5 PPT 3e 2024

Chapter 5: Globalization and Culture

5.1 Introduction to Globalization

• Key Questions:

  • Is the world really getting smaller?

  • What are the outcomes of global integration?

  • Doesn’t everyone want to be developed?

  • If not homogenized, what is happening?

  • How do anthropologists study global interconnections?

5.2 Learning Objectives

• Understand the impact of intensive global interconnections on cultural processes.

• Key goals:

  • Describe transnational flows of people, finance, information.

  • Critically assess the desire for development in diverse cultures.

  • Analyze theories of cultural convergence and hybridization.

  • Identify opportunities and dilemmas for anthropologists in studying globalization.

5.3 The Impact of Globalization on Culture

• Globalization leads to both similarities and changes in cultures.

  • Anthropologists study these dynamics to understand cultural shifts due to global interconnections.

5.4 Social, Economic, and Political Interconnections

• Historical Perspectives:

  • Early 20th-century diffusionists emphasized cultural spread.

  • Marxist anthropologists like Eric Wolf highlighted the context of non-Western societies within global capitalism.

• Focus of mainstream anthropology shifted from local village research to global influences.

5.5 The Concept of Globalization

• Differences in participation in globalization lead to inequalities.

• Some anthropologists prefer "transnational" over "globalization" to emphasize specific relationships that cross national boundaries without assuming comprehensive coverage.

5.6 Innovations in Global Communication

• Modern technologies (cell phones, Internet) facilitate global communication.

  • However, there are significant access disparities; e.g., very low computer access in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Wealth and poverty greatly affect global communication participation.

5.7 Mobility of People

• An increase in human mobility under globalization:

  • Types of mobile populations include migrants, immigrants, refugees, and exiles.

  • Dramatic changes in migratory flows observed through maps:

    • Map A: European colonial migration patterns.

    • Map B: Post-WWII decolonization and shifts towards Europe and the US.

    • Map C: Current trend of most migrants remaining within their regions of origin.

5.8 Global Economic Changes

• The history of financial globalization since the 1870s, which has gained momentum in recent decades.

  • Growth of transnational corporations in low-cost labor countries.

5.9 Outcomes of Global Integration

• Two perspectives on globalization:

  • Proponents highlight economic growth and prosperity.

  • Critics focus on increased poverty and inequality.

• Anthropological analysis must consider cultural dimensions including inequality, resistance, and adaptation.

5.10 World Systems Theory

• The division between core and periphery countries:

  • Core nations thrive at the expense of peripheral nations, which often face poverty and dependency.

5.11 Perspectives from Postcolonial Studies

• World systems theory relates closely to postcolonial studies, examining legacies of colonialism and their impact on culture and economics.

5.12 Resistance in Peripheral Contexts

• Resistance from peripheral groups can take many forms, from overt actions to subtle protests.

• Example: Female workers in Malaysia used spiritual practices as a subtle form of resistance against poor conditions.

5.13 Localization and Cultural Identity

• Localization, or 'glocalization,' involves the adaptation of global influences at local levels.

  • Example: The Sapeurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo use clothing for social status.

5.14 Moving Beyond Simplistic Labels

• Globalization involves complex identities rather than straightforward 'winners' and 'losers.'

  • Many people navigate both local and global spheres but experience these interactions differently based on their social positioning.

5.15 Questions on Developmental Aspirations

• Historical contexts of development initiatives;

  • Colonial views contrasted with modern initiatives like those from the UN and NGOs.

5.16 Approaches to Development in Anthropology

• Development anthropology focuses on locally beneficial projects.

  • Example: Gerald Murray's involvement in Haitian deforestation projects aimed at bridging planners' aims with local needs.

• Anthropology of development critiques external control in projects, emphasizing the potential for worsening inequality.

5.17 Case Study: Lesotho

• James Ferguson's study on the Thaba-Tseka project highlighted that poverty resulted from labor exploitation, not solely from rural living.

5.18 Culture and Global Change

• Perspectives in development vary; some argue for increased accountability to local communities.

• Change imposed from outside is often counterproductive, as communities desire to preserve their traditions.

5.19 Ethical Considerations

• Anthropologists’ ethical obligations to communities needing help versus their independence.

5.20 Understanding Global Homogenization

• Contradictory views on whether the world is homogenizing or diversifying.

  • Cultural Convergence: Local traditions replaced by dominant Western ideas (e.g., McDonaldization).

  • Hybridization: Emphasizes cultural blending and diversity.

5.21 Cultural Theories Critique

• Limitations of convergence theories that relate material goods to identity.

5.22 Hybridization Emphasis

• Acknowledgement of cultural mixing and the persistent diversity contradicts views of cultural purity.

5.23 Multi-Sited Ethnography in Anthropology

• Challenge of maintaining focus on local cultures while acknowledging global influences through multi-sited research.

5.24 Practical and Ethical Dilemmas

• Different challenges encountered in multi-sited versus traditional ethnographic research.