Globalisation and Cultural Identity

Globalisation and Cultural Identity
by John Tomlinson

Another piece on globalisation and cultural identity. It was informative and i thought it explained brilliantly the argument of globalisation just being western cultural imperialism.

"To begin, let me sketch the implicit (for it is usually implicit) reasoning behind the
assumption that globalization destroys identities. Once upon a time, before the era of
globalization, there existed local, autonomous, distinct and well-defined, robust and
culturally sustaining connections between geographical place and cultural experience.
These connections constituted one’s – and one’s community’s – ‘cultural identity’. This
identity was something people simply ‘had’ as an undisturbed existential possession,
an inheritance, a benefit of traditional long dwelling, of continuity with the past. Identity,
then, like language, was not just a description of cultural belonging; it was a sort of
collective treasure of local communities. But it was also discovered to be something
fragile that needed protecting and preserving, that could be lost. Into this world of
manifold, discrete, but to various degrees vulnerable, cultural identities there suddenly
burst (apparently around the middle of the 1980s) the corrosive power of globaliza-
tion. Globalization, so the story goes, has swept like a flood tide through the world’s
diverse cultures, destroying stable localities, displacing peoples, bringing a market-driven, ‘branded’ homogenization of cultural experience, thus obliterating the differences
between locality-defined cultures which had constituted our identities. Though glob-
alization has been judged as involving a general process of loss of cultural diversity,
some of course did better, some worse out of this process. Whilst those cultures in the mainstream of the flow of capitalism – those in the West and, specifically, the United
States – saw a sort of standardized version of their cultures exported worldwide, it
was the ‘weaker’ cultures of the developing world that have been most threatened.
Thus the economic vulnerability of these non-western cultures is assumed to be
matched by a cultural vulnerability. Cultural identity is at risk everywhere with the
depredations of globalization, but the developing world is particularly at risk.
This, then, is the story that implicates globalization in the destruction of cultural
identity, and in the threat to that particular subset of cultural identity that we call ‘national identity’. But another, quite contradictory, story can be told: that globalization, far from destroying it, has been perhaps the most significant force in creating and proliferating cultural identity. This story involves a rather different understanding of the idea of ‘identity’ than the somewhat reified understanding of an individual or collective possession. And it also involves a rather more complex understanding of the globalization process: one, at least, which allows for a degree of unpredictability in its consequences..."

Megan

Globalisation and Culture

This article discusses Globalisation and its affect on cultures through out the world. I found it to be quite interesting.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:h3GBL7qcHtsJ:www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/v25n3/globalization.pdf+culture+and+globalization&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjozn1cA6-Vbp1jYcznXPl5xUcy3fV3jEZUobLhXnPWrApApodUrEdYtOnBadScnh3FI9kGj-diEJXob1msP0sbG291Pmwe50Z3v6vBzFX11_Dxhy_DZbckRZEVFRD0-PQxihgr&sig=AHIEtbRhy1BCn_6Y0DP5kR9MJLMjcr-fAw&pli=1

Megan

India and China: Conflict, Competition, and/or Cooperation in the Age of Globalization

India and China: Conflict, Competition, and/or Cooperation in the Age of Globalization

by Aqueil Ahmad

"India and China are two of the world’s most ancient civilizations. For centuries they shared advanced ideas, inventions, religious and philosophical traditions. But their economies and societies stagnated during the colonial period. In the post-colonial era mutual relations suffered a setback due to political and boundary disputes. In contemporary times they have reemerged as leading techno-economic nations. It is high time for them to move beyond conflicts and start cooperating politically, economically, and technologically for mutual benefits. Recent developments and exchanges indicate that the ball is already rolling in that direction. Globalization for common good requires coming together rather than falling apart, sharing resources and assets rather than wasting them in endless conflicts. In the context of currently shifting global political and economic power, no two nations are better equipped than India and China to show the world how the common concerns of humanity can be addressed through mutual respect, friendship, healthy competition, and sharing of resources. This paper discusses some of these possibilities in the age of globalization..."

