Reader's Response (Draft 2)

In his paper, “Globalisation of Culture through the Media”, Kraidy (2002) explores the debate between cultural imperialism and globalisation. He asserts that there was a general consensus that cultural globalisation was synonymous with westernisation or Americanisation. This perspective is similar to that of the cultural imperialism theory whereby cultural products and values from predominately “Western industrialised countries” are exported and imposed globally, particularly to developing countries. Kraidy (2002) highlights various reasons for a shift in perspective from cultural imperialism to globalisation. One group has perceived cultural globalisation as a homogenising process where local cultures are at risk of being dominated by Western culture. Others, including Kraidy, regard it as hybridisation where global cultures adapt and transform to suit local needs.

I agree with Kraidy who perceives cultural globalisation as hybridisation instead of another feature of Western imperialism. Cultural globalisation is defined as the “movement of ideas, information, images and people” across geographical and political boundaries (Keohane & Nye, 2000). This definition illustrates that globalisation is not merely a process where the West dominates other cultures.

Keohane and Nye (2000) assert that cultural globalisation neither implies universality nor homogeneity as global cultural products take on different meanings for different people. For example, a McDonalds outlet in Beijing is more than just a fast food restaurant; it serves as a socialising place as well (Belk, 2006).

Cultural globalisation is not a zero-sum game with the demise of local cultures and national identities. It is inaccurate to assume that people are passive subjects who are unable to interact with global cultural influences. The creation of hybrid cultural products where global products are transformed to suit local norms is apparent in many parts of the world. For example, McDonalds reinvents its menu to provide vegetarian burgers instead of Big Mac in response to India’s culture and belief system. Similarly in Singapore and Japan, McDonalds offers rice burgers and seaweed seasoning fries to suit the local palate.

Cultural globalisation is not necessarily a Western phenomenon. Asian countries in particular, perpetuate their cultures too. This is also known as “counter-flow”. Green tea, yoga, Japanese manga and Korean pop music are some Asian inspired cultural products that have been well received in Western countries.

Globalisation should not be accepted as an inevitable process with a single outcome. Cultural globalisation does not mean homogenisation or the “steamrolling of the world by American values” (Friedman, 2006). Rather, it is a reciprocal two-way process that allows global and local cultures to interact.

(400 words)

References:

Belk, R. (2006). Out of Sight and Out of Our Minds: What of those left behind by globalism? In J. N. Sheth & R. Sisodia (Eds.), Does Marketing Need Reform?: Fresh Perspectives on the Future (pp. 209 – 216). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.

Friedman, T. L. (2006). The world is flat: The globalized world in the twenty-first century. London: Penguin Books.

Keohane, R. O., & Nye, J. S. (2000). Globalization: What's New? What's Not? (And So What?). Foreign Policy, Spring(118), 104 – 119.

Kraidy, M. M. (2002). Globalization of Culture Through the Media. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1333&context=asc_papers

Reader's Response (Draft 1)

In his paper, “Globalisation of culture through the media”, Kraidy (2002) asserts that there was a general consensus that cultural globalisation was synonymous with westernisation or Americanisation. This perspective is similar to that of the cultural imperialism theory whereby cultural products and values from predominately “Western industrialised countries” are exported and imposed globally, particularly to developing countries. Kraidy (2002) highlights various reasons for a shift in perspective from cultural imperialism to globalisation. One group has perceived cultural globalisation as a homogenising process where local cultures are at risk of being dominated by Western culture. Others, including Kraidy, regard it as hybridisation where global cultures adapt and transform to suit local needs.

I agree with Kraidy who perceives cultural globalisation as hybridisation instead of another feature of Western imperialism because the latter suggests a process where the West dominates other cultures. According to Keohane and Nye (2000), cultural globalisation refers to the “movement of ideas, information, images and people” across geographical and political borders.

Keohane and Nye (2000) assert that cultural globalisation neither implies universality nor homogenisation. For example, global cultural products take on different meanings for different people. Larsson (2001) states “the Chinese do not cease to be Chinese the moment they get their teeth into an American hamburger”.

Cultural globalisation is not a zero-sum game with the demise of local cultures and national identities. It is inaccurate to assume that people are passive subjects who are unable to interact with global cultural influences. The creation of hybrid cultural products where global products are transformed to suit local norms is apparent in many parts of the world. For example, McDonalds reinvents its menu to serve vegetarian and chicken burgers instead of Big Mac in response to India’s culture and belief system. Similarly in Singapore and Japan, McDonalds offers rice burgers and seaweed seasoning fries to suit the local palate.

