Introduction

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part examines traditions as something in addition to ethnicity and religion. Culture is a human achievement that is transmitted from one generation to another. It analyzes the impact of family structures or family values, which have formed a variety of cultural traditions. The part shows that cultural traditions as colonial legacies or as family patterns matter, then the authors have established evidence in favour of the thesis that cultural traditions – or legacies – are important. In a longitudinal perspective on culture it could well be the ethnic or religious heritage that is at the centre of attention. In order to research the influence of cultural legacies by means of the ordinary canons of empirical research, the authors take up the theory that, for many countries, colonialism has played a major role in shaping their developmental paths.