Blog #31 – Cultural Imperialism
I want to put before the topic that might seem so subtle to you that you may not have noticed it, but if you ever get to travel outside the country, I want you to be on the look-out for it.
When we think of imperialism, we usually think of more powerful countries taking over weaker countries and exploiting their resources. It has been that way probably since even before Columbus, but they just called it feudalism back then.
The concept of cultural imperialism has been linked since the 1980s to globalization when Harvard business professor Theodore Levitt stated that “the world’s needs and desires have been irrevocably homogenized” 2. In essence, because of the reach of some dominant American corporations, people from around the world were able to buy and want the same kinds of products and Coke, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Hollywood, Nike, and the Gap could cater to those needs. And this was being realized back in the 1980s.
In 1999, in Seattle, the World Trade Organization held its annual conference there but was greeted with some of the most violent, chaotic street protests ever seen in the United States. Many of the 50-100,000 protesters were protesting the inherent unfairness of free trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries and what those agreements would do to the indigenous workers. Were these workers being subjected to slave labor conditions? Were children under 10 working?
Pics of the WTO protests in Seattle, 1999.
In 2000, Naomi Klein published a book called No Logo that examined the pervasive marketing of brands and how companies like Nike, Starbucks and others were reinventing themselves as companies who didn’t make stuff anymore but marketing ideas. Nike could outsource the making of its shoes and become “the idea of transcendence through sports” while Starbucks was the “idea of community” (Klein). After listening to Howard Schulz’s biography Forward on CD, (CEO of Starbucks), I can tell you that concept is EXACTLY what they’ve been trying to sell for the past decade.
Klein also discusses how stealth marketing has been done inside of schools (a cultural imperialism at home, if you will) with pop machines, computers, fast-food restaurants in school cafeterias, athletic gear on school sports uniforms, Gatorade all over the place, to getting kids and schools to promote a product like Coke in order to win $500 (Klein 87-95). Why do schools allow this? Because many schools are chronically underfunded and have to find money wherever they can. Companies pay schools for the insertion of their logos all over school grounds. Cell phone companies pay for the towers at Falcon Field. And none of this counts any of the self-promotion that kids do on their own when they wear A&F or Aeropostale or even Old Navy clothing with the logos blazing right back at ya. Kids are walking billboards, willing participants in promoting their favorite brands. You would think that the companies might give you a discount when you buy the sweatshirts / t-shirts that have logos on them b/c you’re doing them a favor.
In 2004, a magazine called The Humanist sponsored an essay contest for high schoolers and a 17 year old named Julia Galeota won with her entry “Cultural Imperialism: An American Tradition” 2. In it, she discussed how American corporations aren’t really tailoring their brands to fit other countries; what they are really doing is swapping out American faces for local actors – “insert indigenous celebrities or trends to present the facade of a customized advertisement” 2. For instance, MTV has been located in 45 different countries. A 1996 survey showed that 85% of middle class teens in those 45 countries indicated that they watched MTV every day, with “manufactured stars singing in English to appeal to American popular tastes” 2.
Galeota also discusses the pervasive use of satellite TV news. When countries allow their citizens to import news like CNN (150 million households in 212 countries), they are importing American values, politics, and stories of “our economic and military superiority” 2.
Questions (do both):
1. Can there be an up-side to cultural imperialism? If so, what is it and why? If not, why not?
2. How do you think other countries can preserve their own culture and identity without being overwhelmed by the American consumer tsunami (metaphor, work with me, o.k.?)?
Due Tuesday, February 7 by class time.
300 words total when you are finished. Minimum word count, of course.
Sources:
1. https://wikis.nyu.edu/ek6/modernamerica/index.php/Imperialism/CulturalImperialism
2. http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/essay3mayjune04.pdf
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_imperialism
4.Klein, Naomi. No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. New York: Picador, 2010. Print.
5.http://www.utexas.edu/courses/kincaid/AI/readings/Cultural%20Imperialism.pdf
1. Can there be an up-side to cultural imperialism? If so, what is it and why? If not, why not?
I think there is an up-side to cultural imperialism. I think so for a number of reasons. One reason I think cultural imperialism is good is because it can introduce a country to another culture, significantly different from that of their own. For example, when i was 6, I got mad when my family said that we were going to a Japanese resturant to celebrate my grandmother’s 70th birthday. I remember thinking “gosh, i dont want nasty weird looking Japanese food, why can’t we just go get like a pizza or something? Or we could go to McDonalds.” Anyways, when I actually got to the restaurant and actually tried the food, i liked it! Ultimately what I am tryin to say is that after actually experiencing an aspect of a culture different from their own, a person may shed any negative pre-conformed notions and ideas they may have had about it. Now i’m not saying that I was racist against the Japanese or anything, I just thought that their food was gross.
