Cultural integration - when people from a culture adapt the essence of another culture while at the same time maintaining their own culture

Diffusion, adoption and adaptation of mass consumer culture

Global village - The World feels like it is getting smaller due to technology

Culture can be defined as a ‘way of life’ including traditions, customs, languages, belief systems, art, architecture, music and food

• No culture is static, ideas change and people move a lot

• Technology changes all culture

• There is a fear that cultural diversity is under threat, being swamped by Western influences

Mass consumer culture - a lifestyle focused on buying of goods and spending of money

Factors affecting cultural integration

Transnational corporations (TNCs):

• TNC - Businesses that operate internationally and tend to use developing countries to make and distribute the products

• Include Apple, Microsoft, Amazon & Tesla

• The profit from selling the world’s 10 largest companies would exceed the GNP of the worl’d 100 smallest countries

Growth of TNCs:

• Most TNCs start small before taking over other businesses and expanding overseas

• TNCs have developed systems of corporate control and now operate through a combination of ventures, licensing and franchise agreements and subcontracting

Method of operation:

• The main goal is to generate a profit

• They are often able to minimise the amount of tax paid

• Decisions made by a TNC are for the good of the business and may not always be in the best interest of the country that they are based in

• Individual governments may not be able to see these decisions until after they’ve been made

Offshoring :

• The process of moving a part of a company’s production process to another country

• Especially in developing countries

• Reduces the cost of wages and transport costs

• There is less environmental regulation in a developing country

Outsourcing:

• When a firm contracts with another company to obtain goods or services from it

• However, there is less control over the production process

Glocalisation:

• Some TNCs sell identical ‘authentic’ products in all countries

• Glocalisation is adapting the product to suit the local market

Drawbacks of TNCs:

• We rely more on international products which can affect access to products

• The exploitation of workers (low wages, poor conditions)

• Outsourcing jobs can lead to job losses in the home country

• Local cultures and traditions can be eroded by TNCs and Western ideas

Positive effects of TNCs:

• TNC is able to benefit from cheap labour

• Product cost is kept to a minimum

• Creation of stable jobs

• TNCs may invest in infrastructure in the country they’ve set up in

Actions of governments:

• Governments can promote cultural integration

• This can be done by:

  • deregulating economies

  • supporting immigration

  • promoting multiculturalism

• Benefits include:

  • diversity

  • economy (more people = more money)

  • more growth

• Negatives include

  • monoculture/westernisation

Preservation of culture:

• Some countries keep other cultures out

• they want to stop the influence of American values and attitudes

• They do this in France by imposing quotas and encouraging local content

• Vietnam blocks unwholesome content

• North Korea uses authoritarian measures to isolate their people from outside cultural influences

Promoting cultural integration:

• Includes many things like encouraging migration and playing content from other countries

Cultural imperialism

• Cultural imperialism - the dominance of one culture over all others

• Can be seen as the ‘Americanisation’ of everything

The effects of cultural integration

Homogenised urban landscapes

• Landscapes and streetscapes are starting to look the same

• Signs for stores etc. are being seen worldwide and this makes cities look similar

• This is a sign of wealth and development

• Is also a sign of monoculture

Architecture:

• Manhattanisation - new buildings around the world look like those from New York

• Architects work globally meaning that the same style of building is seen worldwide

• Australia’s suburban architecture also illustrates the impact of cultural integration as each group of immigrants brings their own architectural style and cultural heritage

Economic dominance and dependence:

• TNCs have economic dominance and have created global inequities

• TNCs are supported by producer services (lawyers, accountants, it support, insurance etc.)

• TNCs producer services have become global to support them

• The dominant one is the TNCs and the producer services are dependent

Financial institutions:

• Globalisation is clearly seen in financial markets

• Most important financial centres - London, Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong

The global city:

• Global city - A city that holds many TNCs

• Decisions made in these cities affect the livelihood and well-being of people around the world

• Nodes - the core of a business (a global city is a node)

Formal and informal economies:

• Informal economy - Labour intensive, no tax paid, includes food vendors, shoe shiners etc.

• Informal economies are very common in developing countries

• Formal economy - Goods produced for export markets

Threats to cultural diversity:

• Cultural diversity makes each country different

• Corporations spend big on trying to standardise consumer markets

• Some countries are fine with this, others fight it

Loss of language:

• Indigenous cultures not being able to hand down languages is a way most languages die

• Gradual language death - speakers of one language come into contact with a higher language

Shrinking time and space:

• World feels smaller because travel is more accessible

• Average cost of domestic travel has dropped 50% in the last 30 years

• Travel is both faster and cheaper

Technology:

• Internet has accelerated the rate of shrinking time and space

• People can access global markets from anywhere and communicate in real time

• Increases the level of inequality all over the world

• Global cities have more strength

• Developed countries will continue to exert a disproportionate influence on internet-based economic innovators