Summary:
The article “Cultural Globalization” by John Tomlinson
describes the relationship between globalization and one of its dimensions,
culture.
Tomlinson starts of by talking about the complexities of
globalization in general. He tells us that in a simple way globalization is a
complex process of global connectivity. Tomlinson describes that globalization
can be categorized in a network of interconnections of the social, economic and
cultural life in the world basically a description of these dimensions and its
relationships. Globalization is the way how we communicate and make living on
the communication of these dimensions. Tomlinson describes examples such as the
influence of terrorist attacks or our worries about global warming.
Tomlinson tells us that cultural globalization has a big
influence on our capitalist system and the other way around. But he warns us
that we must resist to speak of a causality between culture and our economic
realm. Firstly, because there is an impractical narrow view on our economic.
And secondly, because it negatively influences our view on the understanding of
culture related to globalization.
To clarify this more Tomlinson goes on about the meaning of
the concept of culture. He says culture is a construct created to give life
meaning, it is something that is shared by others. Tomlinson says culture has a
consequentiality for globalization, he names the example of hunger strikes
which is a cultural decision but can have globalizing consequences.
He names cultural globalization as the ‘reflexivity’ of
modern life, where small individuals actions of social institutions make for
the drive of our lives.
In short he points out that culture as a dimension both
generates and shapes globalization, and the other way around.
Tomlinson then goes on to talk about if there is a global
culture. He starts of by talking about the speculation of globalization
creating a single global culture and names an example of the economic sphere
where a global market provides the model. Yet Tomlinson counters that by giving
examples of areas where globalization is not so notable, for example in Africa.
He says globalization is a distributed process with areas of more density and
less density.
Though there are fears of a total global culture because of
western-imperialism, such as Americanization or in general big companies taking
over traditions, Coca-Cola for example.
Tomlinson fears the issue of global distribution of goods
much more.
Tomlinson goes on about the increasing wave of anti-Western
feelings, specifically in Muslim parts of the world. Globalization causes quite
opposite cultures to be in contact with each other, leading to contending
cultural clashes.
Then Tomlinson gives an example of early globalization, or a
global culture, with the use cartography around the 12th century. It
showed the world as one place only divided by rivers and the sea surrounding
the continent. It was inspired by the Christian unification of the world.
Tomlinson argues that a universal culture is not restricted
to religious beliefs or pre-modern cultures but is a part of what he calls the
‘European Enlightenment rationality’ otherwise known as cosmopolitanism.
Tomlinson gives another example of the depiction of global
culture via Karl Marx. He talks about how the manifesto which Marx wrote stated
a communist future of the world without divisions of nations. He sees that in
his manifesto Marx is very Eurocentric and is in favor of destroying any
non-European cultures.
Tomlinson says that we can learn from Marx that
universalizing thoughts of a global culture can exist next to rational
humanistic visions.
Next Tomlinson goes in on the cultural challenge that
globalization faces via deterritorialization, the loss of relations of culture
regarding geographical and social areas. He says that culture is no longer tied
to local circumstances, although there is a common conception about this.
Tomlinson that this might be the most far-reaching effect of cultural
globalization. Yet Tomlinson says that local, geographic places still maintain
a distinctive culture. Deterritorialization implies that distant experiences
weaken the hold on local customs in our modern-day life.
Tomlinson says that our increasing use of and dependence of
electronic media communications and systems is at the root of deep cultural
changes, otherwise known as telemediatization. This concept can be seen as a
cultural activity and now a days can define our existence as a social being in
this world.
All this connectivity and speed can have an impact on our
cultural values, Tomlinson gives the example of patience.
He closes by saying that deterritorialization can give a new
sense of cultural openness, human equality and ethical responsibilities.
Lastly, Tomlinson talks more about cosmopolitanism and cultural
identity. The author suggests that we should take cosmopolitanism seriously, we
should try to get a better understanding and ultimately reconcile the values of
cultural differences with our belief of a bigger global human community.
He then goes on about the understanding of cultural
identity. Some people think of cultural identity as belonging and see it as a
existential collection of experiences and geographical locations and of
collective treasures of local communities. To protect their cultural identity
they oppose globalization What Tomlinson points out, though, is that cultural
identity can differ in any kind of different context.
What was
interesting/what did you learn:
What I found interesting was that culture nowadays is more
connected than you think, even though some people claim their culture to be as
something of historical inheritance. What we find out more and more is how all
cultures influence each other and make for cultural changes. Then of course the
question can arise weather if culture really is something to be owned by a
specific group or was actually already something of the people of the world,
because in essence everybody contributed to it.
Discussion Point:
My discussion point regards how we see that
telemediatization is changing our culture. Do you think that telemediatization
will have different impacts per culture or will that be the factor leading to a
total global culture?
No comments:
Post a Comment