BR: List three globalizing factors other than Fast food

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Globalization

What is Globalization?

Global industrialism or globalization is a process of forging international political, economic, religious, and socio-cultural interconnections KFC Kuwait

7-11 Beijing

What doesn’t Fit?

Global Culture: Homogenization Technology (Internet, TV, cell phones etc.) is sweeping

away cultural boundaries creating the possibility and even the likelihood of a global culture.

Global entertainment companies shape the perceptions, values, and dreams of people, everywhere.

This spread of values, norms, and culture tends to promote Western ideals of capitalism and consumerism. Resulting in the disappearance of local cultures, traditions, and identities replaced by a single commodity/ single identity world – the Westernization of culture

Ladies only line Saudi Arabia

Coca-colonization: Coke, McDonald’s, Levi’s, MTV, Disney, computer games, American (or American style) TV shows, look-alike shopping malls with look-alike goods

the meaning of good, appropriate, success changes

Asymmetry in Power Relations and Flows

Banana Republicanization

Move from the dominant to the weaker

like to teach the world to sing

Big Bird does China

Israel

India

Globalism - a euphemism for western cultural imperialism?

Russia

Japan

Golden Arches in Yangshou,

China

Global Culture as a Source of Universality

Globalization is assumed to erase differences among human societies and create a universal culture in which particular characteristics of national and local cultures are no longer relevant.

The Colonel looms large in Guelin, China

Mr. Softee in Hong Kong

Culture becomes more homogeneous - Not in the sense that all cultures are incorporated equally, but biased towards American culture and those presented in English

On the main street of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, © Dick Waghorne

250 million Chinese have learned English as a second language

Incorporation of all national cultures into the global capitalist economic system is creating a universal culture of capitalism.

Penetration of multinational companies into national cultures creates not only a uniform process of production and its associated forms of deregulation, but uniformity of consumer tastes, choices and habits.

Global Capitalist Monoculture

Tokyo

Standardization The overwhelming dominance of multinational companies in the production of cultural goods creates a “convergence effect”.

From clothes to food to music to film and television to architecture, we encounter similar styles, brands and tastes anywhere in the world.

Will local cultures inevitably fall victim to this global consumer culture?

Will English eradicate all other languages?

Will consumer values overwhelm peoples’ sense of community and social solidarity?

Will a common culture lead the way to greater shared values and political unity?

Or will cultures select elements to incorporate Korea

(1) efficiency: ”fast”, method of production scientifically proven

(2) predictability: ”a world of no surprise” – standard menu, taste, décor, service

(3) calculability: quantity rather than quality

(4) Control: standardized employees, non-human technology

McDonaldization“ the process by which a society takes on the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant”

(1) Standardization: food, interior design, layout etc.

(2) Initially presented itself as uncompromising American food

- no Chinese name at first

- transliteration later

- no Chinese food

(3) Standard of cleanliness: clean washrooms in restaurants

(4) Customer discipline: line up for food

(5) Idea of a regular meal: (a) exotic to ordinary; (b) snacks versus meals [customers: middle-class, like exotic American culture all ages, all social classes, look for a simple meal]

McDonald’s /Hong Kong

Global Culture? Identity has intense

emotional ties Cultural attachment is

bound in tradition Mass marketing & pop

culture is no threat! No common pool of

memories No common global way of

thinking Blurs boundaries

Thailand

Nova Scotia, Canada

globalization + localizationGlocalization

Poverty: Enhanced or Diminished?

Child Labor: Increased or Reduced?

Women: Harmed of Helped?

Democracy at Bay?

Culture Imperiled or Enriched?

Wages and Labor Standards at Stake?

Environment in Peril?

Corporations: Predatory or Beneficial?

Globalization Issues