities as a threat to the nation’s culture, fearing differences among us and putting direct and indirect pressure on those who do not conform to do so, including through threats and violence.

Some immigrants, ethnic minorities, and their children may have a desire to assimilate, but lack knowledge or resources regarding how to do so. Others may not have cared about assimilating, but eventually felt the urge or pressure to blend in. Regardless of their attitude, the pressure of cultural assimilation is ever-present.

Cultural Assimilation Was Meant to Limit Self-Segregation

However, during this period of time, immigrants were encouraged to assimilate as a means to achieve social stability and economic success. It was thought that by “Americanizing,” these individuals would minimize instances of “self-segregation.” It was assumed that having everyone under one uniform belief system would eradicate intergroup rivalry for jobs and resources.

However, this point of view was eventually seen as problematic for various reasons. For example, scholars argued that this idea created a hierarchy of citizenship whereby those able to integrate fully were afforded more capital.

The Concept of "Passing"

In addition, those able to "pass" (meaning someone of a minority group whose physical appearance looks like the dominant group, e.g., a Latino person who looks White) as the dominant culture would be rewarded with greater benefits, while those of other ethnicities would be penalized — even though this isn’t something under their control.

"Passing" is a complex phenomenon as it perpetuates racism and emotional distress as many folks who realize they may benefit from the advantages of "passing" have made them complicit in a system that oppresses and harms others.

Is Cultural Assimilation a Good or Bad Thing?

While cultural assimilation may help immigrants and ethnic minorities feel safer or more accepted by the dominant culture, research into its effects has been mixed.

For example, a 2011 study into the effects of assimilation on immigrant adolescents found that those living in non-poverty areas experienced increased educational achievements and better psychological well-being. However, there was also an increase in at-risk behavior. In contrast, they found that it negatively impacted immigrant children living in poorer locations.

A different study into immigrant households found that brothers with more foreign names faced higher unemployment rates, completed fewer years of school, earned less, and were more likely to marry foreign-born spouses. As for current discussions around cultural assimilation, they tend to focus on the psychological welfare of immigrants.

Cultural assimilation can lead to a loss of identity and cause significant psychological stress for immigrants. These can range from homesickness to depression and severe mental illness.

In addition, the act of migration can cause an individual to experience cultural bereavement — a form of grief caused by the loss of one’s culture and, thus, a core aspect of their identity. This can be further exacerbated by the loss of key cultural markers such as language, traditions, customs, and food, which can also intensify the alienation felt by an individual when trying to relate to someone (or a family member) from the country of their origin.

Effects of Cultural Assimilation

Cultural assimilation can lead to both positive and negative outcomes:

Immigrants may feel safer and a greater sense of belonging to the dominant culture
Immigrants who assimilate may experience a higher quality of living and better mental health
Those belonging to minority groups may feel a loss of identity
Minority groups may experience mental health struggles as a result of losing or becoming distant from their cultural strengths

Things to Consider When Discussing Cultural Assimilation

Cultural assimilation occurring voluntarily over time can be neutral as assimilation following migration can be helpful in connecting to and navigating a new culture.

Forced Assimilation Is a Form of Violence

However, forcing minority groups to adopt cultural practices that are not their own is problematic at best and violent at worst. After all, while cultural assimilation has been beneficial for some minority groups and the dominant cultures they come in contact with, forced assimilation has caused the violent extinction of many others. Therefore, it is vital to be as nuanced as possible when discussing cultural assimilation.

Furthermore, it is essential to reconcile with the pressures minority groups face to assimilate into host nations. For some of these individuals, assimilation may be the only means they see to succeed in society.

Therefore, it is critical for those part of the dominant group in a particular society to recognize and fight back against any attempts to force individuals to give up their culture. After all, cultural diversity can bring positive psychological and behavioral benefits.

A Word From Verywell

Cultural assimilation is a complex subject, so it is important to maintain sensitivity and consideration when reflecting upon it. Indigenous people, ethnic minorities, and immigrants often experience assimilation in different ways, so it is essential to use care when discussing and reflecting on how it occurs and the impact it may have.

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Abramitzky R, Boustan L, Eriksson K. Do Immigrants Assimilate More Slowly Today than in the Past? . Am Econ Rev Insights . 2020;2(1):125–141. DOI:10.1257/aeri.20190079

Abramitzky R, Platt Boustan L, Eriksson K. Cultural assimilation during the age of mass migration . National Bureau of Economic Research.

Xie Y, Greenman E. T he social context of assimilation: testing implications of segmented assimilation theory . Soc Sci Res . 2011;40(3):965–984. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.01.004

Abramitzky R, Boustan LP, Eriksson K. Cultural Assimilation during the Age of Mass Migration . Social Science Research Network; 2016.

Bhugra D, Becker MA. Migration, cultural bereavement and cultural identity . World Psychiatry . 2005;4(1):18–24.

Callan E. The ethics of assimilation . Ethics . 2005;115(3):471–500. DOI:10.1086/428460

Crisp RJ, Turner RN. Cognitive adaptation to the experience of social and cultural diversity . Psychol Bull . 2011;137(2):242–266. DOI:10.1037/a0021840

By Zuva Seven Zuva Seven is a freelance writer, editor, and founder of An Injustice!—an intersectional publication based on Medium—who writes along the intersections of race, sexuality, mental health, and politics. She has a Diploma in Health Sciences from the University of Leeds and has written for several publications, including Business Insider, Refinery29, Black Ballad, Huffington Post, Stylist, ZORA, Greatist, and many more.

