Why does globalization of popular culture cause problems? Chapter 4
Why does globalization of popular culture cause problems?
Chapter 4
Think about it…When does the diffusion of pop culture become a problem?
Popular Culture Contributions to the spread of popular
culture Industrialization Urbanization Rise of formal education Resultant increase in leisure time
› All the reasons popular culture spread caused folk culture to retreat
Problems with the Globalization of Culture
Often Destroys Folk Culture› preserves traditions as museum
pieces or tourism gimmicks.· Mexican Mariachis
Swimming Pool, West Edmonton Mall, Canada
Muslim Women in Traditional Dress at Indoor Ski Resort
Problems with the Globalization of Popular Culture: Destroys Folk Culture
Western Media Imperialism?· U.S., Britain, and Japan dominate worldwide
media.· Glorified consumerism, violence, sexuality, and
militarism?· U.S. (Networks and CNN) and British (BBC)
news media provide/control the dissemination of information worldwide.
Environmental Problems with Cultural Globalization
Accelerated Resource Use through Accelerated Consumption
Furs: minx, lynx, jaguar, kangaroo, whale, sea otters (18th Century Russians) fed early fashion trends.
Consumerism evident in most Western Media fashions, including hip hop and rock and roll.
Inefficient over-consumption of Meats; meat-eating pop cultures· New larger housing desires and associated energy and water use.· Golf courses use valuable water and destroy habitat worldwide.
Pollution: waste from fuel generation and discarded products, plastics, marketing and packaging materials
Pebble Beach, CA
Placelessness: Anywhere USA
Their style is no style; a sense of sameness pervades.
Nothing sets these structures apart as being in a particular place; this is placelessness
Placelessness James Kunstler speaks of “geography of nowhere” in
describing America
Advertising
Most effective device for popular culture diffusion
Commercial advertising of retail products bombards us visually and orally
Using psychology, we are sold products we do not need
Advertising
Modern advertising is very place-conscious› Products and services are linked to popular,
admired places› Example of the “Marlboro Man” and the
romanticized American West› Remarkably such techniques work in
countries as far away as Egypt
Marlboro Man in Egypt
Advertising and Diffusion:Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
Symbols are important marketing tools and companies aim to get instant recognition for their products.
Here a row of former Chinese shop houses has been renovated as a “strip mall.”
The signs are international status symbols meaning “American.”
Advertising and Diffusion:Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
American pop culture is becoming increasingly popular in Asia to the dismay of many traditional parents.
What signs do you recognize?
International diffusion Popular cultures of North America, Europe,
and Australia have become similar and in constant contact› Americans lineup to hear touring British rock
musicians› Rocky Mountain ski resorts are built in Alpine-
Swiss architecture› Latest Paris fashions appear in American
department stores› Fast-food franchises of McDonalds and
Kentucky Fried Chicken diffused to Russia › Motel chains such as Holiday Inn took root in
Tibet and other countries
Bangkok, Thailand
Diffusion of TV, 1954–1999
Television has diffused widely since the 1950s, but some areas still have low numbers of TVs per population
Much media is still state-controlled. Ten Most Censored Countries:1. North Korea2. Myanmar (Burma)3. Turkmenistan4. Equatorial Guinea5. Libya6. Eritrea7. Cuba8. Uzbekistan9. Syria10. BelarusSource: The Committee to Protect
Journalists. www.cpj.org.
Cyberspace
Perhaps the personal computer and Internet access have created another new type of place
Certain words we use imply it has a geography—”Cyberspace”
The information superhighway connects not two points, but all points, creating a new sort of place
Cyberspace
Cyberspace possesses some geographical qualities› Enhances opportunities for communication
over long distances› Allows access to rare data banks› Encourages and speeds cultural diffusion› The Internet helps heighten regional
contrasts› Uneven spatial distribution of Internet
connections creates a new way people differ
Internet Connections
Internet Connections
The Internet is diffusing today, but access varies widely.
Video
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frow03pe6
Agree of Disagree?
The country of Bhutan should have government control on TV to preserve it’s folk culture.