The Cultural Dimensions of Globalization

What are the symbolic systems of meaning?

-individualism, consumerism, various religious discourses

Explain ways that global cultural flows can reinvigorate local cultural niches.

-instead of losing culture, cultural niches are reinvented and revised to fit into the changing global context

What is the 'postmodern' framework?

-less stable sense of identity -unpredictability in terms of how things will turn out

Give examples of cultural interconnectedness.

-music: hip-hop, rock and roll -sports: soccer, basketball,

Identify and explain the five variables that influence the globalization of languages.

-number of languages: the declining number of languages -movements of people: migration patterns affect the spread of languages -foreign language learning and tourism -languages: key factor in the analysis of the dominance and variety of languages in international communication -international scientific publications: contain the languages of global intellectual discourse

What are the effects of McDonaldization?

-rise of serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and juvenile obesity -undermine the expressions of forms of cultural diversity -discourage human creativity and dehumanize social relations

What is the current rate of the decline of languages and why is that significant?

50-90% of currently existing languages will have disappeared by the end of the 21st country -languages connect people to cultures and traditions; they give people a sense of community and unity.

How is the rise of a global imaginary connected to the rise of the global media?

a small group of very large TNCs have come to dominate the global market for entertainment, news, television, and film

Does globalization make people around the world more alike or more different?

both because it promotes uniformity however it also gives cultures new ways to express themselves

Ethos

characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations -way we do things

Glocalization

complex interaction of the global and local -characterized by cultural borrowing -conducting affairs in a global setting

Why is it significant that 8 media giants dominate two-thirds of global media markets?

control the majority of what people see and hear -dominate narrative is constructed through these media giants and therefore they shape the culture of different communities.

Why is the study of shifting global patterns of language use important?

direct method of measuring and evaluating cultural changes as well as looking at the impact of globalization

Give some examples of cultural hybridity.

food (Cuban-Chinese cuisine), art, music (Bollywood pop songs), language (spanglish)

What is cultural imperialism?

imposition of unequal relationships between civilizations, favoring the more powerful civilization Ex: materialism

'Americanization' of the world

influence that American culture has on other countries and cultures across the world

Cultural globalization

intensification and expansion of cultural flows across the globe

Imperialism

policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force

Consumerism

protection or promotion of the interests of consumers

Culture

shared behavior based on morals, traditions, and beliefs that a certain group of people share

Why/how is the increased use of English significant?

signifies a rise in globalization and an increase in the spread of western culture

Ethos of infantalization

turning adults into children through dumbed down advertising and consumer goods -Sustains global capitalism

Homogenized popular culture

western norms and lifestyles are overwhelming more vulnerable cultures -uniform mainstream culture

McDonaldization

wide-ranging sociocultural processes where the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominant sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world -Predictability, calculability, control, and efficiency