I recently read an article about an individual who moved to the U.S. from New Zealand 12 years ago. They were expressing their difficulty, 12 years later, on adjusting to the cultural differences. They expressed how when they first moved here they discovered the U.S. tends to have a more cutthroat, competitive culture in which people can be overlooked or dismissed if they’re not prepared to speak loudly and clearly about their accomplishments. Back in New Zealand however, they were used to, and raised in, a culture that encourages people to act humble. Where people don’t tend to talk up their accomplishments and try to give credit to others (even if it rightly belongs to them).
Though this may be a small thing, these sorts of cultural differences can feel like a minefield to navigate and has made some social interactions a constant source of stress for years. We have to keep in mind for a GCR to occur these cultural differences are going to have to be accounted for. Who gets what, how they get it, and how the process will integrate through all these various cultural minefields.
Remember, the GCR is a redistribution of global wealth drawing from multiple countries and multiple cultural differences, not printing more money. Cultural differences play a pivotal role because they shape how societies view wealth, fairness, and redistribution.
In some cultures, wealth is viewed as a sign of hard work and individual success, while in others, it’s seen as a communal resource meant to be shared. Redistribution may face resistance in societies that highly value individual achievement and property rights. While many cultures have religious or ethical systems that influence their stance on wealth sharing. For example: Zakat in Islam mandates wealth redistribution as a religious duty, western cultures influenced by Protestant ethics may stress individual responsibility over collective welfare.
Cultural definitions of fairness way in. Fairness can mean different things across cultures. In the Global North, fairness might emphasize equal opportunity. In the Global South, fairness may focus on compensating for historical injustices like colonialism or exploitation. These differing views could complicate consensus on how wealth should be redistributed globally.
How we approach and address cultural differences would have to include some type of inclusive dialogue that would engage diverse stakeholders to ensure all voices are heard, respecting cultural norms and values. They would have to highlight shared global challenges like poverty and climate change to build solidarity. They have to design flexible redistribution models tailored to cultural contexts rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution. And most of all we will have to strengthen international institutions and promote transparency to gain widespread support.
So all the massive changes to the mechanisms required to pull this off aside, getting the global community and integrating the cultural norms of each participant to sink together, is in itself a challenge we don’t normally consider.