Cultural Mosaic: A Journey through Ethiopia’s Diverse Tribes

Ethiopia, often referred to as the ‘Cradle of Humanity,’ is a country that boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage. With over 80 ethnic groups, each with its unique customs, traditions, and languages, Ethiopia offers a cultural mosaic that is as fascinating as it is diverse. The country’s cultural richness is a reflection of its historical depth, with each tribe and ethnic group contributing to the vibrant tapestry of traditions that define Ethiopia. This article will take you on a journey through the vibrant cultures of Ethiopia, exploring the unique traditions of tribes like the Hamar and Mursi in the Omo Valley, and immersing in cultural ceremonies and festivals that mark the Ethiopian calendar.

An image that encapsulate the journey through Ethiopia's diverse cultures and traditions.

The Omo Valley: A Cultural Melting Pot

Our cultural exploration begins in the southern part of the country, in the Omo Valley. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to numerous ethnic groups, each preserving its unique way of life. The valley, with its fertile lands and the Omo River, has been a cultural crossroads for millennia, resulting in a rich tapestry of cultural practices and traditions. The Omo Valley is a living museum of human cultures, offering a unique opportunity to experience a variety of traditions and ways of life in close proximity. The tribes of the Omo Valley, despite their cultural differences, share a deep connection with the land and the river, which are integral to their livelihoods and cultural practices.

The Hamar Tribe: A Blend of Tradition and Resilience

Among the tribes that inhabit the Omo Valley, the Hamar tribe stands out for its unique customs and traditions. Known for their elaborate hairstyles and body adornment practices, the Hamar people have a distinct cultural identity. The women of the tribe, adorned with beaded necklaces and copper bracelets, are known for their striking beauty. The men, with their clay-covered hair and ochre body paint, exude a sense of strength and pride.

Images of the Hamer tribe's market activities, women with their distinctive hairstyles and seashell ornaments, and the tribe's agricultural practices.

One of the most well-known customs of the Hamar tribe is the ‘bull-jumping’ ceremony, a rite of passage for young men. This tradition, which involves jumping over a line of bulls without falling, is a testament to the tribe’s emphasis on courage and resilience. The ceremony, which is accompanied by dancing, feasting, and ritualistic practices, is a major event in the community, drawing participants and spectators from near and far. The Hamar people’s ability to maintain their cultural practices amidst the pressures of modernity is a testament to their resilience and commitment to their cultural heritage. Their traditions, passed down through generations, are a vibrant expression of their cultural identity and a source of community cohesion and pride.

Surma Tribe: A Testament to Strength and Beauty

The Surma tribe, also known as the Suri, is a fascinating tribe in Ethiopia, renowned for their unique cultural practices. Living in the southwestern plains near the Sudanese border, the Surma lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving with the seasons to find fertile grounds for their cattle.

Pictures of the Surma tribe's scarifications, women with large clay plates in their lips and ears, and their semi-nomadic lifestyle.

The tribe is famous for their body art and modifications. Women often insert large clay plates into their lower lips, a sign of beauty and maturity. Men engage in a form of ritual stick fighting known as ‘Donga’ or ‘Saginé’, a way to prove their strength and attract potential brides. The Surma also practice scarification, creating intricate patterns on their bodies. Visiting the Surma tribe offers a unique opportunity to witness these traditions firsthand, enriching your understanding of Ethiopia’s diverse tribal cultures.

The Mursi Tribe: A Living Museum of Cultural Practices

Another tribe that calls the Omo Valley home is the Mursi tribe. The Mursi are perhaps best known for their lip-plate tradition, where women wear large clay plates in their lower lips. This tradition, which is unique to the Mursi, is a symbol of beauty and status within the tribe. The process of lip stretching, which starts in adolescence, is a significant rite of passage for Mursi women.

Images showing the Mursi tribe's warrior spirit, women with clay or wood plates in their lips and ears, and men with body paintings.

The Mursi, like the Hamar, have managed to preserve their traditional way of life despite the pressures of modernity. Their semi-nomadic lifestyle, centered around cattle herding and subsistence farming, is a testament to their deep connection with the land. The Mursi’s cultural practices, from their distinctive body adornments to their rituals and ceremonies, offer a fascinating insight into a way of life that has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

Dassanech Tribe: A Life Shaped by the Omo River

The Dassanech tribe, also known as the Daasanach, live in the southernmost region of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. Their lives are intricately tied to the Omo River, which provides essential resources for their semi-nomadic lifestyle. The Dassanech move seasonally between riverbanks and higher grounds, adapting to the changing water levels.

Photos of the Dassanech tribe's unique ornaments made from bullet caps, zippers, badges, and other equipment, women with small perforations under the lower lip decorated with colorful details, and their brightly colored necklaces.

The tribe is known for their resourcefulness and creativity. They create beautiful jewelry and adornments from whatever materials are available, including old watch straps, bottle caps, and shells. This ‘recycled’ fashion is not only practical but also a testament to their adaptability and resilience in a harsh environment. A visit to the Dassanech tribe offers a glimpse into a way of life that is both challenging and inspiring, deeply connected to the natural world.

Immersing in Cultural Festivals

Ethiopia is a country of festivals, with numerous cultural and religious celebrations marking the calendar. These festivals, which often involve music, dance, and feasting, are a vibrant expression of the country’s diverse cultures. One of the most significant festivals is Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany. During this festival, the streets come alive with processions, music, and dance, offering an unforgettable cultural experience.

Images from various Ethiopian festivals, particularly Timkat, showcasing the vibrant processions, traditional music, and communal feasting.

Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, is a three-day event filled with religious rituals, processions, and communal festivities. The festival is marked by the procession of the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which is carried from the church to a nearby body of water. The water is then blessed and splashed on the participants, symbolizing the baptism of Christ. The festival, with its vibrant processions, traditional music, and communal feasting, offers a unique opportunity to experience the rich cultural and religious traditions of Ethiopia.