This piece by Aqueil Ahmad shows that economic globalization is driving and shaping national politics, economies, histories, social structures, environments, and international relations, and connecting them through interdependent networks as never before. A global power shift is indeed occurring that is still unseen and unrecognized by many among us. There are two major implications of this power shift. Ideology and politics are becoming the handmaidens of global economic forces, rather than the other way round, as the case used to be. The other development is unraveling of erstwhile hegemonies and the United States of America and Europe are no longer in the drivers’ seats.

Megan

“Globalization, Education and the Birth of a Democratically Active Global Citizen”

“Globalization, Education and the Birth of a Democratically Active Global Citizen”
By Agreement Lathi Jotia

"The whole subject of globalization has faced a number of criticisms from some world
leaders, the business sector, trade unions, economists, environmentalists, the list is long.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB) and the World Trade
Organization (WTO) have been, and continue to be blamed for perpetuating globalization
policies, which are seen by many as having caused, and continue to cause a lot of
economic disparities in a number of countries, especially those in the Global South (GS).

This economic phenomenon is viewed as geared towards further burying the economies
that are currently struggling and see no hope in “economic resurrection.” Contrarily,
other theorists and pro-globalization groups contend that the globalization wave is a true
messiah to global socio-economic and politic hiccups which currently negatively affects a
lot of lives."

I found this article by Agreement Lathi Jotia to be quite helpful in gaining a better understanding of globalisation, it gave a balanced view of the issue which was good as quite a few pieces I read gave a rather biased opinion either for or against it.

http://globalization.icaap.org/currentissue.php


Megan

"Maritime transport costs represent a high proportion of the imported value of agricultural products — 10% on average, which is a similar level of magnitude as agricultural tariffs. This study shows that a doubling in the cost of shipping is associated with a 42% drop in trade on average in agricultural goods overall. The tendency to source imports from countries with low transport costs is therefore strong. Trade in some products is particularly affected by changes in maritime transport costs, in particular cereals and oilseeds, which are shipped in bulk."


I think this speaks for itself really. It is a piece of information released by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). They seem t be quite reserved with their information, and the database this information is from is now unavailable to the public.


I think the issue is quite clear and telling of however easy it may seem to "just buy local goods", the issue is much larger than that. Maybe it is as simple as every person only buying local produce, but in reality, most people cannot or will not, and the circle of importing goods gets worsened.


Fionn

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/view-point/the-future-of-globalisation/articleshow/4096586.cms

The article above got me thinking more about the future of globalisation.

"Globalisation, however, has also been linked to colonialism, underdevelopment and to external shock"


I realise now that there are more people out there than I thought with strong views against globalisation. The links between giant companies expanding into lesser developed countries and using the land for factories/farms, etc and colonisation are easy to see.

I wonder if negative trains of thought like this could eventually permeate the subconscious of the masses and we begin to view globalisation the same way we view global warming or overpopulation.

Fionn

The initial paragraph

Globalisation (n) is the “process enabling financial and investment markets to operate internationally, largely as a result of deregulation and improve communications” (Collins) or from the US  to “make worldwide in scope or application (Webster).

In the late 1980s, something that was globalized was an entity that  had more than just an economic impact on the parts of the world it touched. There are many anti-globalisation arguments that argue against the methods many big businesses use in attaining globalization such as low paid labour, sweatshops selling off state-owned property to qualify for loans and many are worried about the low input of the public on big business decisions.

So here's the paragraph we wrote at the beginning, how does everyone feel about it now? Personally I think that this barely even scratches the surface, there's so much more that we didn't even consider at the beginning that we've learnt now. I also think Globalisation is pretty much impossible to define!

- Claire

MRI scan, apple as religion

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/17/bbc-loving-apple-looks-like-a-religion-to-an-mri-scan/

Secrets of the Superbrands was a BBC3 documentary that aired last year and revealed something really interesting,
When put in an MRI scanner, brands stimulate the same part of the brain as religious imagery does.

Unfortunately, as the programme was aired over a year ago it is no longer available to watch. :( But still I find the concept really interesting.

