Philippine Cultural Identity and Traditional Settlements in Development Coming to Terms with Cultural Diversity in a Nation State

• Main Author: Lim, Regina Mapua
• Published: Oxford Brookes University 2008
• Subjects: 711
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.490422

Development since the 1940s has had major impacts on traditional settlements. The thrust of global development has been detrimental to many traditional settlements, because it has lacked sensitivity to the diversity oflocal cultures that on the one hand are closely associated to geographical landscapes, and on the other hand rely on traditions formed over time to operate and manage place. The aim of this research, therefore, is to develop a methodology for creating national development strategies which focus on traditional settlements and cultural landscapes in order to accommodate diverse cultural identities. The research uses culture and identity as primary analytical concepts. Oral and visual research methods are used to analyse two traditional settlements, to uncover the identities that permeate their cultures and therefore have particular implications for how they conceive development. Because development in this research is understood as a global process affecting all humanity, these identities are considered not only locally, but also across regional, national and global levels. National and global conceptions of development are critically analysed through a third case study, which examines the dominance of mainstream cultures in shaping national identity and development principles, and explores how this shaping bears on other cultural groups. The results of these case studies are used to construct a methodology for understanding development in a cultural context, and for using this understanding to create strategies through which the people of traditional settlements can become active partners in setting a development agenda which remains sensitive to diverse local cultures whilst also addressing current development concerns.