Espacio y Desarrollo (Feb 2004)
El papel de la infraestructura para la difusión de la cultura en el desarrollo social de México
Abstract
Given Mexico's socio-economic and polítical demands derived from globalization,the need has arisen to promote knowledge, and specifically culture, to reafflrm the national unity. In view of this situation, it is imperative to provide appropriate training to the human resources, that will implement the various strategies and abilities aimed at the population's social development, in which the transfer of knowledge and traditions made up by the combination of a diversity of expressions becomes evident as a set of common elements which characterize a community and propitiates its own identity. lt is within this context that the infrastructure for promoting culture is embedded, involving institutions in charge of communicating it, that play an irreplaceable and growing role in the spread of the cultural richness and the organization of access to knowledge, and that in turnare a factor for social and cultural integration; likewise, these allow to gain access and make good use of knowledge, and constitute a core element of the material and sp:ritual patrimony for social development.Wilhin this framework, the present work is characterized by a poly-dimensional base, and in its sections the following distribution of infrastructure is illustrated: first, libraries, with the main objective of organizing and spreading knowledge, printed or available in any other means, aimed at contributing to the generation of new knowledge, with a role that is reflected in the economic and social aspects of any country. Then, there are the museums, instruments to unify the people, strengthening culture and keeping it alive, stretching the bonds between current and past generations;on the other hand, these also serve to draw new relationships between the local community and people from abroad, given that they foster cultural exchange and facilitare the acquisition of income through delivery of services to visitors. The so called casas de cultura (cultural centers) are organisms devoted to the promotion of arts and culture through workshops, meetings and displays of various kinds, as well as sculpture visits and/or common or virtual displays of paints, photographs and videos, electronic artistic posters and seminars. Botanical gardens are also included, which combine two purposes: for one part a scientiflc research and conservation goal, and for another, the cultural and education objective to spread knowledge through the interaction with the local society and communities, while at the same time they manage and preserve a documentary, genetic and even historical, ethnic and artistic patrimony. Last, zoos are included, the objective of which is to provide the population with the opportunity of observing and admiring Mexico's natural richness in terms of native fauna and flora, promoting the good health and reproduction of captive animals, thereby contributing to preservation, besides providing visitors with leisure, recreation and a culture of protection of wildlife and flora. Zoos also provide a geographical perspective that allows to gain knowledge about the distribution of species and their spatial relationship with sites, that is, a territorial view, in turn allowing to appreciate its spatial magnitude. All these on top of the individual identity, without which the national and cultural identities cannot be reached. Preserving culture is saving the soul, man's most profound reason for living, hence the importance of the role of the institutions created to promote the culture of any given country.