- Claire

Leading article: The gruesome reality of sweatshops...

It took years for campaigners to persuade the world's top sportswear manufacturers that they should take responsibility for the conditions in which their products were manufactured overseas. When Nike, Adidas, Puma and the rest grudgingly came round, it was hailed as a turning-point in the relationship of these companies to their sub-contractors in the developing world. Five years ago this newspaper spoke of "the ethical revolution sweeping through the world's sweatshops". It seems we spoke too soon: what was really under way was a revolution in these companies' public relations departments. As our investigation published today reveals, conditions in hundreds of the factories in which the West's favourite sportswear brands are manufactured remain highly unsatisfactory or appalling.

None of the companies has committed to paying overseas workers a living wage, the paltry sum required for a worker to keep himself and his family in conditions of the most rudimentary decency. Many workers do not even make the derisory local minimum wage, which in China amounts to only two-thirds of a living wage. Some factories continue to use bonded, indentured, prison or child labour. Women working in others are subjected to compulsory pregnancy tests; if they prove positive, they are summarily sacked. Supervisors terrorise workers into submission. These are the shocking facts revealed by a detailed examination of the reports submitted by the companies themselves – but as Puma breezily admits, the truth is certainly far worse than that, because some of the sub-contractors lie systematically about their employees' conditions of labour, and in particular about the amount of overtime they work. Special software has been developed to falsify the records of working hours.

The contrast these findings make with the codes of conduct the firms have embraced is startling. "Our vision is for everyone in our supply chain to share a common set of values", declares Adidas. Nike's code of conduct proposes that "high ethics means success". It exhorts its workers "to lead balanced personal and professional lives", and insists that "Nike will strive to pay fair compensation". In the context of the gruesome shopfloor reality, these fine words are contemptible. Instead of trying to dazzle Western consumers with meaningless rhetoric, these firms must divert some of their vast financial muscle into bringing real improvements to the misery of the sweatshops. The industry's pledge to reform remains dramatically unfulfilled.

this article shows the truth behind the brands we love and also the seriousness of the subject in matter as our brands are unwilling to change their ways all because of power, greed and turnover.

- Ben

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a_D-azUogg&feature=fvst

Just did a simple search in a youtube and this was the 'most hit' video,
despite the cheesy song choice the facts and imagery, are quite mind blowing in the sense that
how young the workers are, how little they get paid, their conditions and most strange to me the companies that use them. I see the big brands such as nike as these very powerful brands that have impacted the world in a good way allowing sporting athletes to be at their best in global events however they hide away their darker side.

I never knew how deceiving brands were in their image.
I've further gone on to realise that change doesn't look evident as even a recession can't stop us from indulging in products and brands merchandise.

Its all very worrying.

- Ben

Sweatshop List, are you surprised???

Here's a list of where sweatshops are undergone in order to fulfil our demands. Shoes and more spesifically athletic shoes are a very high factor relying on sweatshops to produce their high demand?

Does this surprise you in any way?
and are you willing to give up wearing your favourite shoes in order for equal rights?

even though some say yes verbally, in honesty i personally highly doubt many peoples words will lead to action... just an opinion.

-Ben

SweatShops all because of globalisation...

I've been quite attached to this blog recently and feel that its morals are very to the point and more importantly fundamentally correct. Although again, its a blog by I'm assuming one individual, so its mainly opinionated; but this person has taken a lot of time to research and presented concrete information on a very difficult factor involving globalisation.

My opinion

Sweatshops are morally wrong, we all know that but if we give higher pay to the workers will the brands we all love be limited in some parts of the world? or if a company is using sweatshops should we shut them down? however if they are shut down the workers will lose all income compared to there measily wage? some is better than none right?

Comment please, as i am confused as to what the right solution is, it may seem obvious to up the workers rates however does this mean the brand companies will be come more niche or possibly become bankrupt?

- Ben

I've looked at what globalisation was and what it is today. It's debatable when it started, some say millions of years ago, with the advent of man, some say the 1970s, it's all really indecisive. What globalisation actually is seems uncertain as well. To some it is as simple as google puts it:

globalization: growth to a global or worldwide scale; "the globalization of the communication industry".


