IAH

Americanization

"Americanization belongs to the broader category of processes of social change through which a more powerful group or collectivity comes to exercise control over less powerful/subordinate groups or collectivities as we find most markedly in the relationships between colonized people and their colonizers."" America is perceived to be in a position to exercise this power because of its size, resources, economic strength, military force, political assets and attractive cultural forms. To have a permanent background of American images and sounds Ex: Cultural export, assimilation, adaptation. Other: Soft power

Brand saga or brand story

1) the story a company tells about its brand, and 2) the stories people not associated with the company tell about the brand Ex: apple vs. pc Other: brand consistency

Materialism

A belief in the importance of the acquisition of goods over spirituality or morality

Conspiracy theory

A belief that an all-powerful, evil agent or agency is systematically controlling events Ex: Government is evil Other: conspiracism, confirmation bias

Cultural imperialism

A controversial theory that the spread of cultural forms, from hip-hop to Hollywood blockbusters, has been driven by the commercial and political interests of Western powers, such as the United States. The fear is that the spread of these forms threatens local cultures and identities. The use of cultural practices to reinforce social, political, and economic domination by one group over another. Ex: Hidden innuendo's in movies from the government Other: cultural homogenization

Public culture

A dominant set of values, ideas, and practices that circulate in public discourse. Social groups may speak in the language of these values, ideas, and practices to gain a voice in a society Ex: American flag Other: popular culture

Maquiladora

A factory, often owned by a U. S. company, located in Mexico near the U. S./Mexico border Ex: cheaper labor

Nation

A group of people organized politically. This can refer to a group under a single government, but has a broader meaning as in "Hispanic nation." Ex: "Hispanic nation" Other: culture

Rust Belt

A term introduced in the 1980s to describe a region of the country devoted to manufacturing. With the loss of manufacturing, many parts of this region are in severe decline. Ex: Michigan, cars Other: deindustrialization

Free trade

A trade policy, agreed upon by national governments and economic trade organizations such as the World Trade Organization. This policy allows economic goods to be bought and sold across borders without taxation or other government interference

American Exceptionalism

An idea stemming back to the colonial period that America is a model for the world and has a divine destiny to lead Ex: Manifest destiny, the idea that the U.S. was a divine power and had the right to lead Other: manifest destiny

Popular culture

Contrary to high culture such as the opera, historic art, classical music, traditional theater or literature, popular culture consists of mass-produced and mass-consumed cultural artifacts (ie. T-Shirts) and forms (ie. television programs). What was once high culture can eventually become a part of popular culture or vice versa. Other: public culture

70-30 Rule

Corporations must keep brand consistency, but can vary their brand message up to 30% to adapt to local markets Ex: McDonald's changes their menu slightly to adapt to different countries Other: brand, brand consistency

Global Cultural Supermarket

Because of the processes of globalization, we are able to consumer cultural forms (art, music, media, brands, films, etc.) from all over the world. Thus, we are able to shape identities that are not necessarily bound by national or local cultures Ex: The world is all connected because of globalization, so we are able to experience culture that is not necessarily in our nation.

Dispossession

Being forced out of the decision making processes, to be banished

Imagined community

Benedict Anderson for the ideal of the nation: a community formed through an ideal of political connection. The inhabitants are loyal to each other but don't know each other

Cultural hybridization

Cultures consist of forms and elements adapted from other cultures. New cultures arise out of the melding of such things as languages, customs, technologies, and creative forms such as music. Mixing of two distinct cultural practices to form a new culture and identity. Ex: United States as "Melting Pot" Other: cultural homogenization

Nation branding

Formal or informal publicity campaigns to enhance the global image of a country as a site for investment and tourism. Campaigns to enhance nations image. Ex: "Pure Michigan"

Cultural goods

Forms of culture (like performances, art objects, music, toys, films, fashions) that are bought and sold. Cultural goods have symbolic value Ex: Barbie dolls, Harry Potter Other: consumerism

Sovereignty

Having independent authority over one's territory or person. Not ruled by another Ex: United States against Great Britain Other: manifest destiny, American culture

Hegemony

In international relations, hegemony means the dominance or leadership of one nation or group over another. However, hegemony has a more subtle meaning in cultural studies. The Italian Marxist, Antonio Gramsci, developed this concept as a refinement of Marxist notions of ideology, demonstrating the cultural aspects of social control. Social control, according to Gramsci, is achieved not so much by overt coercion as by gaining the people's consent to that control. Cultural hegemony is thus achieved by influence and persuasion that disguises power. Convince and influence a nation with soft power, dealing with states. Ex: United states having schools in other nations, and military bases Other: soft power

Belonging

Membership in a group with a strong emotional connection based on affinity, loyalty, and identification Ex: sense of a community

Confirmation bias

Our tendency to seek information to prove what we already believe. To only believe evidence that confirms their own beliefs. Ex: Conspiracy theorists only believing evidence that supports their claims Other: conspiracism, hindsight bias

Shrinking cities

Refers to a global phenomenon whereby cities that lose their manufacturing also lose population. These cities must figure out what to do with the loss of population and subsequent land vacancy Ex: Detroit Other: deindustrialization, rust belt

Motif

Repetition of a symbol, image, or text to build up meaning in a creative work

Paranoid style

Richard Hofstadter's term for a form of inflated political speech based in fear and suspicion of imaginary conspiracies Other: conspiracism