2. How do you think other countries can preserve their own culture and identity without being overwhelmed by the American consumer tsunami (metaphor, work with me
I think it will be very possible for other countries to preserve their own culture in the midst of being exposed to America’s. I think so because, well, just because a country is exposed to another country’s culture doesn’t mean it must give up their own to embrace the foreign country’s culture (in this case, America). For example, people in Japan, although most of them do wear western-style clothing and eat foods from KFC and such, still make their traditional culture a huge part of their lives (e.g Sumo Wrestling). I think countries could help preserve their existing culture by promoting existing national sports, (somehow) promoting their existing clothing styles, and even promoting their existing language. This can be done in a variety of ways, like establishing a class pertaining to the country’s history and culture in k-12 schools, and making the class a required part of the students’ curriculum.
1. Yes, but the gains do not out way the losses. The upside, if you think it is, is that the world will be in one super culture, were everyone has the same food, clothing, and music choices. This, though, is just a theory. A super culture will never work because there will always be religion and remnants of old culture. The problem is that the culture will be built on corporation and will have no moral guidelines. Plus, countries that are years behind us will be thrusted into a new world which will cause unrest and bloodshed between the new and old culture. A super culture will also wipe out small businesses and traditions, crushing many economies. Different cultures are what make the world a better place. It gives people an identity, a place they say they can belong to. Having a culture ran by money grubbing CEO’s would turn the world upside down.
2. The first thing countries need to do is to take bride in who they are. People have to be willing to identify themselves with that country. The second thing they need to do is make their own companies to compete with ours, such as Coke-A-Cola of Starbucks, and band or limit the amount of outside stores there are. They also need to put their culture out there to show the world. Once people know your culture, it will be hard to get rid of. Look at France, everyone has an image of what France is should be like. It is the countries with a small culture that are at risk. They need to define themselves.
1. My personal opinion is that there is a up side to cultural Imperialism because it give people a sense of knowing something familiar. It can give an American citizen something that they know so they do not feel so far from everything they have ever known. Also if you are visiting a country like the US ad your country had the same stores it makes the visit easier.But on the other hand there are a ton down sides. These down sides are that the country that these American things are in are not able to creat their own ways of life and their own financial structures. This makes the larger company’s make more money and small businesses can’t prosper and eventually they will fail. This failure will make is hard for the countries to maintain a stable economic state.
2. I think that some countries will be able to keep their cultures apart form the Americanism that is being sent into their countries while others will be struggle and will have to give into the American powers. A way that they could keep the Americanism out would be to make it really hard for them to come into the country but creating laws that make it hard for the Americans to establish businesses. Also they could come together and not buy the American products.
1. I think there is some good that comes out of cultural imperialism. The advances our civilazition has brought to other countries has impacted them greatly, like improved medicine better legal terms and industry. But this doesn’t go without extreme consequences. I think the consequences out weigh the small gains by a landslide. Just because we help Thea countries be more “American” some countries don’t necessarily want that. The riots are a big issue and the fact that some countries don’t want to be just like us. I feel like if we keep on pressing out cultures on other areas and try to erase other cultures it’s nothing different from hitler or eugenics doctors. We try to make the world the same all around and it would become a very boring world and people wold not let that happen
2.These countries cannot just preserve their cultures on their own. They need us to stop pushing our cultures on top of then and start to develop their own style. Good examples of this are countries like France. They have all of the American influence but they also have much of French influence and culture. More countries née to develop strong ties to their culture in order to stop the washing away of their cultures and become a thng of the distant past
I think their is an upside to cultural imperialism. For one thing cultural imperialism could help with the spread of things like medical advancements or new technological discoveries. So if one country has sobering very beneficial and helpful to another country. However imperialism can have it’s downsides too. If a country conforms too much it can lose it’s culture and what makes it special or unique. Countries can also take on bad or destructive things or habits from other countries. For example advancements in technology can lead to advancements in consumption or pollution. Also certain foods can be worked into other countries cultures. For example in America, we take on many different foods from different cultures and make them as unhealthy as possible.
Other cultures can preserve their cultural independence if they really try. for one thing they can still take on aspects of other cultures and making them their own or just infusing them with their own culture. They can also just try to take less of the cultural aspects and just taking little bits or the best of what they have to offer. Another way for countries to avoid cultural infusion and influences altogether. Now this may be really hard but not completely impossible. But it really Ian necessary for countries to totally avoid influences from other countries because the sharing if cultures can be really cool and a great learning ecpiriance. Also by sharingthings the countries can help to improve upon the others ideas or practices , or even combine things from both to make something new and better. So it may not be necessary to stop culture blending and the exchange of customs and practices because it could be beneficial.
1. Understandably there can be an upside to cultural imperialism are American culture will spread then ideally American influence over the world will spread. Where as if the American culture is bad then world wide views toward America will be lower and people will look down upon us. But, if we can spread American influence in a positive way we can do great things. Such as influence people’s decisions toward how they govern themselves and handle themselves as a country/ populous of people. If we can do that in a positive way we will be able to move toward peace and righteousness for the whole world. If the whole world is on the same page in the way. We can solve lots of problems much more efficiently then we are currently.
2. Other countries can preserve there cultural I 2 different ways.
Shut out the outside world entirely became an isolationist government/country like 18th centaury Japan. Leave no chance for foreign influence on your people. Thus allowing your culture to grow and flourish among your 100% native population. This will cause no problems for your domestic affairs. But, as soon foreign power wants to trade with you it will be a long and hard fight to forcibly open up your borders to trade.