But lots of people seem to think it is more to do with the individual - more of a mentality than figures of how many shops in a country or whatever. Acceptance of races and traditions and disregard of your own origins is a major theme.

I thought I want to look into the future of globalisation; where we can possibly go from here. I assumed it was just a case of lesser developed countries will get more developed, more urbanisation, etc. but I've found some anti-globalisation viewpoints that argue that globalisation will destroy itself (and has already begun to do so).

The Twin Tower collapse is cited a lot - and very convincingly. For globalisation to work, there has to be compromise. If, instead of separate nations, we effectively become a planet-state, then common ground has to be found.

The basis of this argument is that it can't be found. People are intrinsically greedy and demanding and we will never compromise. A common prediction is that world-changing events (such as 9-11) will doom globalisation before it can ever be realised.

Looking into this more - it's sick as

Fionn

This is one of my favourite written pieces ever... and it's written by my favourite graphic designer Tibor Kalman. The first time I ever read it, it gave me goosebumps. It really is an essential read!

FUCK COMMITTEES
(I believe in lunatics)

It’s about the struggle between individuals with jagged passion in their work and today’s faceless corporate committees, which claim to understand the needs of the mass audience, and are removing the idiosyncrasies, polishing the jags, creating a thought-free, passion-free, cultural mush that will not be hated nor loved by anyone. By now, virtually all media, architecture, product and graphic design have been freed from ideas, individual passion, and have been relegated to a role of corporate servitude, carrying out corporate strategies and increasing stock prices. Creative people are now working for the bottom line.

Magazine editors have lost their editorial independence, and work for committees of publishers (who work for committees of advertisers). TV scripts are vetted by producers, advertisers, lawyers, research specialists, layers and layers of paid executives who determine whether the scripts are dumb enough to amuse what they call the ‘lowest common denominator’. Film studios out films in front of focus groups to determine whether an ending will please target audiences. All cars look the same. Architectural decisions are made by accountants. Ads are stupid. Theater is dead.

Corporations have become the sole arbiters of cultural ideas and taste in America. Our culture is corporate culture.

Culture used to be the opposite of commerce, not a fast track to ‘content’- derived riches. Not so long ago captains of industry (no angels in the way they acquired wealth) thought that part of their responsibility was to use their millions to support culture. Carnegie built libraries, Rockefeller built art museums, Ford created his global foundation. What do we now get from our billionaires? Gates? Or Eisner? Or Redstone? Sales pitches. Junk mail. Meanwhile, creative people have their work reduced to ‘content’ or ‘intellectual property’. Magazines and films become ‘delivery systems’ for product messages.

But to be fair, the above is only 99 percent true.

I offer a modest solution: Find the cracks in the wall. There are a very few lunatic entrepreneurs who will understand that culture and design are not about fatter wallets, but about creating a future. They will understand that wealth is means, not an end. Under other circumstances they may have turned out to be like you, creative lunatics. Believe me, they’re there and when you find them, treat them well and use their money to change the world.

Tibor Kalman

New York

June 1998

Josh.

Religions vs. Corporations

They promote sets of ideas and rituals, often in clearly branded structures, have income streams and clear marketing processes.


Is this a reference to religions or to corporations? Can it be applied to both? 
The cross is arguably not just a religious symbol but a 'logo', as is the star of David and the Aum (Hinduism), just as much as the golden arches of McDonalds or the Apple logo. Religions have clear marketing aims - to provide their product as many people as possible.
Is this not the same aim as a corporation?


Or is it the motives behind the actions that define the two?


Are Jehovas witnesses to religion what doorstep salesmen are to corporations? 




Religious corporations are usually listed under one persons name.
Legally, business corporations are treated as a person in themselves - they have their own motives etc.

