lcc liberal arts studies / 2010 volume iii - LCC International University

FORWARD
Living in the world of jeans, pop music, Latin dances, celebrities and movie stars,
Internet revolutions, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Versace, D&G, Esprit makes people
feel comfortable in Japan, France, Chile, Turkey, Australia, US, Lithuania,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine and so on. Cultural homogeny gives us possibilities and
facilitates communication, understanding of each other and sharing common
experiences. At the same time, this sense of oneness emphasizes cultural
differences experienced in languages, customs and traditions, ways of behavior, or
religious practices. The ordinary life of the contemporary world is a constant
balance between being the same or different, acting individually or within
community, choosing national or global priorities.
In April of 2010 LCC International University celebrated its third
international academic conference, “Responses to Cultural Homogeny:
Engagement, Resistance, or Passivity.” Organized to coincide with the United
Nations Year of The Rapprochement of Cultures 2010, the conference posed
concrete and precise questions about the relationship of individual national
identities and globalization, about reactions to cultural homogeny reflected in
political tendencies of the world, the development of languages, entertainment,
global business, learning environment, tourism, religious practices and national
literature. This conference intended to break stereotypes and to question the
essence of homogeny and diversity. The presenters of the conference from
Lithuania, Switzerland, USA, UK presented a broad range and understanding of the
problems and suggested innovative and positive approaches to the topic of the
conference.
It is a great pleasure to introduce the third volume of LCC Liberal Arts
Studies where submitted papers are published within the academic quality and
peer review process.
Radvyda Vaiðvilaitë, 2010 Conference Chair
LCC / LIBERAL ARTS STUDIES / 2010
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