2. Review: Evaluation of Cultural Globalization
By definition, cultural globalization involves some degree of homogenization
Typically, this is thought to be bad

3. Review: Evaluation of Cultural Globalization
Homogenization does not happen equally everywhere to everyone
Homogenization provokes reactionary heterogenization
We tend to like homogenization more than we think – especially in utilitarian domains of culture

4. Application: Cultural Globalization & FGC (Elizabeth Heger Boyle 2002)
1. Sunna – removal of hood of clitoris;
2. Genital excision – removal of some or all of clitoris & labia minora;
3. Infibulation -- excising clitoris, labia minora, & labia majora & stitching vaginal opening;

5. Common in Many Countries
Countries with more than 90% women circumcised, mid-to-late 1990s
Djibouti
90-98%
Egypt
97%
Eritrea
95%
Mali
94%
Somalia
98%

6. Cultural Globalization: Three Levels of Global Culture
(1) products & forms
(2) norms & values
(3) definitions & assumptions

7. Cultural Globalization: Modern Global Culture
Rationalism
Individualism
Universalism

8. Cultural Globalization: Organizational
Women with no college…
7x more likely to circumcise daughters
5x more likely to favor practice
…than women with college

9. Cultural Globalization: Country
Anti-FGC policies:
France Ethiopia 1994
Sweden Ghana 1994
Switzerland Chad 1995
UK Djibouti 1995
Sudan Burk Faso 1996
US C Afr Rep 1996
Australia Egypt 1996
Canada Ivory C 1998

10. Cultural Globalization: Personal
Transforms locals into cosmopolitans
Rational (not traditional)
Individual (not communal)
Universal (not particular)

11. Cultural Globalization: Evaluation
Homogenization & Resistance (Boyle p. 104)
“Attempts to eradicate FGC are part of a Western conspiracy to undermine Egyptian culture”
“Circumcision is part of their identity…They should defend against a Western world that seeks to dominate them”

12. Cultural Globalization: Evaluation
Utilitarian (health, bodily integrity, human rights)
…or…
Expressive (religious practice, ethnic custom)