“Cultural emergence” is a term that had been hovering vaguely around the edges of my awareness for some years, but not looked into till recently.
In their recent email newsletter, Applewood Permaculture (Herefordshire, UK) mentioned they had had a free workshop on cultural emergence. And they gave a free YouTube link. I found the link (and have shared it below), but didn’t have time to listen right then, so in the meantime I just dug up some definitions.
“Cultural Emergence describes the spontaneous formation of novel collective values, behavioral patterns, and social norms within a population, typically occurring in response to significant shifts in environmental or societal conditions. It represents a bottom-up generation of shared meaning and practice.” (This one, which I really like, is one entry in a whole sustainability directory. https://lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com/area/cultural-emergence/ )
Note, although I like the writing, I suspect that it might be generated by an AI entity, so if you object to that, simply enjoy the definition I quoted and don’t click further. If you explore it, let me know your opinion. They are vague about whatever organization has created this. Yet I like the writing.
The reason why I liked this definition so much is that it’s something I’ve been feeling for a while in my own life. As I’ve been trying to put together my concept for a communal house, it has started to feel like a whole culture was emerging, without my consciously trying to synthesize a culture. I find that fascinating. And potentially very adaptive of course.
Looking back, I think a lot of my visual and fashion-related posts about Starshine House / Trailhead 501 have been rooted in my sense that some kind of culture is emerging. In response to extremes of physical and social climate.
It feels different from what is commonly called a “subculture.” I can’t quite put my finger on how or why at this moment. But just wanted to share this definition and some links with you in case you find it useful in your own efforts to create sustainable pockets of life in your physical and notional space.
(Applewood Permaculture is home of Looby Macnamara, an internationally recognized leaders in the Permaculture Design movement, particularly focused on the invisible structures realm but also apparently knows how to grow quite lovely apple trees and so on.)
Further exploration:
• Watch the recording of free cultural Emergency workshop with Looby Macnamara and Jon Young. Shttps://cultural-emergence.circle.so/c/inspiration-corner/recording-of-the-free-cultural-emergence-workshop-with-looby-macnamara-and-jon-young Sidenote: I think it’s adorable how the guy introducing and welcoming everyone referred to us as little refrigerator magnets on the face of mother Earth. (The beginning is the only part I had time to watch so far but I look forward to watching the whole thing.)
It’s an hour and 17 minutes. BTW I just noticed there’s an audio-only option; it’s underneath the video. Whenever I finally get around to tuning in, I’m likely going to choose that option, in the interest of bandwidth conservation.
• “Looby Macnamara on the use of Permaculture principles for social and cultural emergence” (article; regenerativeskills.com: https://regenerativeskills.com/looby-macnamara-on-the-use-of-permaculture-principles-for-social-and-cultural-emergence/ )