Globalized Culture Notes

Globalized Culture

Introduction

• Malala Yousafzai highlights the power and impact of social media, urging its positive use.

• The essential question is: How has globalization changed culture since 1900?

• Early 20th century: Political and social developments led to modernism in the arts, rejecting tradition for experimentation.

• Post-World War II: Wealthier nations developed a consumer culture focused on buying and owning.

• Loosened trade restrictions and new technology led to global sampling of arts, culture, and ideas.

• Social media has created unprecedented global connectedness with both positive and negative potential.

Political, Social, and Artistic Changes

Political Changes

• Early 20th century: Imperialism caused competition among nations.

• Two world wars led to deadly conflict, but also allied cooperation.

• The Cold War divided the world, emphasizing differences.

• Post-Cold War: Economic and cultural barriers fell, fostering collaboration.

• Nations formed cooperative organizations:

  • European Union.

  • NAFTA.

  • United Nations for conflict resolution.

  • World Trade Organization for international trade regulation.

Social Changes

• International organizations and collaboration increased cultural contact.

• Rights movements (civil rights, women's rights) brought marginalized voices into mainstream conversations.

• Questioning of long-held beliefs:

  • Albert Einstein revolutionized understanding of physical reality.

  • Sigmund Freud explored the human psyche.

  • Jean-Paul Sartre philosophized that nothing had meaning.

• Technological developments brought rapid changes in communication, transportation, and medicine.

Artistic Changes

• Visual arts, literature, and music reflected these changes:

  • Cubism (Picasso's "Guernica") challenged traditional perspective.

  • Stream-of-consciousness writing (Marcel Proust, James Joyce) rebelled against narrative forms.

  • Atonal music (Arnold Schoenberg) explored new musical expressions.

• These expressions responded to the mechanized, urbanized early 1900s society.

• Harlem Renaissance: A rebirth of African American culture, distancing itself from stereotypes.

  • Harlem became a center for black artistic expression.

  • Jazz emerged as an international language.

Global Consumer and Popular Culture

• 1920s: Popular culture expressed itself through radio and motion pictures.

• Radio, movies, and later television created a shared culture.

  • Radio offered comedies and music; played a vital role in national defense during World War II.

  • Movies provided relief during the Great Depression while reflecting it.

  • Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp" epitomized the down and out.

• Post-World War II: Consumer culture grew in the developed world, ushered in by radio and television.

  • "Free" programming included commercials, promoting consumer products.

  • Industry shifted to consumer goods, which people eagerly bought.

• 1990s: The internet connected people globally.

Americanization and its Discontents

• Early 21st century: The United States remained the world's most influential culture.

• Americanization: The world learned more about the United States than vice versa.

• This dominance caused resentment due to the dilution of unique cultural identities.

• American consumer culture was seen as a "throwaway culture" with waste and pollution.

English Spreads and Changes

• English became a second language globally through the British Empire, American movies, corporations, and scientific research.

• Around 300 million people in China were learning English in the early 21st century.

• Corporations moved call centers to India and the Philippines for fluent English speakers at lower wages.

• English evolved in other countries:

  • Indian English included " prepone, " meaning the opposite of postpone.

Global Brands and Commerce

• Multinational corporations advertise and distribute global brands (Apple, Nike, Rolex).

• Interbrand ranks top global companies based on:

  • Financial performance.

  • Influence on consumer choice.

  • Ability to command a premium price.

• 2018 winners: Toyota, Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and Coca-Cola.

• Online commerce makes shopping global (Amazon, Alibaba, eBay).

• Online retailers must pay various sales taxes based on local laws.

Global Influences on Popular Culture

• Though the United States is dominant, other cultures are welcomed.

• Bollywood (Indian musicals) enjoys worldwide popularity.

• Anime (Japanese animation) became hugely influential; in 2016, 60% of the world's animated TV shows were based on anime.

• Reggae music from Jamaica blended New Orleans jazz, rhythm and blues, and mento; associated with the Rastafari religion and Pan-Africanism.

• K-pop (Korean music) became a global hit, boosting other South Korean exports, and the government supports K-Pop concerts and tours.

• Internet-based streaming video sites (YouTube, Vimeo) helped popularize K-Pop and other musical styles.

Social Media and Censorship

• Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat) changed communication, with potential for inspiration and manipulation.

• Some countries (e.g., China) banned external social media but allowed domestic platforms (WeChat, Weibo, YuKu) with censorship.

Global Culture in Sports

• The globalization of popular culture includes sports.

• The modern Olympic Games (established in 1896) reflected internationalism.

• 2016 Rio Olympics attracted about 3.6 billion viewers worldwide.

• Soccer became the most popular sport because it requires little equipment.

• The World Cup rivals the Olympics as a global event.

• Basketball also became global, with internationally known players (Michael Jordan, LeBron James).

• The NBA included players from 30 countries in 2014.

• Major League Baseball had a high percentage of foreign-born players.

• Sports became more available to women.

• Some Muslim female athletes compete wearing hijab, adapting athletic wear to follow traditional Muslim practices.

Global Culture and Religion

• Globalization promoted new religious developments.

• George Harrison's song with a Hindu mantra launched the Hari Krishna movement.

• New Age religions revived and adapted Buddhism, shamanism, Sufism for a Western audience.

• Falun Gong in China gained popularity in the 1990s but was later restricted, prompting international protests.

• While most people identify with a religion, an increasing number of younger people identify as nonbelievers without necessarily being atheists or agnostics.

Key Terms

Culture: Arts

• Consumer culture

• Modernism

• Popular culture

• Bollywood

• Anime

• Reggae

• K-pop

Society: Belief Systems

• Hari Krishna

• New Age

• Falun Gong

• Nonbelievers

Culture: Sports

• Olympic Games

• World Cup

• National Basketball Association (NBA)

Society: Influences

• Americanization

• Malala Yousafzai

• Throwaway culture

Technology: Commerce and Entertainment

• Global brand

• Streaming video

• Online commerce

• Social media