1. Comparative Sociology Week 17
Clash of cultures?
Comparative Sociology
Week 17

2. Recap Looked at different forms of capitalism
Agreement that there are differences between national cultures
But what those differences are and how they relate to other factors in each society is debated

3. Outline New world order Cultural imperialism Clash of cultures
Conflict within post-colonial relationships
Cultural imperialism
Conflict between the west and the developing word
Clash of cultures
Conflict between Islam and the West

4. New World Order
The term ‘New World Order’ has multiple definitions and different starting points.
Post-colonial world
Collapse communist states
After attacks on the World Trade Centre
All refer to change in macro political relationships which impact on everyday lives

5. Post-colonial theories
Focuses on the power-relationships between the western and ‘third worlds’
Examines the ongoing effects of the relationship between colonisers and colonised
Looks at the shift from overt political control to neo-colonialism

6. Post-colonial
Colonial countries begin to disconnect from their former colonisers

7. ‘Free’ trade Trans-national free-market system
Liberal capitalism enforced by World Bank/IMF
Structural adjustment
Privatisation of utilities such as water
Trade agreements
GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

8. Globalisation
Growth of western dominated multinationals

9. Fair trade? Move production to labour costs Lower wages Child labour
Reduced health and safety

10. Free trade?
Discuss with you neighbours the advantages and disadvantages the globalisation of free market capitalism?

11. Cultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism is the way in which one culture is ‘forced’ onto another
In history this has been through military power or law
Certain languages banned from education
Often used now to explain the domination of the western media and its impact on local cultures

12. Cultural imperialism
Economic dominance has been accompanied by cultural dominance, particularly through media
Growth of English as a world language
Western dominance of internet
Multinational media corporations
Reshaping world culture to a western model?

13. America Dream as export?
Disney is often the key example

14. Cultural dominance?
Discuss with your neighbours to what extent you think cultural imperialism is
happening and/or
a problem

15. Clash of cultures
Since the collapse of the communist states debates started about a new ‘clash’ of cultures.
A new ‘enemy’ of centred around particular Islamic cultures has been constructed in the media and political rhetoric

16. ‘Them and Us’ Freedom Democracy Rule of law Rational Constraint
Totalitarian regimes
Unjust
Fundamentalist

17. ‘Our values’ New Legislation
Patriot Act (USA)
Power to access information about everything from medical records to books bought without probable cause.
Terrorism Act 2000 (UK)
Can stop and search for articles connected with terrorism without having grounds to suspect the person is carrying such an article.
Both have been used primarily on minority-ethnic groups

18. ‘Them and Us’
Opponents of the Patriot Act have been branded as supporters of terrorism

19. Fundamentalism? Terrorism is not ‘new’ in the US or UK
In Oklahoma City 19 April 1995
government building
168 people died, 500 injured
Timothy McVeigh was not
a ‘white terrorist’ or a
‘Christian extremist’despite being linked to anti-government militias

20. Clash of cultures?
Discuss with your neighbours the extent to which you think there is a clash of cultures?

21. Cultural Values?
Inglehart and Norris have used the world values survey to examine the cultural divide
They argue that in terms of political principals such as democracy the West and Muslim countries have similar values
The biggest divide is in attitudes towards acceptable societal behaviour
Divorce, abortion, gender equality, and gay rights

22. Summary
Considered how national culture is developed through history particularly in relation to colonialism
Considered if ‘cultural imperialism’ is a social problem
Explored the emerging ideas about a clash of cultures

23. Next week Looking at welfare systems
particularly Europe and the US
Look in more details at the development of different forms of welfare
Consider the relationship between capitalism and welfare