Culture

Cultures are always changing -- bit by bit, story by story. And there are segments of every culture that resist that change. In Spain some argue that siesta is important because long lunches build relationships. They don't like the idea of Spanish culture becoming more European (or, some say, more American).

Then, there is cultural change that comes far too slowly. Last week I read a disturbing story from the Allai Valley region of Pakistan. A 14-year-old boy tries to help his aunt regain control of her house -- one badly damaged by the earthquake.

I have been thinking about how a society changes its own culture ever since I read about the decree by the government of Spain to end siesta (at least for civil servants). Siesta is the two-plus-hour lunch followed by a nap. It means the working day goes from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., then the siesta break, and returning to work by 4:30 p.m. or so for a few more hours.

It's the telling of stories -- whether in person or through the mass media -- that molds a society's culture. Each story is an ingredient, a method of sharing information about what we all believe (and sometimes, the "why").

What happens when you tell someone a really good story? You know, a juicy story. A must tell. If the story is that good, it's immediately passed along. And on. And on.

The storytelling and the legends themselves are very important to the Inuit culture. And they help save and enrich the language tremendously.

Although other cultures do not award equal respect to girls, this argument says, America does; the Middle Eastern girl came to America, so America has both the duty and the responsibility to convert her to its ways.