– Or you can attempt to blend your culture with the foreign cultures and change with the times. Is a more realistic solution. Where you will be able to enjoy the benefits of having communication with the world and have your own distinct culture. If you can help yourself by doing this and preserving your culture it will help immensely. Otherwise your culture is goanna be at risk of being overtaken by a foreign culture or just disappear, disintegrate into nothing at all just like it was never there.
1. Yes, I do think there is an upside to cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism has the power to greatly increase the chances of technological discoveries and the advancement of medicine. The spread of various different cultures around the world can inform people living in those different countries, how other countries live and survive in that region. Think about it. With all the countries in the world learning about many various countries’ culture, everyone will be able to have that open mind. With this open mind comes, a greater success of trying to solve worldwide problems such as pollution or recycling. Each country can benefit from what they found in the culture of another country and use those to their advantages. Also without cultural imperialism, toys such as Yu-Gi-Oh, and videogames such as Pokémon would not have been made, leading to a period in time where American children wouldn’t have that craze.
2. Other countries can preserve their own culture and identity by making products that can be used anywhere in the world, and not just in that area. An example would be Japan. Japan, known for their technology, have numerous products sold in America. The most which included toys, game consoles and cars. The PlayStation brand was created in Japan, back in the 1990’s. Without the creation of this company, your PS3 with FIFA 12 would never be there. The same goes with cars, and toys. You would not have that Toyota Camry in your garage or your Pokémon card deck in your possession. Japanese innovators all around Japan are paid to make new technologies that can be spread throughout the world. If any country can do this and succeed as much as Japan can, then they will be able to preserve their own cultural identity thereby competing with America.
1. Yes i think there is an upside to cultural imperialism because without it lots of the things we use today in our own culture would not be here. For example the bagel, a breakfast food for thousands of americans is an jewish invention. with imperialism cultures are able to share with each other and help make advances in medicines, technology, and many things that we use everyday. Most things that we have in America did not come from our culture we have just revised them to fit our liking. Almost any food from another country is much different here then it is there, but without cultural imperialism we wouldn’t even have the american versions of food that we do today.
2. I think other countries can preserve their culture by not getting too involved with others. Once a new idea or style is introduced to an area that has never seen it before, people will adapt or change so it is almost impossible to stop the spread of cultural imperialism. If the country has good enough resources and good living conditions people will not be as eager to adapt to other cultures. In 3rd world countries people are more willing and are seeking new cultures or ways to live because they want something that is better then what they have. I think that if cultures can stick to their roots and main beliefs their culture will not die out, but I think its impossible and also unnecessary to stop cultural imperialism. Many good things have come from it and many more will come because I think it is an essential piece to the growth of nations.
Q: 1. Can there be an up-side to cultural imperialism? If so, what is it and why? If not, why not?
A: I believe there can be upsides to cultural imperialism. I feel that countries would like to be exposed to environments, foods, as well as surroundings and views other than their own. Some need cultural imperialism to remove any prejudices they might have against another country. For example, I went to Austria to play basketball in the 8th grade. When we sat down to have our first meal I assumed it was going to be American food like hamburgers and hot dogs. Instead they slapped a heaving helping of schnitzel on my plate. Never had having it before I was not prepared to eat the schnitzel. But I tried it and it was really good. And thank God I liked it because that’s what we ate everyday for the entire trip. So I do feel that there can be upsides to cultural imperialism.
Q: 2. How do you think other countries can preserve their own culture and identity without being overwhelmed by the American consumer tsunami (metaphor, work with me, o.k.?)?
A: A way I feel that other countries can preserve their own culture and identity without being overwhelmed by the American consumer “tsunami” is by simply incorporating American customs into their daily lives. America’s influences spread like wild fire all over the world. Eventually they will assimilate and become more like us. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still stick to their customs. They could just take little bits of America’s customs but not enough to where they would be taken over.
1.) Yes, I do think there is an upside to cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism has the power to increase the chances of technological discoveries and the advancement of medicine. The spread of various different cultures around the world can inform people living in those different countries, how other countries live and survive in that region. Just think, with all the countries in the world learning about many various countries’ culture, everyone will be able to have that open mind. With this open mind comes, a greater success of trying to solve worldwide problems such as pollution or recycling. Each country can benefit from what they found in the culture of another country and use those to their advantages. Also without cultural imperialism, toys such as Yu-Gi-Oh or Bakugan, and videogames such as Pokémon would not have been made, leading to a period in time where American children wouldn’t have the love for these things.
2.) I think other countries can preserve their own culture and identity without being overwhelmed by the Americans by making and promoting their own products is how the other countries can preserve their own culture and identity. Americans have a strong effect on other countries and it makes them change things dealing with their own culture and identity. I think when the other countries promote their own products they will be bringing in more of their own culture and identity back into the country. There should be a way a country can be original by having their own culture and identity but still take ideas from others. Other countries can make products or businesses that are based off or different versions of American products or businesses while putting it their country’s culture in it. When you promote your own products more than the American product more people will buy it.