Exploring Cultural Relations in Global Societies: From Multiculturalism To Reflexivity In Relational And Morphogenetic Approaches

This chapter examines the intricate relationships between society and culture, understood as distinct yet interdependent dimensions of collective life. Every society carries its own cultural repertoire, consisting of values, norms, practices and symbolic mediations that provide meaning and orientation to social actors. In contemporary contexts, however, processes of globalization and intensified exchanges among different communities have redefined the boundaries of culture, fostering the emergence of multicultural and transnational configurations. These dynamics contribute to the diffusion of a cosmopolitan outlook and a tendency towards cultural homogenization, while simultaneously generating countervailing movements of cultural particularism aimed at preserving specific identities and asserting the legitimacy of diverse cultural rights. Within this scenario, cultural communication is increasingly promoted as a space of dialogue and encounter between traditions. Its strength lies in providing a symbolic ground where different cultural perspectives can meet. Nevertheless, when confined to the mere comparison of communicative codes, values or rights, such dialogue reveals intrinsic limitations: it risks overlooking the deeper social relations that shape identity, belonging and recognition. This reduction leaves unresolved the challenges posed by interculturality and multiculturality, as well as the tensions between identifying with one’s own culture and being open to others. To address these issues, the contribution adopts the relational approach (Donati) and the morphogenetic perspective (Archer), which together offer a theoretical framework capable of reframing the culture–society nexus beyond the dichotomy of relativism and ethnocentrism. By focusing on the relational constitution of social life and on the morphogenetic processes through which cultural meanings are reproduced and transformed, these perspectives highlight the reflexive potential of cultural encounters. The analysis thus underscores the importance of recognition, acceptance and identity negotiation as key semantic dimensions for understanding cultural relations in complex societies.