The Cultural Significance of Tribes and Festivals

The tribes of the Omo Valley, with their unique customs and traditions, and the vibrant festivals that mark the Ethiopian calendar, are more than just tourist attractions. They are a vibrant expression of Ethiopia’s cultural diversity and a testament to the country’s rich cultural heritage. These cultural practices, passed down through generations, are a source of community identity, cohesion, and continuity.

Images that showcase the cultural practices of the tribes, as well as the communal aspects of the festivals.

The cultural practices of the Hamar and Mursi tribes, from the bull-jumping ceremony to the lip-plate tradition, are not just rites of passage or symbols of beauty. They are integral parts of their cultural identity, reinforcing social bonds and ensuring the continuity of their cultural heritage. Similarly, festivals like Timkat are not just religious celebrations; they are communal events that reinforce social bonds and communal solidarity.

Conclusion: A Journey through Ethiopia’s Cultural Mosaic

Our journey through Ethiopia’s cultural mosaic, from the Hamar and Mursi tribes of the Omo Valley to the vibrant festivals that mark the Ethiopian calendar, has been an enlightening experience. The encounters with different cultures, each with its unique customs and traditions, have left us with a deep appreciation for the country’s rich cultural heritage.

A portrait of the different tribes in Ethiopia showcasing their unique cultural elements. This could include traditional attire, ceremonies, and landscapes where they live.

Ethiopia, with its diverse cultures and traditions, truly is a paradise for cultural enthusiasts. The opportunity to immerse oneself in these vibrant cultures, to witness age-old traditions and participate in communal festivities, is a unique experience that offers a deeper understanding of the country’s cultural richness.

This journey has been a testament to the beauty and richness of human cultures, and a reminder of the importance of preserving these precious cultural practices for future generations. As we leave the vibrant cultures of Ethiopia, we carry with us not just memories, but a deeper appreciation for the cultural diversity that makes our world a fascinating place.

The Creative Writing Technique No One Talks About

by nicolebreit | creative writing

There is no one way to write more creative stories. However, there IS a creative writing technique that I use to write with more ease and creativity. This method has also helped many writers in my writing programs go from struggling to get words on paper to looking like this:

Some people call my approach to drafting stories the “mosaic method”. It means exactly what it sounds like – creating a whole story from small fragments, just like mosaics are constructed from tiny pieces of broken glass or stone.

The mosaic method is a way to turn a story upside down and see its many possibilities.

Listen in as I walk you through the entire technique in this video.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How to catch snowflakes – and I don’t mean the crystal ones.
What is the mosaic method for writers?
How to avoid large-scale overwhelm when drafting your story.
Why the mosaic method is an easier way to write.
How to get from a bunch of fragments to something that resembles a story.
Examples of what a mosaic essay looks like

Resources Featured In ‘The Creative Writing Technique No One Talks About’:

Untamed by Glennon Doyle
A Good Metaphor for Something by Nicole Breit
An Atmospheric Pressure by Nicole Breit
Learning to See by Nicole Breit
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Your key takeaways from ‘How To Write More Creative Stories’.

If you’ve tuned into my other videos about writing more creative stories, you know that I compare the experience of writing from your intuition (or subconscious or creative brain) to catching snowflakes.

Snowflakes are those tiny bits of inspiration that come to you while you’re going about your day.

A dialogue fragment or a complete sentence that pops in your head.
A dream you had that wants to make its way into your story.
The perfect metaphor that comes to you when you are out for a walk.

I keep a notebook to catch these story fragments and use mind maps to generate more memories, images, and inspiration related to my story idea.

Those fragments are my starting point for personal essays. I develop the ones that have energy or potential, and then I write into them more in-depth. Those fragments become key scenes or parts of a story like beads strung on a chain.

What Is The Mosaic Method And Why It Is A Useful Creative Writing Technique?

Mosaic method is perfect for creative writers who:

are stuck and need a different way into their story.
are struggling with “large scale overwhelm”.
naturally, think and write this way – intuitive writers, highly creative writers, sensitive writers, and some writers with neurodivergent minds have told me this method works for them.

The reason I think the mosaic method is an easier way to write is that you’re breaking a story down into small, manageable parts. It’s a writing technique that nurtures creativity and innovation by forcing you to find a different way into your story.

My high school art teacher used to tell us when we were stuck to turn our paintings upside down. It allowed us to see our works in progress with fresh eyes. I think the mosaic method is a way to turn a story upside down and see its many possibilities.

If you’ve never tried using the Mosaic method, you may be wondering how to get from a bunch of fragments to something that resembles a story.

What works for me is to find a structure that can serve as a container for my gathered story fragments. A short memoir written in this way is known as “mosaic essays”. In literary circles, narratives that come together “piece by piece” in segments are called lyric or collage essays.

Typically mosaic essays don’t rely on a traditional narrative arc, nor do they proceed chronologically. One of the fun things about mosaic essays is they can jump forward and backward in time. A unifying theme or idea holds them together in the absence of chronology.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle is an example of a mosaic memoir written in fragments.

More examples of what a Mosaic essay looks like.

Example 1: A Good Metaphor for Something

Example 2: An Atmospheric Pressure

Example 3: Learning to See

A recap on how I would write a personal essay using the mosaic method.

Catch fragments in a notebook and write into the ones with potential for exploration.
Generate more fragments using a mind map you can work with.
Arrange your collection of sections into a mosaic essay

Tip: Although you don’t need to write chronologically or proceed linearly, I suggest you choose a fragment that will make an intriguing opening and a strong ending.

