Cultural Globalization

Cultural Globalization What is Culture? Social construction The arts Commoditized output of the culture industries (Film, TV, Music) Expressions of everyday life Religion Ethnicity Nationalism Language Other forms of Identity

Cultural Globalization Definition: An economic phenomenon? A social phenomenon? A cultural phenomenon? The movement towards the expansion of economic and social ties between countries through the spread of corporate institutions and the capitalist philosophy that leads to the shrinking of the world in economic terms.

Globalisation Globalization involves all these things!

National Cultures Task undertaken by diverse institutions Official language National schooling system Postal service and Communications structures (NBC, ABC etc.) National press Standing army Suppression or eradication of competing identities and peripheral nationalisms Key factors Memories/histories/myths Role of land/landscapes/places: Monuments National Parks sites of battle

Cultural Globalization/Global Culture Markets Technologically driven Economic liberalization driven: mergers and acquisitions, deregulation, free trade barriers reduced  concentration of ownership Dominated by US, but Japanese, UK, and others are present (see chart)

Global Media Radio and the music industry Political instrument: Voice of America, Radio Venceremos Instrument of Localism Major source of communication in developing countries for community/political/entertainment Music is highly compatible with globalization: no need for translation Musical diaspora: religious, African, American Modern forms are more mixed: Orquesta de Luz, El Vez, World Music

Cinema and Television US Dominates Film Increasing growth of new film industries Television: more recent, higher level of individual capital investment Public quality initially, now Satellite and Cable have changed control to private.

Tourism Issues: 1950: 25.3 million tourists/$2 Billion Expanding Awareness Cultural Survival Tourism as an economic generator 1950: 25.3 million tourists/$2 Billion 1995: 561 million tourists/$380 Billion International Tourists: Country % of Tourists Europe 53%, Americas 17% Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Korea) 17% Africa 2.5% Middle East 1.2% South Asia .6%

Corporate Expansion Multi-national or trans-national corporations (MNCs or TNCs) – businesses with a headquarters in one country but with business operations in a number of others. No matter where you go in the world, certain businesses will always have a presence.

Corporate Expansion Characteristics: Expanding revenue Lowering costs Sourcing raw materials Controlling key supplies Control of processing Global economies of scale                                                                                                                                                    Controlling supplies may be one reason for global expansion.

Corporate Domination Key Issues: Damage to the environment? Exploitation of labour? Monopoly power Economic degradation Non-renewable resources Damage to cultures Shell and Nike’s activities have come under severe criticism in some quarters.

Other Issues: Accountability of Global businesses? Increased gap between rich and poor fuels potential terrorist reaction Ethical responsibility of business? Efforts to remove trade barriers There are plenty of people who believe that globalisation is a negative development, protests at the G8 summits, pollution, poverty and concern over GM crops are just some of the issues.

Ethnic Conflict In a globalizing world of standardization, people cling even more fiercely to whatever local customs impart distinctiveness, in some cases pushing the primacy of these differences to the brink of conflict Ethnicity is defined as a shared awareness of perceived ancestral differences as a basis for reward, recognition or relationships A commitment to ethnicity allows an escape from feelings or irrelevance, powerlessness, alienation and impersonality Ethnically-bases nationalism: has been singled out as major contributors to international conflicts as well as a threat to societal integrity State-based (civic) nationalism: seek cultural uniformity Ethnic (cultural) nationalism: endorses cultural uniqueness, to the detriment of social cohesion