How do religions/corporations spread?
In a discussion between Christopher Hitchens and a religious official (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQorzOS-F6w) Time - 1.20 to 1.50) He asks if the church believes that Christianity was spread more by holy spirit or because Emperor Constantine decided to make Christianity the official religion of Rome.


http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/as-corporations-grow-more-powerful-they-should-become-more-transparent-358733/


An extract from this article by Ralph Gomory and Leo Hindery Jr. in response to huge corporations in America, states:
"As a nation, we have reached a point where we must decide how much power we will allow large corporations and the extremely wealthy to have over our lives and our political system. Making their activities transparent is a first step toward ensuring that we don't become a nation for the rich but rather one that works to provide for all."


Can this apply to religions as well? As it is not only corporations that monopolise certain areas.


What is it that distinguishes religions from a corporation?


- Claire

Religious Corporations?

In America, there are such things as religious corporations, which are non-profit organisations that are incorporated under the law. They are usually recognised only by an individual state or province government and they are usually regulated be a Secretary of State.

Because they are RELIGIOUS non profit organisations, they have less rigorous reporting and filing requirements then other tax-exempt organisations. Also, depending on which state they are in, they are also exempt from inspections and regulations that govern non-religious groups that provide the same services. These corporations are usually in the name of a single person.

Is it right that because an organisation is religious, it is not liable to follow the usual regulations? Should they be checked up on? Or should they be trusted as religious officials to follow the requirements?

[edit]

Stark Vs. Wayne

Saw this and felt I should post it :) Enjoy!
- Claire

McDonalds Prayer

A video of a bit by comedian (whose name I can't find anywhere) done in kinetic typography.

Thought it was an interesting look at corporations as religions

http://www.darkseptemberrain.com/ideas/advantages.htm

So I was looking at this. It's a bit black and white, and doesn't seem very well supported, but one really stood out:

"Increased likelihood of economic disruptions in one nation effecting all nations"


I hadn't really thought about this before. It's listed in the "disadvantages" section, though I can see a positive side to it too. It treats humanity as a whole rather than viewing it as separate colonies. As destructive as globalisation can be at times in regard to losing local culture and shops or "brainwashing" people, I think it is worth remembering that, in a money-hungry, hamfisted way, it does bring humanity together as a whole.

With cheap air travel, countries seem closer together, and there's no problem going to another country for a long weekend. As long as local culture can be preserved, I think this is a great think for people as a whole - it brings a sense of inter-connectedness.

Fionn

Tescopoly: A bit of a shock?

This is a map showing the number of Tesco Stores in the Uk. It excludes over 580 Tesco 'One Stop' Convienience stores and was made in 2006.

There do seem to be certain cluster spots, as well as some completely bare spots. Any ideas why?

Tesco also have stores in China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey.

They have withdrawn from France, Taiwan and America (as they could not compete with Walmart) and have plans to expand into Italy, India and Portugal. 

It would seem that Tesco is planning a global takeover?

- Claire

Tescopoly

Got this book a few days ago, may take me a while to get through it, but am finding it interesting so far, 

the blurb-


You can shop anywhere you like, as long as it's Tesco


The inexorable rise of supermarkets, particularly Tesco, is big news, but have we taken on board what it really means for our daily lives, and those of our children? In this searing analysis Andrew Simms, one of Britain's leading experts on this issue and the person who introduced the term 'Clone Towns' into our language, tackles a subject that none of us can afford to ignore. 


Simms traces the supermarket disease back to its American roots and charts the moment when the promise of choice turned into something altogether different.With Tesco leading the way, he shows how supermarkets are draining the life from our town centres, creating a commercial nanny state that knows more about you than you think, profiting from shelves full of global plunder and unpicking the fabric of our communities. 


But there is change afoot. The consumer tide is turning and the backlash spreading, with international campaigns gaining ground. Simms ends with suggestions for change and rethinking big business to safeguard our communities and environment - all over the world.



So what does everyone think about that description of supermarkets? Are they really a disease, draining all life from our culture? Pirates, profiteering off global plunder? If so, what do you think should be done to change this?

Does anyone not shop at a supermarket?