The mosaic or lyric essay is the PERFECT story structure for creative writers whose process, like mine, is much more intuitive than logical.

Ready to write powerful stories with 1:1 feedback on your work? Get on the waitlist for the Spark Your Story Intensive!

The cultural mosaic: a metatheory for understanding the complexity of culture.

Georgia T Chao , Henry Moon
Published in Journal of Applied Psychology 1 November 2005

Figures and Tables from this paper

291 Citations

How do we adopt multiple cultural identities a multidimensional operationalization of the sources of culture..

Highly Influenced

As Canadian as Hockey: Examining the Cultural Mosaic Approach to Multicultural Work Groups

Cultural identity and its impact on today’s multicultural organizations, sociocultural systems: the next step in army cultural capability, cultural mosaic beliefs as a new measure of the psychological climate for diversity, multicultural employees: a framework for understanding how they contribute to organizations, examining media effectiveness across cultures and national borders: a review and multilevel framework, diversity in organizations and cross-cultural work psychology: what if they were more connected, life histories of culturally diverse canadian leaders: a study of agency and identity, from cultural values to cross‐cultural interfaces: hofstede goes to africa, 96 references, moving cultures: the perilous problems of cultural dichotomies in a globalizing society., cultural complexity in organizations : inherent contrasts and contradictions, multicultural minds. a dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition., culture: the missing concept in organization studies., psychological impact of biculturalism: evidence and theory., the diversity advantage : multicultural identity in the new world economy, culture and basic psychological processes--toward a system view of culture: comment on oyserman et al. (2002)., links between race/ethnicity and cultural values as mediated by racial/ethnic identity and moderated by gender., social identity complexity.

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Blurred Boundaries: Migration, Ethnicity, Citizenship

My Visit to India: Cultural Mosaic

Categories: Countries India Tourism

About this sample

Words: 700 |

Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 700 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Introduction, body paragraph, cultural immersion, historical significance, social fabric and hospitality.

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The cultural mosaic: a metatheory for understanding the complexity of culture

Affiliation.

1 The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1122, USA. [email protected]
PMID: 16316269
DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.90.6.1128

Workforce population trends have increased the numbers and kinds of culturally diverse people who work together. Researchers in organizational behavior have often examined culture through values; however, cultural values can be based on collections of people other than traditional nation states. A cultural mosaic is presented as a framework to identify demographic, geographic, and associative features underlying culture. An individual's unique collage of multiple cultural identities yields a complex picture of the cultural influences on that person. Developments in chaos and complexity theories are proposed as a theoretical base for study on the complexity of culture at the individual level. Additional developments in network theory serve as a theoretical base for cultural research at the group level. The cultural mosaic is described as a complex system with localized structures, linking cultural tiles in ordered and chaotic ways. Research propositions examining multiple cultural identities at individual and group levels are discussed.

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Turquoise mosaics, an introduction

Mosaic serpent mask of Quetzalcoatl/Tlaloc , 15th–16th century C.E., Mexica/Mixtec, cedrela wood, turquoise, pine resin, gold, conch shell, beeswax, 18.2 x 16.5 x 12.5 cm, Mexico © Trustees of the British Museum

Mexican turquoise mosaics

Turquoise mosaic mask (human face), 1400–1521 C.E., cedrela wood, turquoise, pine resin, mother-of-pearl, conch shell, 16.5 x 15.2 cm, Mexico © Trustees of the British Museum

Ancient Mexico is renowned for the production of vivid greenstone mosaics. Early Zapotec and Maya examples from the Classic period were made predominately of jade. Later, turquoise became the material of choice. The finest examples of turquoise mosaics date to the Late Post-Classic period and were probably fashioned by highly skilled Mixtec craftsmen who excelled both in stone and metal work .

A variety of objects were decorated with mosaic, such as masks, shields, staffs, knives, discs, and animal forms. These objects, as well as raw chunks of turquoise, were sent to Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, as tribute and used to adorn images of the gods, as well as priests and the nobility. [1]

Mosaic skull of Tezcatlipoca , c. 15th-16th century C.E., Mixtec/Mexica, turquoise, pyrite, pine, lignite, human bone, deer skin, conch shell, agave, 19 x 13.9 x 12.2, Mexico © Trustees of the British Museum

The mosaic work on these objects usually overlies carved wood, although a number of human skulls decorated in this way are also known. Although the mosaics are usually described as ‘turquoise’ they in fact incorporate a diversity of materials. Various types of shell and many minerals were used in the mosaic work and to fashion inlays. Some elements were gilded and the mosaic was held in place using plant resins (usually pine resin).

Around 25 mosaics are known in Europe and most of these are thought to date to the time immediately before the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1521. Mosaics are listed in the early colonial inventories of objects that were sent to Europe at this time, although the descriptions are not sufficiently detailed to identify the exact object to which they refer. More mosaics are preserved in collections in Mexico and the United States, including recently excavated and reconstructed examples of discs or shields from the Toltec capital, Tula and from offering caches made at the Templo Mayor in the heart of what is now Mexico City. There are nine Mexican mosaics are in the collection of the British Museum.

Wooden ceremonial shield with mosaic inlay, Mexica/Mixtec, 15th-16th century, from Mexico, 31.6 cm in diameter (© Trustees of the British Museum)

An intricate mosaic which illustrates the Mexica universe

This mosaic covered wooden disc was probably once the central element of a striking ceremonial shield. Among the many ceremonial shields listed in inventories of shipments sent to Spain by Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) 25 were decorated with turquoise mosaic. A companion of Cortés, the ’anonymous conqueror’, observed that mosaic shields were ‘not of the kind borne in war but only those used in the festivals and dances which they are accustomed to have’.