Cultural globalisation is not necessarily a Western phenomenon. Asian countries in particular, perpetuate their cultures too. This is also known as “counter-flow”. Green tea, yoga, Japanese manga and Korean pop music are some Asian inspired cultural products that are well received in Western countries.

Globalisation should not be accepted as an inevitable process with a single outcome. Cultural globalisation does not mean homogenisation or the “steamrolling of the world by American values” (Friedman, 2006). Rather, it is a reciprocal two-way process that allows both global and local cultures to interact.

(397 words)
(Edited - 17th Feb)

References: 

Friedman, T. L. (2006). The world is flat: the globalized world in the twenty-first century. London: Penguin Books. 

Keohane, R. O., & Nye, J. S. (2000). Globalization: What's New? What's Not? (And So What?). Foreign Policy, Spring(118), 104 – 119.

Kraidy, M. M. (2002). Globalization of Culture Through the Media. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1333&context=asc_papers

Larsson, T. (2001). The race to the top: the real story of globalisation. Washington, DC: CATO Institute. 

Summary (Draft 2)

In his paper, “globalisation of culture through the media”, Kraidy (2002) asserts that there was a general consensus that cultural globalisation was synonymous with westernisation or Americanisation. This perspective is similar to that of the cultural imperialism theory whereby cultural products and values from predominately “Western industrialised countries” are exported and imposed globally, particularly to developing countries. Kraidy (2002) highlights various reasons for the shift in perspective from cultural imperialism to globalisation. One group has perceived cultural globalisation as a homogenising process where local cultures are at risk of being dominated by Western culture. Others, including Kraidy, see it as hybridisation where global cultures adapt and transform to suit local needs.

Summary (Draft 1)

In his paper, "globalisation of culture through the media", Kraidy (2002) asserts that there is a general consensus that globalisation of culture is synonymous with westernisation or Americanisation. Cultural globalisation has largely been attributed to mass media but this is challenged in “international communication theory and research”. The theory of cultural imperialism states that media messages from predominately “Western industrialised countries” are exported and broadcasted globally, particularly to developing countries.

As identified by researchers, nation-states and transnational corporations are two main contributors to cultural imperialism. The global media debate arose due to the different ideologies between the Western industrialised countries, which advocated neo-liberalism, and the developing countries, which pushed for a “free and balanced flow” of information.

There is a growing awareness about the limitations of cultural imperialism theory and hence, there has been a paradigm shift to globalisation. Some perceive cultural globalisation as a homogenising process where indigenous cultures are at risk of being dominated by Western culture. Others, including Kraidy, see it as hybridisation where global cultures are adapted and transformed to suit local needs.

An event that has shaped my life and the person I have become

An event that shaped my life took place last summer when I spent six weeks in Thailand working on the field studies module offered by the Geography Department. It takes place outside the traditional classroom setting and allows students to gather first-hand data and conduct their own research. Furthermore, most of the places we visited and stayed in were off the beaten track.

Signing up for this module is extremely uncharacteristic of me because I am quite resistant to change and I like to travel in comfort. However, the idea of clearing 8 MCs in merely six weeks was a huge incentive for me.

The module is an eye-opener as it provides an opportunity for me to really engage with the world. For instance, it is one thing to read dispassionately about Myanmar’s political instability and another to visit a Karenni refugee camp in Thailand to interact with internally displaced persons (IDPs) (Fig. 1).

(Fig. 1) - Interacting with IDPs

Admittedly, I have taken conveniences in Singapore like clean water, electricity, flushing toilets, Internet service and asphalt roads for granted. The experiences I had in Thai villages were completely different. For example, my peers and I spent two weeks in Ban Rak Thai (BRT) where electricity was rationed and the only source of Internet came from a restaurant. For the first time, I became thankful for small blessings such as dry clothes and hot baths because the weather in BRT is perpetually cold and rainy. The village stay struck a chord with me that I ought to be more appreciative for what I have. 

(Fig. 2) - Communal living

(Fig. 3) - Washing the dishes

I am glad I took a chance to get out of my comfort zone because the experiences and friendship I gained from this module far outweigh the discomforts and negativity I felt. Moreover, the journey made me realise that I am stronger, both mentally and physically, than I give myself credit for.

(308 words)