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The Positive Gatekeeper

Excerpt from Cultural Shifting

By Al Condeluci, Ph.D.

Gatekeepers, especially positive gatekeepers, are critical to culture, because they help bring new things into the community. When they do this, the new idea, person or product introduced by the gatekeeper adds, or causes the existing members of the culture to define or redefine their position on the matter. This addition and redefinition of culture is what leads to cultural growth.

In fact, this is how cultural shifting actually occurs. When the positive gatekeeper introduces the new item, the other members of the culture begin to weigh in on the new item. First the negative gatekeeper will try to challenge the new thing. This may happen overtly or covertly. As these positive and negative gatekeepers make their points, the other 60% of the culture pay attention. Soon others begin to sign on and as they do the culture beings to shift toward the new thing, or reject it outright and go back to where it was. This is the essence of cultural shifting.

This very phenomenon played out with my family recently. Out for a weekend shopping expedition we found ourselves close to lunchtime. I asked my family where they would like to go for lunch. My youngest boy, Santino was quick to tell us about a new restaurant that he saw advertised on TV. He thought we might like to try it. Immediately my older son, Dante, said “No, no, no, why don’t we just go to EatnPark. We always go there and we know the menu. Everyone will find something they like.” Santino objected and said: “We always go to EatnPark. Lets try something new for a change.” As Dante and Santino traded opinions, my daughter, Gianna, my wife, Liz and I just listened to the banter. In essence we (60%) would make the ultimate decision and create the critical mass to shift the culture. (We ended up at the new place, by the way.)

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