Written By: Christie A.
Culture is a diverse and beautiful thing where people, systems, beliefs, traditions, language, food, politics, and education meld together. Working cross-culturally we see the strengths and weaknesses of culture, and we experience the joy of walking with people from different cultures who share a common worldview. Where culture is the melting pot of the ideas around us, worldview becomes the frame we use to make sense of it all and is ultimately more important.
Want to know more about our worldview? Check out our values.
Here at SOS, we are committed to the hard work of shaping and informing worldview. We talk about hard topics like trafficking, but not just from an academic or social standpoint. We want you to meet people whose lives and stories have been touched by the tragedy of trafficking. We want to share how our worldview is expanded through knowing them and how together, we can be part of bringing change. At its very core, our worldview is anchored in hope!
The distinction between culture and worldview is important because there is a cultural point of view on all the hard subjects we tackle. If we stop at culture and don’t take these topics deeper to worldview, we will be left with a shallow and incomplete understanding and ability to advocate for people.
An easy way to see this distinction is through our anti-trafficking efforts. If we allow culture to shape our worldview on trafficking, the cultural momentum for exploitation will crush us. From tutorials on how to be a sugar baby to the growing popularity of OnlyFans, we are watching our culture teach young people that there’s a fair market price for their body. An article was released recently that listed Pornhub as the third most socially influential tech company of the 21st century. That means Pornhub is more influential to society and culture today than Apple or Amazon! Many pose the argument that people want to take back control because “if someone else is going to make money off me, I may as well make money off of me!” This cultural logic leads us down a road of bad policies that further exploit people. For us to win the cultural war against exploitation, we must be men and women with solid worldviews that will empower us to stand counter-culture on the things that matter.
When it comes to our worldview on trafficking, we firmly believe that each life matters and is significant. Each person affected by trafficking has great intrinsic worth and people should not be bought or sold. We stand in the truth that if it’s not okay for our daughters, sisters or friends, it’s not okay for anyone. We believe that any assistance that would further exploit survivors (whether that be through policies, politics or bad aid) is not okay, and we contend to do things with excellence that prioritizes the holistic care of the survivor first. We know so many lives restored, futures rebuilt and women once captive that are now walking in freedom. Where culture may tell us it’s okay or it should be legal, we set our worldview firmly in the truth that abuse is never okay.
As we live in a world shaped by social media and heavily politicized topics, we want to challenge you; next time you run across something that provokes you or something that you are passionate about, take a step back and look at it through the lens of culture and worldview. Let’s be men and women building healthy worldviews together!
“Forming your worldview by relying on the media would be like forming your view about me by looking only at a picture of my foot!”
Hans Rosling.
Ready to dive into part 2 of this series? Check it out here!
Learn more about SOS and how we developed our worldview.
See the impact a healthy cultural worldview can make!