The mosaic on this shield is worked in turquoise and shell from Strombus (conch), Spondylus (thorny oyster) and Pinctada (mother-of pearl). ‘Beads’ of pine resin covered with gold leaf are also used in the design which portrays the principal divisions of the Mexica universe. At the centre is a solar disc, picked out in bright red Spondylus shell. The four rays emanating from the solar disc divide the earth into four quarters. In each quarter stands a figure with raised arms, these are skybearers, gods whose role was to support the sky. The shield also displays a vertical design in the form of a serpent which emerges from toothed jaws and coils around a tree. The tree represents a ‘world axis’ connecting the underworld, earthly and celestial realms.

Pine was a source both of the resin adhesive used on this shield and the wood from which it was carved. The surface of the wood was carved to delineate the design by giving relief prominence to certain elements such as the serpent and the skybearers. Numerous perforations in the shield further emphasize the outlines of the skybearers.

Around the edge of the shield the wood is not decorated but is pierced by a series of fairly regularly spaced holes. These may have been used to attach feathers. According to sixteenth-century descriptions, colored feathers were used to decorate the edges of mosaic shields.

[1] The people and culture we know as “Aztec” referred to themselves as the Mexica (pronounced Me-shee-ka).

Bibliography

McEwan, A. Middleton, C.R. Cartwright, and R. Stacey, Turquoise mosaics from Mexico (London: The British Museum Press, 2006).

R. Cartwright and N. D. Meeks, “Aztec conch shell working: high- tech design,” British Museum Technical Research Bulletin , volume 1 (2007), pp. 35–42.

J. Stacey, C. R. Cartwright, and C. McEwan, “Chemical Characterisation of Ancient Mesoamerican ‘Copal’ Resins: Preliminary Results,” Archaeometry volume 48 (2006), pp. 323–40.

Colin McEwan, Ancient Mexico in the British Museum (London: The British Museum Press, 1994).

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Connecticut: the Nutmeg State’s Rich History and Cultural Significance

This essay about Connecticut, known as “The Nutmeg State,” highlights its rich history and cultural significance. It explores the origins of the nickname, Connecticut’s role in American independence, and its contributions to industrial innovation and the insurance industry. The essay also touches on the state’s educational excellence, particularly Yale University, and its vibrant arts scene. Additionally, Connecticut’s natural beauty and recreational opportunities are discussed. Overall, the essay underscores Connecticut’s impact on the cultural, economic, and political fabric of the United States, celebrating its legacy and ongoing influence.

How it works

Connecticut, often affectionately known as “The Nutmeg State,” harbors a rich historical tapestry and cultural import that transcends the surface allure of its quaint epithet. The genesis of this moniker intertwines reality with myth, harkening back to tales of Connecticut peddlers in the 18th and 19th centuries peddling petite whittled nutmegs, occasionally hoodwinking unsuspecting patrons into believing they were veritable spices. Whether these anecdotes hold veracity or merely embellishments of the state’s vibrant lore, the moniker “Nutmeg State” has persisted, emblematic of Connecticut’s distinctive amalgam of yesteryear narratives, ingenuity, and allure.

Nestled in the northeastern echelons of the United States, Connecticut stands as one of the progenitors of the original 13 colonies, an instrumental cog in the early machinations of the nation’s evolution. The state’s annals interlace seamlessly with the broader mosaic of American emancipation and industrial metamorphosis. From its nascent genesis, Connecticut burgeoned into a bastion of political ruminations and engagements. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, enshrined in 1639, are hailed as the vanguard of written constitutionalism in the Western hemisphere, a testament to the state’s protracted allegiance to democratic precepts.

Connecticut’s valor during the American Revolutionary epoch constitutes another sterling facet of its historical bequest. The state proffered indispensable resources and manpower to the Continental Army, its strategic locale elevating it to a pivotal juncture in the theater of independence. Luminaries such as Nathan Hale, a scion of Connecticut, epitomize the state’s patriotic fervor. Hale’s immortalized words, “I lament only the dearth of multiple lives to expend for my country,” endure as a quintessential emblem of American gallantry and sacrifice.

Beyond its historical cachet, Connecticut burgeoned into an epicenter of economic dynamism and industrial verve. While agrarian pursuits historically held sway, the state swiftly pivoted toward industrialization in the 19th century. Urban enclaves such as Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport burgeoned into vibrant hubs of manufacturing and inventiveness. The advent of Samuel Colt’s Colt revolver in Hartford catalyzed a seismic shift in the firearms realm, while Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, conceived in New Haven, wrought transformative changes upon the agrarian fabric of the Southern states.

Connecticut’s industrial acumen transcended mere innovations and manufacturing prowess. The state etched its imprint upon the annals of the insurance sector. Hartford, colloquially dubbed the “Insurance Capital of the World,” hosts a plethora of premier insurance conglomerates. This sector burgeoned into a linchpin of Connecticut’s economic framework, endowing it with resilience and growth across diverse economic epochs.

Culturally, Connecticut stands as an eclectic tapestry of influences and ethos. Its adjacency to metropolitan juggernauts such as New York and Boston exerted a palpable influence on its cultural gestalt, transmuting it into a crucible of ideologies and heritage. The state lays claim to myriad prestigious citadels of learning, none more illustrious than Yale University in New Haven. Yale, a venerable bastion of erudition, has served as a lodestar of scholarly excellence and exploration for epochs on end. The presence of such institutions has engendered a milieu of intellectual rigor and creative fecundity across the state.

