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TOOL 'CULTURE IN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION'
The cultural dimensions in
European cooperation
Culture is a total of values, moral norms and actual behaviour that people learn from a preceding generation, and which make them different from those of another culture. Culture in this aspect includes how the national wealth is distributed, how individuals relate to each other, who controls what or whom, the way in which people communicate and disseminate knowledge, attitudes and ideas, but it also takes into account fundamental issues such as the common view of life and death. Not all these elements are easily observable. When working with different cultures, the underlying norms of morality and social structures, which are more difficult to observe, will be present but often not recognized as such. A much deeper dimension dealing with a fundamental philosophy of life exists and can exert an important influence on cooperation.
When
analysing the cultural dimensions in INTERREG it is necessary to
distinguish between the opinion of the participants and the opinion of
the observer. Each observer acts and observes from within the framework
of his or her own cultural context. This should be taken into account
when analysing cultural issues.
Furthermore it is important when analysing culture in cooperation to study the relationships between institutions and individuals. Especially when studying ways of decision-making, commitment or specific institutional cultures. Each of the partners is influenced by the context and political-administrative structure of their own institutions.
In order to fully understand how to achieve cooperation among the different cultures it is also necessary to study the expectations and involvement of the partners, their perception of other partners, with regard to the project's background and objectives, the daily practice of cooperation, and language issues. Aspects of political history or identity for example can be of help in understanding each other's actions and behaviour.
Trust is an important condition for intercultural cooperation. Cooperative behaviour is a prerequisite for collaboration and so the development of trust between the partners is essential for the success of the project.
Cultural knowledge can, from this aspect, be a resource for planning and policy-making processes such as INTERREG.
