Cultures within cultures, what's real, and the problem of dehumanization

Despite the titles of previous posts, culture IS real, and if you read the posts, hopefully you understand what I'm talking about. I had an interesting conversation with someone about that this morning. One of the things I was trying to convey is that people of different cultures tend to see each other, well, differently. Sometimes we view a member of a different culture as a different species. We know it's true of race. We had laws prohibiting marriage between the races in the United States, which was part of a greater regime of apartheid to keep the races separate. We had unwritten rules about intermingling between sub-cultures; the Irish guy couldn't marry the Italian girl from the nearby neighborhood. This phenomenon exists, and has existed, everywhere. 

These differences aren't real. They are imagined. Unfortunately, they become real to the believers and then behavior is guided as though it was real. We become Sen's "imaginary slaves of an illusory force."

This in not only manifested across cultures; it occurs within cultures, either between sub-cultures or across social cleavages. This article in today's IHT, sheds light on class distinction in India, and how we dehumanize each other by imagining there is something real, a real difference when, in truth, there is none. Read the article here. 

Is one world culture the answer? No. What is the answer? I think we'll find it in transparency, contact, education, understanding, and the acceptance of a common humanity. I will say that over and over and over. Get used to it :)