To what extent is
globalization enhancing or
eroding cultural identity?
To what extent is
globalization encouraging
or discouraging
Americanization?
Cultural
Globalization
Cultural
Imperialism
Disneyfication
Cocacolonization
Americanization
McDonaldization
Universalization
of Pop Culture
Cultural Globalization
* The growth of cross cultural contacts*
- One such cross-cultural contact is between America
and other nations
+
=
?
Cultural Globalization exists through:
* Greater international cultural exchange
* Spreading multiculturalism/diversity via export of pop
culture
* Formation of a universal set of values
* Greater international travel and tourism
* Spread of consumer products
* Greater immigration
* World wide fads
Americanization
* The assimilation of American media and ideas into
foreign cultures, superseding the local media and ideas
Assimilation – the absorption of a minority group by a
dominant group
Superseding – to force out of use as inferior
- to cause to be set aside
- to take the place
Answer the following questions and leave 1/3 of a page for each
one so that you can later write down your classmates findings:
1. What American transnations/multinationals are operating in China?
2. Is American business finding success there? Why/why not
3. What sense do you have of how Chinese people feel about this
Americanization?
4. What aspects of American culture do the Chinese seem to be
assimilating into their own culture?
Examples of Americanization
* Disneyfication
* Coca-colonization
* McDonaldization
* Universalization of Pop Culture
Disneyfication
What is Disney?
Disney is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in
the world. It is today the number two media company in the United
States. The company had revenues of $30.8 billion in 2004.
What is Disneyfication??
The way principles of Disney theme parks and
mentality are spreading throughout society.
* Stripping a real place or event of its original character and
repackaging it in a sanitized form
* Merchandising and consumerism are paramount
Coca-colonization
* What is a colony?
A region politically controlled by a distant country; a dependency.
* What is colonization?
The act or process of establishing a colony or colonies.
* What do you think coca-colonization has to do with
Americanization?
What is coca-colonization?
* It is a term that is an
interchangeable term
used for globalization or
cultural colonization
* Generally it has
negative implications
“The song “Amerika” by the
German rock band
Rammstein is often seen as a
satire of Americanization. It
has mixed reviews: some
perceive it as anti-American,
others as being opposed to
globalization. The band
views it as a satirical
commentary on cocacolonization.”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6585094223192066946&q=Amerika+by+Rammstein&hl=en
Video Questions
1. What American images and products were shown or sang about?
2. What is satire? What is satirical about the video”?
3. What do you think the message is during the part of the video
that shows natives of various countries covering their mouths, i.e,
the man who put a black handprint over his mouth?
4. What are people in all the different countries watching on their
TV’s? What is the message the band is sending when they show
the moon set at the end of the video?
5. Is the video Anti-American or just anti-coca-colonization?
McDonaldization
What is McDonaldization?
“principles of the fast food restaurant that are coming to dominate more and
more sectors of the American economy and the rest of the world.”
The four components of Mcdonaldization are:
•Efficiency – the optimal method for accomplishing a task
•Calculability – objectives should be quantifiable (i.e.,sales) rather than
subjective (i.e. taste)
•Predictability – standardized and uniform employees and mechanized
labor where possible
•Control – standardized and uniform employees and mechanized labor
where possible
Arabic
China
India
Russian
Israel
Universalization of Pop Culture
* Refers to trends spreading to multiple countries
* This trend is youth driven and business driven
* It includes: TV shows, movies, toys, music, videos,
I-pods, e-bay, YouTube, MySpace, fashion.
* Some of what has been universalized is American – but not
all of it, for example, DIESEL clothing is immensely popular
but is German. Amine too is popular and is from Japan.
* As such, some argue that cultural imperialism is carried
out by all nations with strong economies
Cultural Imperialism
* The practice of promoting or artificially injecting
the culture or language of one nation into another.
Imperialism – an association between peoples that
intentionally benefits one people over another…..
* Cultural Influence can be seen by the “receiving” culture
as either a threat to or an enrichment of its cultural identity
*Thus perhaps when judging we should differentiate
between a nation that sees itself as superior pushing
its culture on other nations and nations that seek to
complement or add to their own cultural production