- Claire

A corporate quiz

I thought I'd make a mini quiz to see how corporate logos match up against religious symbols, I'll be posting it on here for everyone to do, as well as asking others.
So here goes; first name these 12 corporations from their logos:

Now name these 7 religious symbols:

Post your answers as a comment :) 

- Claire

Ambleside

During the holidays I took a trip to Ambleside and took these photos. With all the old fashioned shops, rural setting and a really, really old cinema, I never expected a giant Tesco express in the middle of the town.

I was surprised at how few corporate shops there were. The few I saw were the Tesco, a Boots, a Costa and a Greggs. I wondered why corporate shops haven't broken into these markets, is it because it's only a small town and they don't see a profit? Or is there just no demand in these places?

What does everyone think about this? Is it a good thing that corporations haven't expanded out everywhere? Or would you rather see/feel there is need for certain shops everywhere?

-Claire

A very interesting piece on misrepresentation in the media, and how global corporations are using the news media to provide a narrower range of viewpoints and create a biased public opinion.

Josh

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6279679.stm - An interesting article, but because it's on the bbc it's quite easy to make sense of. Josh

A very short look at how globalisation can work for some and cause turmoil for others. In this quick article about free trade deals from the US, it shows that a lot of work will be created, but in the countries that are being undercut human rights are being breached and laws are being broken.
Josh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12YDLZq8rT4

This link leads to a 50minute video on the good factors of globalisation in a general sense. It doesn't target any specific topic apart from the positivity of globalisation. I thought seen as most of the posts have been rather negative, i would give a balanced argument for globalisation and show its benifits.

- Ben

 

A fairly simple, but good overview of how the media is manipulating public opinion to make globalisation happen. Without any questions, and if anything, public support.\

Lots of love Josh. xxx

Globalisation is increasing exponentially and can perhaps be traced back to Homo Sapiens leaving their ancestral homeland in Africa and expanding across the globe.

This was a new phenomenon. Previously, humans had been insular, though with the emergence of Homo Sapiens from Africa, cultures began to spread and interbreeding began, arguably the first human act of globalisation.

Further reading:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070509161829.htm

Here is an evocative image of some Homo Sapiens getting ready for the Globalisation Hype Train:

- Fionn

How free trade is ruining the economy.

Lots of love Josh. xxx

http://www.globalissues.org/issue/38/free-trade-and-globalization

An article about free trade laws, and how this affects globaltrade.

Lots of love Josh. xxx

I saw this poster and thought it was a interesting enough to share. It communicates how globalisation has unknowing taken over our everyday lives, even if we feel we have some individuality left. Soon, if not already this is how we will all begin to think and this poster illustrates this in a very simplistic way. - Ben

Identity:Globalization, culture and psychological functioning

Identity: Globalization, culture and psychological functioning - Paul Narh Doky and Kwaku Oppong Asante - International journal of human sciences (2011)

Am having some trouble uploading the pdf at the minute, will try again later. It's all about the impact of globalisation on our psychology.

- Claire

The Disneyization of Society

http://www.canyons.edu/Faculty/haugent/Disneyization%20of%20Society%20Article.pdf

The Disneyization of Society - Alan Bryman

- Claire

Globalisation Animation

This video shows the truths behind globalisation and why our world; is in the state it's in today. I feel the animation is a good way to aid our understanding of what globalisation is about, as the video maker is so direct and blunt in his/her approach. - Ben

Globalization : A Critical Introduction

Jan Aart Scholte, Globalization: A Critical Introduction


- Megan

Globalization: Is It Good or Bad?

Globalization: Is It Good or Bad? By: Naghshpour, Shahdad, Globalization (15359794), 15359794, Fall2008, Vol. 7, Issue 2

- Megan

Noam Chomsky on Globalization

 

- Megan

The Corporation

The Corporation is a documentary by Mark Achbar, which examines the nature, evolution, impacts and future of the modern business corporation and the role it plays in society and our everyday lives. It's on youtube in 23 parts and is really useful in reference to big business owners and the impact of global businesses on the earth and people all over the world. - Claire

Mind Map

Just some thoughts on things we could look at, if anyone wants to add anything then feel free :)
-Claire