In his paper, “Globalisation of
Culture through the Media”, Kraidy (2002) explores the debate between cultural
imperialism and globalisation. He asserts that there has been a general
consensus that cultural globalisation is 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, whereby cultures from around the
world are adapted and transformed to suit local needs.
I agree with Kraidy as he proposes 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. The authors 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).
In my opinion, 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 whereby 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.
Furthermore, cultural globalisation is not necessarily a
Western phenomenon since Asian countries perpetuate their cultures too. Green
tea, yoga, Japanese manga and Korean pop music (K-pop) are some Asian inspired
cultural products that have been well received in Western countries. One good
example to reflect this trend is Gangnam Style, a K-pop song by South Korean
singer Psy. With Youtube as its social medium, the song went viral and gained
worldwide attention.
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.
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.
(446 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
