Overview

"In this remarkable book, noted cultural scholar D. Paul Schafer examines the great cultural awakening that is taking place all across the world---an awakening that is opening the doors to a cultural age. Schafer begins by considering the importance of culture, as well as discussing how culture has been defined by a variety of thinkers. He then turns to an examination of the vast constellation of cultures that exist in the world before moving progressively ""up the ladder,"" from the cultures of individuals, children, parents, homes, families, communities, and schools to those of towns, cities, regions, countries, the entire human world, and finally the cultures of other species. This is followed by an assessment of several foundational requirements for the creation of a cultural age, such as the cultural interpretation of history and the centrality of cultural development and policy. The author concludes by discussing various ways of opening the doors to a cultural age, strategies to harmonize crucial relationships and cultivate spirituality and compassion, the prerequisites for living in a cultural age, and, finally, an exploration of why it is so essential to make the transition from the present economic age to a future cultural age. The Great Cultural Awakening represents the culmination of a lifetime of research, analysis, and advocacy in the cultural field. In the words of the reviewers, it is truly a ""masterpiece"" as well as a ""beacon of light,"" urging us on toward a better future. ADVANCE PRAISE FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR THE GREAT CULTURAL AWAKENING Amazing! Schafer chronicles the evolution of the cultural realm and describes the interwoven dimensions of nature, human beings, other species, cultures, time, and space. Reading this book is like seeing ourselves as part of nature rather than apart from nature, as well as imagining a world where harmony, sustainability, and well-being for all people, countries, and species are the ultimate goal. ---Mira Sartika, Founder and Director, Chakra Cultural Foundation, Indonesia Schafer guides us with erudition, authority, and conviction toward a clear and positive vision of a cultural age. His inexhaustible range of references, depth of insight and analysis, and trust in what he terms ""the great cultural awakening"" make this book essential reading for everyone interested in a serious, far-ranging, and scrupulously-argued discussion of the vital need for the citizens of the world to come together to build a just, harmonious, and productive future: a new cultural age. ---Max Wyman, author of The Compassionate Imagination: How the Arts Are Central to a Functioning Democracy, Canada Culture is much more than a dimension of sustainable development; it is the overarching key to a sustainable world. ---Engelbert Ruoss, USI Universit� della Svizzera Italiana, and Co-Owner at Innoreg SAGL, Switzerland A much needed, comprehensive, and insightful map to find our way out of the global crisis and make the transition to a cultural age. Paul Schafer, an acknowledged expert in the field, offers an enlightening perspective on how to develop culture and cultures from the ground up, drawing on a wealth of inspiring references and compelling examples. ---Thomas Legrand, author of Politics of Being: Wisdom and Science for a New Development Paradigm, France"

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9781772443165

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Reviews

"Making culture central in your life and appreciating all cultures in the world are excellent ways to improve your mental and physical health and well-being. Paul Schafer's new book guides readers to many paths for developing a culture-focused life. He shows that cultures embrace all aspects of life and are manifested in families, cities, regions, countries, nature, and the lives of other species. ---Brian Holihan, author of Thinking in a New Light: How To Boost Your Creativity and Live More Fully by Exploring World Cultures, United States Another masterpiece! I read the whole book in only two sittings and enjoyed every page of it. Paul Schafer's book provides light and hope as more and more people seek balance, harmony, equality, and synchronicity in their lives, the world, and nature. ---Diane Dodd, Co-founder and President of International Institute for Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism, Spain The Great Cultural Awakening is essential reading for all those who seek to understand the ""big picture."" It presents many convincing arguments for a shift in mindset if we wish to produce ""more joy and happiness in the world"" and make it a better, safer, and more secure place for all people, countries, and species. ---John Hobday, former director, Canada Council for the Arts, Canada Paul Schafer sees this century as the time of a great cultural awakening. Our own project, Reconnecting With Your Culture (RWYC), to which he has been the mentor and inspirer, accepts culture as a global mission of awakening youth through a deeply-rooted cultural and eco-based education. This book succeeds in projecting the changing nature of culture and its systemic and complex nature as a whole or way of life and will help all of us open the doors to a cultural age. ---Professor Olimpia Niglio, President, RWYC International, University of Pavia, Italy This book ... will serve as a beacon of light in the emergence of the age of culture as both a resource and a pathway. ---Professor Rana P.B. Singh, Banaras Hindu University, India In The Great Cultural Awakening, Paul Schafer highlights the transformative power of culture in reshaping our world, emphasizing its pivotal role in addressing global challenges, and ensuring the future well-being of humanity and the environment. As he aptly states: ""Culture's holistic ability to focus attention on the whole and not just on a specific part or parts of the whole should not be discounted, ignored, or taken for granted."" ---Susan Magsamen, executive director, International Arts + Mind Lab and Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University and co-author of the best-selling book Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, United States While some may believe that ""politics is everything"" and ""it's the economy, stupid,"" this book makes us realize why culture matters far more than this and how politics and the economy are determined by culture. This lucid and insightful book on cultural awakening explains cultural development and policy from the ground up and addresses the crucial requirements for entering a cultural age and enabling it to flourish. ---Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph.D., Founder and Chair, International Child Art Foundation, United States"

Author Information

D. Paul Schafer has worked in the cultural field for more than fifty years as an author, advisor, educator, and administrator. He was assistant director of the Ontario Arts Council from 1967 to 1970, taught arts administration and cultural policy at York University and the University of Toronto, has undertaken many projects for UNESCO, and is founder and director of the World Culture Project. He has written many books on culture, including Culture: Beacon of the Future, Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age, The Age of Culture, The Arts: Gateway to a Fulfilling Life and Cultural Age, and, more recently, The World as Culture: Cultivation of the Soul to the Cosmic Whole. He lives in Markham, Ontario, Canada.

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