Moreover, Connecticut pulsates with a vibrant cultural milieu. The state plays host to a cornucopia of museums, theaters, and cultural galas that exalt its heritage and contemporary dynamism. The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, the nation’s premier public art emporium, houses an eclectic array of American and European artistic treasures. The state’s theaters, including the Yale Repertory Theatre and the Hartford Stage, garner renown for their avant-garde productions and contributions to the performing arts.

The bucolic splendor of Connecticut further amplifies its allure. From the idyllic coastline along Long Island Sound to the undulating verdant hills and sylvan enclaves of the hinterlands, the state proffers an array of outdoor recreational havens. Its meticulously preserved parks and trails afford denizens and sojourners alike the opportunity to commune with nature and partake in pursuits such as rambling, aquatic jaunts, and snow sports.

Despite its modest proportions, Connecticut wields an outsized influence upon the cultural, economic, and political fabric of the United States. Its historical legacies, industrial dexterity, cultural vibrancy, and natural splendor coalesce to render it a unique and indispensable bastion of the national ethos. While the sobriquet “The Nutmeg State” serves as a whimsical homage to its past, it also encapsulates a state that is dynamic, resilient, and ceaselessly evolving. Connecticut’s legacy and ongoing narrative continue to sculpt and inspire the American ethos. Remember, this treatise serves as a springboard for contemplation and further inquiry. For bespoke guidance and assurance of academic compliance, consider enlisting the services of professionals at EduBirdie.

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Little Rock residents, businesses celebrate Juneteenth at 2 major festivals

June 15, 2024 at 9:58 p.m.

by Hunter Myers

Visitors in downtown Little Rock work with an interactive exhibit on hydroelectricity hosted by the Museum of Discovery during the Juneteenth Arkansas Festival on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)

Juneteenth festivities in Little Rock began early on Saturday as the streets surrounding the Mosaic Templar's Cultural Center closed down for the Juneteenth in Da Rock celebration and were filled with patrons and representatives of Black-owned businesses.

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Build a Corporate Culture That Works

There’s a widespread understanding that managing corporate culture is key to business success. Yet few companies articulate their culture in such a way that the words become an organizational reality that molds employee behavior as intended.

All too often a culture is described as a set of anodyne norms, principles, or values, which do not offer decision-makers guidance on how to make difficult choices when faced with conflicting but equally defensible courses of action.

The trick to making a desired culture come alive is to debate and articulate it using dilemmas. If you identify the tough dilemmas your employees routinely face and clearly state how they should be resolved—“In this company, when we come across this dilemma, we turn left”—then your desired culture will take root and influence the behavior of the team.

To develop a culture that works, follow six rules: Ground your culture in the dilemmas you are likely to confront, dilemma-test your values, communicate your values in colorful terms, hire people who fit, let culture drive strategy, and know when to pull back from a value statement.

Start by thinking about the dilemmas your people will face.

Idea in Brief

The problem.

There’s a widespread understanding that managing corporate culture is key to business success. Yet few companies articulate their corporate culture in such a way that the words become an organizational reality that molds employee behavior as intended.

What Usually Happens

How to fix it.

Follow six rules: Ground your culture in the dilemmas you are likely to confront, dilemma-test your values, communicate your values in colorful terms, hire people who fit, let culture drive strategy, and know when to pull back from a value.

At the beginning of my career, I worked for the health-care-software specialist HBOC. One day, a woman from human resources came into the cafeteria with a roll of tape and began sticking posters on the walls. They proclaimed in royal blue the company’s values: “Transparency, Respect, Integrity, Honesty.” The next day we received wallet-sized plastic cards with the same words and were asked to memorize them so that we could incorporate them into our actions. The following year, when management was indicted on 17 counts of conspiracy and fraud, we learned what the company’s values really were.

EM Erin Meyer is a professor at INSEAD, where she directs the executive education program Leading Across Borders and Cultures. She is the author of The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business (PublicAffairs, 2014) and coauthor (with Reed Hastings) of No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention (Penguin, 2020). ErinMeyerINSEAD

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San Antonio Report Introduces $250 Stipend for Narrative Essays on Local Neighborhoods

San Antonians have a fresh incentive to put pen to paper—or fingers to keys—about the places they call home. As part of a move to diversify local storytelling, the San Antonio Report is now offering a $250 "Where I Live" stipend for residents willing to shine a spotlight on their neighborhoods. Funded through a partnership with the Know Your Neighbor initiative of the H. E. Butt Foundation, the series emphasizes local narratives, as if painting a literary mosaic of city life.

Submitting an essay to the San Antonio Report has typically been a labor of love for proud locals, volunteering their time to articulate their community's character and dreams for posterity. Dedicated authors who sought to capture the essence of their environment did so without financial compensation until now. According to the San Antonio Report , the essays "share what they love about their neighborhood—and what they envision for its future."

With this new stipend, the publication hopes to eliminate a key barrier that might have prevented some voices from joining the conversation: the cost of time. The aim, as stated by the San Antonio Report, is to "allow new voices to emerge by reducing the barriers to participation in this popular series." And for those who might not need the money, there's an option to "pay it forward" to future storytellers.

The initiative appears to be more than just compensation for words; it's an investment in community engagement. The "Where I Live" series has been influential in constructing an interactive map where readers can click through and learn about different neighborhoods. Recognizing that every person's perspective is a piece of the city's puzzle, the stipend is a clear message: every story holds value, every narrative deserves a platform.

For all the aspiring writers or community members who've been on the fence about sharing their experiences, this might be the push they need. The San Antonio Report is actively seeking submissions, encouraging participation by asking, "Which neighborhood on our map is missing? Which voices haven’t we heard from yet?" As this initiative unfolds, it stands to reason that the 'Where I Live' feature will become an even richer tapestry of San Antonio's diversity and identity, woven through the words of those who know it best.

