Cultural Change in the Era of Globalization:
The Case of Japan
SOCI 5013
Spring 2004
Kentaro Yamazaki
Statement of the Problem
• Why am I concerned with this topic?
Statement of the Problem
• 97 to 98 % of the Japanese are racially and
culturally similar.
Statement of the Problem
• A series of the Tokugawa policy of isolation
(1600-1867)
• Japan has never been colonized
Statement of the Problem
• The gap between the history or traditions of
Japan and the new global standard
• I become concerned with Japanese society
as a nation-state which has been going
toward globalization since 1980s.
Purpose of the Study
1. Explore the processes of cultural
globalization. This consideration will show
how globalization is related to cultural
change.
2. Examine the emergence of a new subculture
in the Japanese society and to analyze the
tensions between this new subculture and
traditional/dominant culture.
Significance of the Study
• Contribute to the work on cultural transition in
a nation-state in the era of globalization.
• Learn about the appropriate way in which
Japan will turn toward globalization.
Research Questions
How has cultural globalization affected Japanese culture?
How has Japanese culture changed in fast food
establishments between 1970s and 1990s (2000s) in the
era of globalization?
1.
2.
In the 1970s, what were the dominant values and norms
have emerged in the Japanese culture?
Since the 1990s, the onset of globalization, what new values
and norms with respect to fast food establishments have
emerged in the Japanese culture?
Research Questions
According to Traphagan and Brown (2002),
• Introduction of McDonald’s and indigenous fast food
restaurants reflects changes in Japanese culture.
Defining Globalization
• Globalization can be analyzed culturally,
economically, politically, and/or institutionally
(Ritzer and Goodman, 2004).
• Cultural Globalization refers to a diffusion of
a single culture (Andersen and Taylor, 2002).
The Processes of Cultural Globalization
•
•
•
•
•
Homogeneity
Pluralization
Traditionalization
Hybridization
Deterritorialization
(Kumar and Welz, 2003, Smart and Smart, 2003, Van Elteren, 1996)
The Processes of Cultural Globalization
• Deterritorialization
Homogeneity
Pluralization
Traditionalization
Hybridization
Communication
Material
Globalization
A
processphenomena
of adaptation
is seen
generates
system
like
as in
the
assimilation
leads
food,
which
greater
usdress,
to
weideas
salience
of
try
and
the
tobeing
music,
mutate
minority
of both
homogenized
has
both
sub-national
and
a high
modern
weaker
because
propensity
groups
and
traditional
supra-national
into
wetothe
are
spread
aspects
mainstream
communicating
arenas
although
because
fordominant
action
non-material
we
all the
obtain
atculture
time,
thesome
expense
phenomena
which
in of
terms
the
means
of the
modern
oflike
the
nationthat
aspects,
we
alsosystems
keep some
of
thespread
traditional
aspects.
democracy
imposition
state.
of
andthe
value
hegemony
ofwill
American/Western
not
so quickly.
institutions,
In this
we sharewhile
things.
such
as WTO
andlocal
the International
Monetary
Fund (IMF).
context,
we find
adaptations which
incorporate
the
specificity of culture in particular nations, in particular regions,
and the like. Local adaptations in turn would give birth to many
permutations and combinations.
Defining Culture
1. Culture maintains
is a sharedsociety.
perspective.
• Culture
Society is
continues
a group’s
byperspective
moral guideit on
takes
thetoward
basis ofreality.
consensus
Eachof a
person(Charon,
group
who takes
2004).
on the perspective comes to see, think, and
in line with the group within which he/she
2. control
Culturehim/herself
is ever-changing.
exists (Shibutani, 1955).
• Culture represents the stability of the group (Becker, 1982).
2.
Culture
is
a
generalized
other.
• Culture is negotiated (Fine, 1987, Manning, 1977).
• Generalized others are guides to how we deal with situations
(Mead, 1934).
• Society works because people agree to use a body of rules to
direct their own action (Charon, 2004).
Research Design
 Cross-cultural variation method based on two
dimensions with data source from the World Values Surveys
http://wvs.isr.umich.edu/ (conducted by Inglehart and Baker)
 Interview for customers in fast food restaurants in Japan
based on items from the World Values Surveys
Research Design
Inglehart
and
Baker
(2000)
Traditional
Survival
values
values
emphasize
emphasize
thethe
following:
following:
1.
Traditional
vs.change
SecularRational
Values
(is
•1.
The
World
cultural
Values
Surveys
and
the
based
persistence
on
data
source
oftolerance,
from 65
•1. Studied
Japanese
God
Respondent
is
very
people
important
gives
tend
priority
to
develop
in
respondent’s
to
economic
a
syndrome
life.
and
of
physical
trust,
security
Does
modernization
bring
about
the
convergence
of
associated
with
the
transition
from
agrarian
society
to
different
countries
representing
75 of
% life.
of the
world’s
population
traditional
values
over
self-expression
well-being,
political
and
quality
activism,
and
self-expression
• subjective
It
is
more
important
for
a
child
to
learn
obedience
values
and society.)
the decline of traditional values? and
industrial
and
Baker,
2000).
2.
Use
two dimensions
: selfvalues
• (Inglehart
religious
Respondent
faith
describes
than
independence
as not very
and happy.
determination.
examined
how
cultural
and
norms
were/have
2.
Survival
vs.
Self- Expression
Values
(reflects
well2.
are
historically
shaped
by
their
cultural
heritages
• Societies
The
traditional/secular-rational
values
dimension
Abortion
Respondent
is never
hasin
not
justifiable.
signed
andglobalization.
would not sign a petition.
been
changing
the
era of
being, poor
health,
interpersonal
trust, tolerance
of
although
cultural
change
is
path
dependent.
As
a
result,
survival/self-expression
dimension
• The
Respondent
Homosexuality
hasis
strong
neverequality.)
sense
justifiable.
of national pride.
outgroups,
and
gender
cultural globalization leads values and norms to a common
•3. Create
Respondent
You
have
to be
favors
very
careful
respect
about
for
trusting
authority.
people.
and
examine
“more
Global
Cultural
Map
” which shows
direction
(Inglehart
and
Baker,
2000).
the location of 65 societies on the two dimensions
Research Design
• The global cultural map
shows cultural change
toward advanced, and
explains how
modernization has affected
persistence of traditional
values.
Critiques
• This method tends to focus on whether or not
economic development is linked with a broad
syndrome of distinctive value orientations to a great
degree.
• Small Sampling
Hypothesis
• The result of this research design allows us to
hypothesize that cultural globalization leads values
and norms to a common direction because societies
are historically shaped by their cultural heritages
although cultural change is path dependent, which
means that values and norms are path dependent
(Inglehart and Baker, 2000).
Thank you