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?
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.
Globalization leads to both similarities and changes in cultures.
Anthropologists study these dynamics to understand cultural shifts due to global 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.
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.
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.
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.
The history of financial globalization since the 1870s, which has gained momentum in recent decades.
Growth of transnational corporations in low-cost labor countries.
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.
The division between core and periphery countries:
Core nations thrive at the expense of peripheral nations, which often face poverty and dependency.
World systems theory relates closely to postcolonial studies, examining legacies of colonialism and their impact on culture and economics.
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.
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.
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.
Historical contexts of development initiatives;
Colonial views contrasted with modern initiatives like those from the UN and NGOs.
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.
James Ferguson's study on the Thaba-Tseka project highlighted that poverty resulted from labor exploitation, not solely from rural living.
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.
Anthropologists’ ethical obligations to communities needing help versus their independence.
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.
Limitations of convergence theories that relate material goods to identity.
Acknowledgement of cultural mixing and the persistent diversity contradicts views of cultural purity.
Challenge of maintaining focus on local cultures while acknowledging global influences through multi-sited research.
Different challenges encountered in multi-sited versus traditional ethnographic research.