how the development of a society leads to a mix of cultures in urban areas

how the development of a society leads to a mix of cultures in urban areas

Development of a society means its transformation in terms of aspects such as social structure, social relations, and social institutions. In the process, people from different cultures enter society for various reasons, and this benefits both society and the people in that particular society. A mix of culture means that society comprises individuals from different cultures hence developing different cultural heritages in one culture. A mix of cultures is essential because it offers a broader pool of resources, skills as well as opinions. Additionally, it ensures that there are different ways of approaching and solving problems. The purpose of this writing is to show how the development of a society leads to a mix of cultures, primarily in urban areas and how it is beneficial to man and society as a whole. The reasons for the mix of cultures in the urban populace can be described in terms of economy, education, and environment. Moreover, man and society are positively and negatively affected by the cultural mix in urban populations.

Firstly, the economy is a reason for a mix of cultures. It is a concept that generalizes the processes of production, distribution, and trade, as well as the consumption of goods and services by different people. The economy is important because it improves the living standards of people through the process of buying and selling (Trading). Through the economy, people are able to sell their products and get money to sustain themselves and make their lives better. In addition to that, the economy helps people to purchase goods and sell them to make a profit. This ultimately benefits them by ensuring that they are able to sustain themselves financially. Due to the importance of the economy, many people would move to a place where the economy is better, and this will lead to a mix of culture. Taking New York City, for example, a recent report says that “New York City is experiencing its largest and longest job expansion since the end of World War II…” (DiNAPOLI). The city has an excellent economy due to the New York stock exchange and NASDAQ, which are the largest stock exchanges in the world. In terms of ranking New York City, it is considered to have the largest municipal and regional economy in the United States. There are a lot of people in the city from all parts of the world; thus, the economy is one cause of a mix of cultures.

Secondly, education is also a reason for a mix of cultures. Education is vital because it gives us knowledge of the world we live in and that surrounding us. The knowledge is essential because it is changeable into something helpful in addition to developing our perspective of looking at life and building ideas. Due to the essentiality of education, many people from different cultures would move to a place with better education, which will bring in a mix of cultures. Taking New York City, for instance, the city has highly qualified education systems. This is because of the vast number of educational institutions, including public and private institutions, colleges, and universities, as well as religious and special-purpose education centers. Its education is ranked among the top 10 in the United States despite the fact that it has not received the expected education funding for a couple of years. An article published by Times Union reported that “More than 124,000 international students are studying at colleges and universities in New York state…” (Anderson). According to the report, the city was ranked second in the United States in terms of international students’ population. Education, therefore, is one cause of a mix of cultures.

Lastly, an environment which refers to the general surrounding of a human being is also a reason why a mix of culture happens. The environment is the only home for humans, and on top of that, it provides human needs such as air, food, and shelter. It thus plays an important role in ensuring healthy living for human beings. Conducive environments are not only productive but also satisfactory for human survival and carrying on with daily activities. Due to the importance of the environment, many people would move to with better environment, which at long last will prove the concept of cultural mixing. New York City, for example, is known to have a satisfactory environment for people to conduct various life activities comfortably. “New York is one of the most heavily forested states in the Northeast… Yet today, New York has more forest than it has had in the past 150 years” (NEW YORK STATE). This forestland has improved the lives of city residents with benefits such as clean air, clean water, fish and wildlife habitats, guaranteed protection from floods, and reduction of greenhouse effects. Due to the benefits which are as a result of the forest, people from other states in America have moved to New York for better environments, thus healthy lives. The environment is, therefore, another cause of a mix of cultures.

A mix of culture has both positive and negative impacts on a man. A man, in this case, refers to an individual person; thus, the effects concentrate on how cultural diversity in society might affect a person individually. To begin with the positive side, a mix of culture is beneficial to a man in that he will get to expand his knowledge by learning different things from diverse cultures through the process of interacting with people from other cultures. This will improve his capability of making money as a way of surviving as well as the ability to interact with different people. In the long run, it makes life better for the man, and his standards of living will be raised. On the negative side, it might be hard for a person to get used to some cultures hence making life hard for him. This creates loneliness until especially for a person who has no friends at all in the new culture. For the residents, competition is a significant challenge.

Just like man, society is also affected by the issue of cultural mixing, both in a good and bad way. The advantages are, however, more remarkable than the disadvantages, unlike in the case of a person where the negative impacts might outdo the positive ones. The most notable advantage to society as a result of the mix of culture is diversity, which provides many ideas and opinions. These are useful in the growth and development of society in solving problems and coming up with ideas to make the community a better place. This is in line with the saying, “Two are better than one.” One of the detriments a mix of culture is that the differences might create hostility in the society hindering its growth and development. Congestion is another negative impact of cultural mixing. This results in traffic jams, pollution, and increased insecurity in urban areas.

In conclusion, the development of a society is the primary cause of a mix of culture in an urban populace, and the cultural mix has both benefits and harm to man and society. The major reasons responsible for a mix of culture in most urban places or cities include economy, education, and environment. Due to the importance of these factors, people move to areas in which the elements are better, and a mix of culture is experienced. New York City, in particular, has been affected by the cultural mixing through which people from various global regions have moved to the city in search of a better economy, better education as well as a better environment. The mixing is beneficial to man and society even though it is also disadvantageous to both. The merits, however, outdo the demerits; thus, a mix of cultures should be encouraged and supported.