High tech work

Skilled work with digital, computer technologies

Softpower

When a nation uses means other than force (military intervention, economic sanctions) to persuade other groups to adopt its values and goals. Such means may include public diplomacy and cultural exports Ex: Peace conferences, Presidential visits Other: hegemony

Culture

The accumulated habits, attitudes, and beliefs of a group of people that define for them their general behavior and way of life; the total set of learned activities of a people Ex: Group of american people Other: consumerism

Civic nationalism

The belief in a common citizenship in a specified territory and a common allegiance to the institutions governing that territory. Associated with a set of values (ie. democracy, freedom) believed to define that citizenship Ex: Unifies Americans, liberty, political equality, democracy, exceptionalism, capitalism Other: American Exceptionalism

Cultural homogenization

The belief that as a result of the globalization of culture, cultural differences are minimized and similarities across cultures are emphasized and reinforced. Consequently, eventually only one cultural form in the world will exist. As a result of the globalization of culture, cultural differences are minimized. Ex: Mexican food was only in Mexico, now it is in America Other: cultural hybridization

Brand consistency

The company effort to control and maintain a single meaning for a brand, across all markets Ex: Nike Other: 70-30 rule, brand story

Culture jamming

The parody of a company's advertisements, slogans, or logos in order to offer criticism of that company. Ex: The iconic "I love NY" to "I hate NY" Other: brand hijacking

Integration-Fragmegration process

The idea that the process of globalization not only breaks down barriers between markets and cultures, creating a more open global environment, but also creates specialized local collectives. More open global environment. Ex: Globalization affecting a small community, creating it to be more open with similar communities Other: glocalization

Manifest destiny

The idea, shaped in the 19th C, that the United States has a divine right and obligation to extend its power into other territories Ex: American exceptionalism

Social location

The identities we have based on our individual values and beliefs, community roles and expectations, and larger roles we fulfill based on our race, gender, ethnicity, age, nationality, etc Ex: Woman in home, men in work place Other: nation, public culture

Deindustrialization

The loss of a manufacturing base in a region Ex: Michigan, Detroit Other: the rust belt

Glocalization

The relationship between global market forces and local adaptations Ex: Local cultures dealing with the influx of global cultures affecting everyday life. Other: globalization

Hindsight bias

The tendency to read the past according to our beliefs in the present. Create after the fact explanations to fit what we already think we know. Past events used as "warning signs." There are no accidents. Ex: aliens Other: agenticity, confirmation bias

Exceptionalism

The theory that a nation is distinct from and superior to other nations. Used to describe the historic belief that America is separate and unique, and a moral guide for other nations Ex: American Exceptionalism

Aspirational

The wish to ascend to a higher social class. Luxury brands that represent a higher social class are often described as aspirational Ex: Ferrari, opera

Globalization

The worldwide integration of culture. It consists of corporate globalization (globalization from above) and democratic globalization (globalization from below). It is a set of processes leading to the integration of economic, cultural, political, and social systems across geographical boundaries. Globalization can also be thought of in Arjun Appaduri's terms of mediascape, technoscape, ethnoscape, ideoscape and financescape. Ethnoscapes: deals with ethnic/ national identity, Mediascapes: deals with various forms of media, Financescapes: finance and stock markets, and ways that they are linked, Technospcapes: technology creates links across world, Ideoscpaes: Ideas creating links throughout world

Knowledge work

Work based on the exchange of information and symbols rather than service or physical labor Ex: doctor, historian, etc.

Consumerism

a belief that buying consumer goods results in individual and cultural well being. Buying popular culture is good for ourselves and for community. Other: culture

Brand

a combination of symbol, images and words that represents the essence of a company Ex: Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Nike Other: brand consistency

Conspiracism

a devotion to the explanation that conspiracies drive history Ex: A belief in the conspiracies that are in history: JFK Other: confirmation bias

Mestizo

a person of mixed blood; a person of mixed Spanish and Amerindian blood

Brand hijacking

a situation in which a group of consumers give meaning to a brand for which it was not originally intended Ex: Expensive alcohol, rappers showing it in videos Other: brand story, brand consistency

Symbol

a word, phrase, image, or the like having a complex of associated meanings and perceived as having inherent value separable from that which is symbolized, as being part of that which is symbolized, and as performing its normal function of standing for or representing that which is symbolized: usually conceived as deriving its meaning chiefly from the structure in which it appears, and generally distinguished from a sign Ex: American flag Other: Nation branding

Knowledge economy

an economy that has switched from manufacturing, mining, agriculture, and construction to knowledge work. Ex: America, has become more doctors and not manufacturing but service jobs

"Scapes"

dimensions of globalization: mediascape, technoscape, ethnoscape, ideoscape and financescape Ex: Ethnoscapes: deals with ethnic/ national identity, Mediascapes: deals with various forms of media, Financescapes: finance and stock markets, and ways that they are linked, Technospcapes: technology creates links across world, Ideoscpaes: Ideas creating links throughout world Other: globalization

Patternicity

finding meaningful patterns in random noise, related to conspiracy theory Other: agenticity, confirmation bias

DeAmericanization

indicates the process by which a society, sector, or group of people sheds American influences and becomes relatively autonomous Ex: Resisting influence Other:

Agenticity

the tendency to believe the world is controlled by powerful forces with deliberate intentions. Believe that the world is controlled by invisible intentional agents. Ex: conspiracy theory, believing that the government goes to war for it's own benefit Other: hindsight bias, confirmation bias