Globalization
& Culture
DQs- Chapter 5
1.
Does globalization make people more alike
or different? Is this a good or bad thing?
2.
What impact does the MNC media industry
have on culture?
3.
How does globalization impact languages?
4.
What role does culture have in achieving a
global consciousness?
What about Culture?
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Attributes
Causal relationships
Slow to change
Globalization & Culture
About Culture
 Symbolic construction
 Articulate information
 Means of self-expression
Done through:
 Language, music, art, etc.
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Q 1: More or Less Alike?
Hyperglobalizers: More, and it’s a bad thing
 Homoginization
 ‘Culture Industry’
 ‘McDonaldization’
 ‘Ethos of Infantilization’
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More or Less Alike?
Optimists: More, and it’s a good thing
 Americanization democracy &
capitalism
 New forms cultural expression
 ‘Glocalization’
 ‘Hybridity’
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Q 3: Role of MNC Media
Shape identities
 Structure desires
 Small group dominates
 Affects values
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Weakens civic bonds
Less journalistic
Languages
How well do you know ‘English’?
1. What is the point of this exercise?
2. How might you know some of these
words?
3. How is your knowledge an indication of
globalization?
4. Will these dialects of English eventually
result in different languages?
Q 3: Impact on Languages
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Disagree about direction
Question dominance of any one
Extinction trend—> chart
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http://www.globalpolicy.org/images/pdfs/Z/languages.pdf
Q 3: Impact on Languages
Year
# of Languages
1500
14,5000 language
2007
<7,000 languages
2100
Predict 50%-90% will disappear
-Bt. 700 - 3,500 left
Which languages are disappearing?
• Dialects
• Waning populations
• Indigenous groups
Q 3: Impact on Languages

Exploration
Colonization
 Spanish, Portuguese, English, French,
etc.

Migration

Diaspora communities
 Mix languages
 Malta
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Q 3: Impact on Languages

Media
Internet content
 Instant communication
 Movies, T.V. shows
 Poland v. Germany
 Use social media to mobilize
 Saudis used Twitter to campaign for
higher wages

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Q 3: Impact on Languages
Education
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Discipline jargon
Availability of materials
Cost of translated materials
Dominant int’l scientific, academic
publications
 German- chemistry
Q 3: Effect on Languages
GN domination
 Chinese next?
Are all effects negative?
 More shared knowledge
 Greater interaction
 Opportunity for increased standard
of living
 Visit any GS country
 Learn language of tourists,
make $
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Q 4: Global Consciousness
Barriers
 Cultural imperialism
 Cultural relativism
Advantages
 Brings together diverse groups
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Social media
The English Empire
Who, besides Yuanqing, is adopting English in
business? What about China?
 Nordic, Swiss, now big European MNCs;
Japan
 Mandarin not likely to displace English
 Difficult, not keyboard-friendly, 400m
Chinese don’t speak it
 Chinese firms w/ internal market – less
likely
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The English Empire
Why do MNCs want a lingua franca?
 Recruit globally
 Reach global markets
 Global production teams
 Integrate foreign acquisitions
 Promotes ‘free thinking’
 Faster meetings
 Neutral language for non-English
mergers
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The English Empire
What is the downside of English for foreign
MNCs?
 Hostility toward ‘Englishnisation’
 Disenfranchises slow learners
 Fluent English speakers’ expectations
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Japanese boss expected employees to
learn on own/ foot bill
English-speaking based MNCs may get
complacent
Recap
Big surprise: No one agrees
 Hyperglobalizers v. Optimists
 Mass media rules
 Languages are disappearing
 Some gains, some losses
 English as the lingua franca for business
world
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