ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part discusses various concepts relating to cultures and outcomes. People search for identity by means of group membership not only with political parties expressing the political ideologies from the Right to the Left, but also increasingly with communities. The strong increase in the relevance of communities, together with migration, has created multi-cultural societies almost everywhere. Culture has always had a connection with civilization. While it is claimed by some that we are heading for a clash of civilizations carried out by a few powerful nations, many others speak of the peaceful global marketplace with universal cultural attitudes fostered by immigration and the bringing down of borders, national as well as civilizational. Civilization is the broader cultural concept linked especially to the world religions, whereas nation is the more narrow cultural concept.