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Capturing a ‘Mosaic of Shifting Battle Fronts’ in Sudan

Declan Walsh, the chief Africa correspondent for The Times, reported from a country where few journalists have gained entry amid a civil war.

A man carries several bags as he walks through an empty street with partially destroyed buildings on either side.

By Declan Walsh

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

Every month since Sudan’s catastrophic civil war erupted in April 2023, the news has gotten worse — ever more people displaced, starved or killed. As the chief Africa correspondent for The New York Times, based in Kenya, I have covered the conflict closely. But reporting on it from inside the country seemed impossible.

Visas to enter Sudan were hard to obtain. Few journalists have gained entry since the war began. But one day this spring, after a chance meeting with an old contact, I found a way in.

In April, I flew into Port Sudan, the country’s de facto wartime capital, with the photographer Ivor Prickett and Jon, a Times safety adviser. At the airport’s immigration desk, I watched anxiously as our passports (coincidentally, all of them Irish) were passed between three officials. Aid workers had warned us that we could be refused entry, even with visas.

“Ka-chunk.” The last official stamped our passports. We were in.

The war between the national army and its paramilitary rival had ravaged Sudan, splintering Africa’s third-largest country by area into a volatile mosaic of shifting battle fronts. Still, its bureaucracy endured. We spent our first days in meetings, filling out forms and cajoling officials to issue us “the letter” — the coveted permission we needed to report freely.

The wait was especially frustrating for Ivor. One evening, down by the port, families celebrated the end of Eid al-Fitr under beautiful evening light. But Ivor had to leave his camera in the car and just watch the scene unfold.

Once a sleepy port, Port Sudan has been inundated with people fleeing the fighting. Rents have soared to levels worthy of London or New York, and prices can be extravagant. At the Coral Port Sudan Hotel, a rundown hotel that was once the city’s finest, we ordered three sandwiches, sodas and coffees for lunch. The bill came to $90, which I paid for with a brick of Sudanese pounds, the country’s crashing currency, that I carried around in a shopping bag.

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IMAGES

Cultural Mosaic Essay Example
Melting Pot versus Cultural Mosaic Essay Example
Diverse Tapestry: Unveiling the Rich Cultural Mosaic of India Free
Personal Identity Amidst Cultural Complexity: A Life Mosaic Free Essay
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The Caribbean Mosaic Essay Example

