Talking about cultural differences in an age of globalization and hybridization: Between Obelix and Stephen Colbert

Abstract

The concept of culture has long been central to mission theory and practice. However, current understandings of culture can easily fall into one of two extremes: on the one hand, essentialist views of culture can easily lead to stereotyping, and on the other hand, extreme postcolonial cultural hybridization theories reject typologies of cultural differences altogether and tend to disregard empirical research on cultural differences. This article describes how to speak of cultural differences, including the use of typologies of cultural differences, without falling into these extremes. Five myths and seven recommendations regarding research and description of cultural differences are put forth.