Globalization I: Postmodernity

Post-Industrialism

and Consumer Society

2. Postmodernism, Representation and History3. Reflexive Postmodernism vs. Cultural Imperialism

Starting Questions

What do you know about Postmodernism? And postmodernity? Globalization?

How are they inter-related? How are they related to postcolonialism?

Outline

Mapping, Definitions and Connections From Modernity to Postmodernity –

Fordism to post-Fordism Post-Industrial Society Disorganized capitalism Service industry and Consumer Society

Globalization: Economic Issues; Taiwan as an example Part II– Postmodernism, Representation and

History (In Country and Forrest Gump as Examples) (Read: chap 8.3 Jameson [optional])

Intersections of Theoretical Discourses and Socio-Economic Systems

Postmodernity

Globalism Globality

Multinational CapitalismTelecommunication

Globalization

Definitions (1): Postmodernism & Postmodernity

Controversial: (chap 7: 359) What is the ‘post’ here? What is modernism? Variously defined as a period, a mode of thinking, and a

style? Some declare it ‘passé.’

postmodernity and postmodern conditions—poststructuralist views of language, post-industrialism, multinational/global capitalism and over-all commodification globalization

Postmodernism –culture in music, literature, architecture, popular culture and politics Features ： Depthlessness 無深度 , pastiche 拼

貼、 metafictional (self-reflexive 後設 ) 、 ambiguity 模擬兩可、 questioning meta-narrative 質疑大敘述／真理、 eclectic 折衷、 boundary-crossing 跨界、 pluralistic 多元 , etc.

Definitions (1): Different Views

Kate’s handout pp. 49-50

Definitions (1): Different Views

Kate’s handout pp. 49-50

Definitions (2): Postmodernism vs. Postcolonialism

Similarity -- De-centering, Questioning Master Narratives and other

Authorities multiplicity in language and culture parody, ambiguity

and contamination. Contradictions --

History: e.g. Foucault -- The death of History Re-Writing histories (To be colonized is to be ‘removed from history’ Albert Memmi ）

Subjectivity: pastiche 拼貼、 contingent 臨時性 constructing subjectivities

Aestheticized politics vs. counter discourse for social change

Global capitalism vs. the only true counter-discourse, “past the last post.” 最後的據點 ; both related to or

subsumed by issues of globalization

Definitions (3): Globalization

Definition: the product of processes through which goods, services, capital, people, information, and ideas flow across borders and lead to greaterintegration of economies and societies.

Cultural globalization –caused by the spreading of English language, media culture, telecommunication, migrating people, colonialism, international capitalism and international organizations.

Economic globalization – also caused by organization such as World Bank, free trade unions --such as 北美貿易協定 NAFTA, 關稅暨貿易總協定( ＧＡＴＴ )and 世界貿易組織 (WTO) –which support open and expanded market. ECFA (Clips: revolutions in the 90’s)

Issues: Global Empire and biopolitics? How are local cultures retained and/or transformed.

Fordism to post-Fordism (Barker pp. 99-101) Keynesianism (State

economy) Fordism – 1. Standardization (large-scale

production of standardized good)

2. Rational Organization -- assembly line; full employment and centralized management

33 scientific management; industrial prosperity

4. (rigidity of Fordism in investment, labor organization and in social welfare).

Post-Fordism Investment in the “emerging

countries” (CH [4] 16:40--, 24:00--

Flexible, variable production (e.g. cell phone faceplate)

Just-in-Time stock management Sub-contracting to horizontally

related ‘independent’ companies.(e.g. Nike, Taiwan’s textile industry [next slide]; 《世界是平的》 (Outsourced)

Reorganization of labor (pp. 102) (clip: GVGP: 8:23 Lilliput strategy; 11:20sweatshop)

紡織業前進東協 (ASEAN)

(Sinorama 2009/7)台灣紡織業外移中國大陸、東南亞並非新鮮事，但是以往多以「來料加工」的成衣業或大宗布料為主

近年跨海投資東協國家 : 原本台灣紡織強項、技術門檻高的針織布大廠，和最上游端的化學纖維廠

e. g. 以「針織布」起家的儒鴻 (Eclat) ，是全球知名運動休閒品牌愛迪達、耐吉等的主要供應商，專長在各類功能性布料如抗菌、排汗、自行車衣料的開發製作。近年為了因應品牌商從設計到製造的整體委外 (comprehensive outsourcing) ODM(Original Design Manufacturer) 要求，向下游垂直整合，發展出從布料到服裝設計、成衣製作的「一次購足」服務。在其全球布局中，成衣廠分設在柬埔寨、越南及非洲賴索托，但核心的織布和染整共 4 個廠，則一直留在台灣。

2007 儒鴻越南織布染整一貫廠

(2) Neo-Fordism or Regulation School

Stresses the role of social and cultural relations in stablizing the advanced capitalist economies.

While diversification of companies and internationalization happens, labourers and consumers are still regulated and conditioned:

1. intensification of labour

2. Emphasis on lifestyle in consumer culture. (biopolitics)

(3) Post-Industrial Society

(Barker chap 5 104) A shift from industrial manufacturing to

service industry A shift of emphasis from production to

consumption Capital – information or knowledge the dominance of 1) 電腦新貴 or PMC --

Professorial-managerial class; 2) service workers

Disorganized Capitalism

(106-107)

Concentration and centralization fo industrial, banking and commerical capital;

Flexible forms of work organization

Consumer Society

(pp. 108 – Overall commodification – the lines between high

arts and popular culture get blurred; Economy of Signs: signs replacing use values. Lifestyle: Communal values (external validation)

replaced by personal lifestyles (assemblage of goods, clothes, practices, experiences, appearance, etc.)

Against the above argument: consumers re-articulation of the social as counter-hegemony (110)

Globalization: Controversial Issues –economy

Increasing discrepancy between the rich and the poor plutocracy (government by the wealthy few)–”The

Commanding Heights” National sovereignty questioned, the farmers suffer. Instability in employment (e.g. The newly poor in

Taiwan) exploitation of third-world laborers (e.g. Nike, Disney,

clip) The need to meet the trends (e.g. global brand, culture

industry, the pulling forces from mainland China).

Globalization: Controversial Issues –economy e.g.

台灣雖是全球化的參與者，但究竟是「全球化」的主導力量？抑或只是「被全球化」所整合？ 如果把全球化當成一個供應鍊條(chain)來看，殘酷的事實是，目前台灣多數公司都稱不上是全球品牌的企業，只能在供應鍊的上游和中游找到自己的位置。但這不必然說明小國就是被全球化，畢竟，芬蘭那麼小，也出了一個 NOKIA ；荷蘭也不大，卻早就有一個飛利浦。 ( 中國時報 , 財經產業 　 920205)

競合 (Co-opetition); production of parts to that of brands

References Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Christopher Barker. Sage: 2000.

Globalization defined http://progressiveliving.org/globalization_defined.htm COMMANDING HEIGHTS The Battle for the World Economy Daniel

Yerginhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/ (traces the battle between State economy and market economy to two economists: John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich von Hayek )

Related Clips: 1) Globalization and terrorism;

2) economic revolutions in 1990’s;

3) Fall of Communism: China’s Opening their market;

4) Mexico case (interconnection of politics and economy);

5) flows

6) capitalism; 7) the poor (e.g. snake kids)

8) For and against economic globalization