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Cultural mosaic
"Cultural mosaic" (French: "la mosaïque culturelle") is the mix of ethnic groups, languages, and cultures that coexist within society. [1] [2] The idea of a cultural mosaic is intended to suggest a form of multiculturalism as seen in Canada , [3] [4] that differs from other systems such as the melting pot , which is often used to describe ...
(PDF) The Cultural Mosaic: A Metatheory for Understanding the
This article introduces the concept of cultural mosaic beliefs as a component of effective multicultural work groups. Building on theories of group diversity and self-verification, and responding to calls to understand moderators that explain the impact of group diversity on performance outcomes, we conceptualize cultural mosaic beliefs as a psychological climate that individual group members ...
Cultural Mosaic
Cultural Mosaic. Cultural mosaic is the mix of ethnic groups, languages and cultures that coexist within society. The idea of a cultural mosaic is intended to suggest a form of multiculturalism, different from other systems such as the melting pot, which is often used to describe the US' supposed ideal of assimilation. In 1938 Scottish ...
The Cultural Mosaic: A Metatheory for Understanding the Complexity of
A cultural mosaic is presented as a framework to identify demographic, geographic, and associative features underlying culture. An individual's unique collage of multiple cultural identities yields a complex picture of the cultural influences on that person. Developments in chaos and complexity theories are proposed as a theoretical base for ...
The cultural mosaic: a metatheory for understanding the complexity of
A cultural mosaic is presented as a framework to identify demographic, geographic, and associative features underlying culture, which is described as a complex system with localized structures, linking cultural tiles in ordered and chaotic ways. Workforce population trends have increased the numbers and kinds of culturally diverse people who work together. Researchers in organizational ...
Cultural mosaics, social structure, and identity: The Acheulean
The evidence does, however, conform to the expectations of the Cultural Mosaic Model with small-scale variation in the record, with at least some variation attributable to the specific circumstances of the sites. Importantly, large-scale patterns in time and space are difficult to identify through the period. 4.2. Developing the Cultural Mosaic ...
Cultural mosaic theory
cultural mosaic theory. A theory that suggests that society should encourage ethnic groups to maintain their ethnic diversity and identity. Participation in sports may strengthen ethnic identity, for example, when a team comprised of members from one ethnic background compete against another team with members from a different ethnic background ...
The Cultural Mosaic: A Metatheory for Understanding the Complexity of
cultural mosaic is presented as a framework to identify demographic, geographic, and associative features. underlying culture. An individual's unique collage of multiple cultural identities ...
PDF Canada'S Cultural Mosaic
Canada's more recent defining moments have come from cultural events. For example, Canadians were brought together in the 1990s when Donovan Bailey of Oakville became the fastest man on earth. Bailey represented Canada as a 100-metre sprinter and a member of the four-by-100-metre relay team. He sat an Olympic
Painting the Cultural Mosaic
The Essay. Painting the Cultural Mosaic. William Kurelek traversed the country in a quest to capture its diverse inhabitants. By Andrew Kear. Alberta-born artist William Kurelek (1927-1977) often explored his Ukrainian heritage and the cultural diversity of our nation in his widely popular paintings. While Kurelek was initially focused on ...
Mosaic
Technical insight is the key to both the creation and the appreciation of mosaic, and the technical aspects of the art require special emphasis. There are also significant stylistic, religious, and cultural aspects of mosaic, which has played an important role in Western art and has appeared in other cultures. Although mosaic is an art form ...
9.3: The Cultural Mosaic- Diasporas, Race, and Ethnicity
9.3: The Cultural Mosaic- Diasporas, Race, and Ethnicity is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Aline Gregorio. The mixing of ethnic groups from Europe, Africa, and Asia with each other or with the Indigenous population has created a diverse cultural mosaic in Middle and South America.
The Cultural Mosaic
The Cultural Mosaic. This blog was prepared by YMCA Newcomer Information Centre Information and Referral Specialist, Prashant Shori. Canada is a country that is full of diversity, where people from countries around the world live and work peacefully in an inclusive, fair, and equitable society. Therefore, Canada is often called a " Cultural ...
Embracing the Cultural Mosaic: English as a Global Literary Language
One of the primary strengths of English as a global literary language lies in its ability to assimilate cultural diversity. Contrary to perceptions of insularity, English-language literature reflects a myriad of cultural narratives and experiences. For instance, the literature of the United States serves as a melting pot of voices from various ...
Multiculturalism: Mosaic or melting pot
The image of a mosaic is in and of itself a statement to welcoming difference, enhancing what makes a person, a group or a community unique. While not always easy, finding ways to "collage" the uniqueness of each culture so as to foster harmony is a creative and diplomatic way to address multiculturalism. The US Melting Pot
Cultural Mosaic
Decent Essays. 826 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. "Cultural Mosaic". There are many different types of ethnicities throughout the world, all of which have their own system of living, praying, and joining with one another. We as humans refer to this as culture, culture sums up everything that we do as citizens or do differently as persons in ...
Cultural Assimilation—How It Affects Mental Health
Effects of Cultural Assimilation. Cultural assimilation can lead to both positive and negative outcomes: Positive. Immigrants may feel safer and a greater sense of belonging to the dominant culture. Immigrants who assimilate may experience a higher quality of living and better mental health. Negative.
Cultural Mosaic: A Journey through Ethiopia's Diverse Tribes
Conclusion: A Journey through Ethiopia's Cultural Mosaic. Our journey through Ethiopia's cultural mosaic, from the Hamar and Mursi tribes of the Omo Valley to the vibrant festivals that mark the Ethiopian calendar, has been an enlightening experience. The encounters with different cultures, each with its unique customs and traditions, have ...
The Creative Writing Technique No One Talks About
Typically mosaic essays don't rely on a traditional narrative arc, nor do they proceed chronologically. One of the fun things about mosaic essays is they can jump forward and backward in time. A unifying theme or idea holds them together in the absence of chronology. Untamed by Glennon Doyle is an example of a mosaic memoir written in fragments.
Figure 1 from The cultural mosaic: a metatheory for understanding the
A cultural mosaic is presented as a framework to identify demographic, geographic, and associative features underlying culture, which is described as a complex system with localized structures, linking cultural tiles in ordered and chaotic ways.
My Visit to India: Cultural Mosaic: [Essay Example], 700 words
My visit to India was an enriching experience that transcended mere sightseeing. It was a journey into a land where history and modernity coalesce, where every region offers a unique cultural tapestry, and where the warmth of its people leaves an indelible mark on visitors. India, with its myriad hues, is not just a destination but a profound ...
The cultural mosaic: a metatheory for understanding the ...
A cultural mosaic is presented as a framework to identify demographic, geographic, and associative features underlying culture. An individual's unique collage of multiple cultural identities yields a complex picture of the cultural influences on that person. Developments in chaos and complexity theories are proposed as a theoretical base for ...
Smarthistory
A variety of objects were decorated with mosaic, such as masks, shields, staffs, knives, discs, and animal forms. These objects, as well as raw chunks of turquoise, were sent to Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, as tribute and used to adorn images of the gods, as well as priests and the nobility. [1] The mosaic work on these objects usually ...
Connecticut: The Nutmeg State's Rich History and Cultural Significance
Essay Example: Connecticut, often affectionately known as "The Nutmeg State," harbors a rich historical tapestry and cultural import that transcends the surface allure of its quaint epithet. The genesis of this moniker intertwines reality with myth, harkening back to tales of Connecticut peddlers
Boys Get Everything, Except the Thing That's Most Worth Having
Spend any time in the manosphere, and it's easy to start to hate men and boys. The extreme misogyny, the gleeful hate speech, the violent threats and thrum of menace make it hard to summon much ...
Little Rock residents, businesses celebrate Juneteenth at 2 major
While Juneteenth in Da Rock wrapped up at the Mosaic Templar's Cultural Center at 6 p.m., the festival at the amphitheater was scheduled to last until 9:30 p.m., concluding with a fireworks.
Build a Corporate Culture That Works
To develop a culture that works, follow six rules: Ground your culture in the dilemmas you are likely to confront, dilemma-test your values, communicate your values in colorful terms, hire people ...
Opinion
Guest Essay. In Search of the Lost Fireflies. June 17, 2024. Video. ... Ms. Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South.
San Antonio Report Introduces $250 Stipend for Narrative Essays on
Funded through a partnership with the Know Your Neighbor initiative of the H. E. Butt Foundation, the series emphasizes local narratives, as if painting a literary mosaic of city life. Submitting ...
Capturing a 'Mosaic of Shifting Battle Fronts' in Sudan
The war between the national army and its paramilitary rival had ravaged Sudan, splintering Africa's third-largest country by area into a volatile mosaic of shifting battle fronts. Still, its ...