Blog 2: Cultural Globalization- Boli Pan

Summary

The world today is getting connected in many ways, and this connecting process is what people call globalization, and it is not really a simple thing to describe. Connections of this kind can be seen in the economy, in politics, in technology, in the environment, and of course in culture as well. Across the borders of different countries, many things are constantly moving, and these things include goods, people, information, ideas, and also various kinds of images. When globalization is discussed, the focus is usually placed on economic development and trade between countries, but culture is actually part of this process as well, and it is a part that cannot really be left out.

As John Tomlinson explains, it is not correct to treat culture as something that only receives influence from globalization, because the shaping of globalization itself also depends on culture. The world is understood through culture, communication with other people is done through culture, and people's own identities are also built with its help. There are cultural products like films, music, clothing fashion, and the content shown on social media, and when products of this kind travel to other countries, the way they are received is not always the same. People in different places tend to understand these products in their own way instead, and they also make changes to them, and all this is based on what they have experienced in life, and on the actual conditions of their local area.

Because of this, it would be wrong to think that cultural globalization will automatically make every society the same. Societies may become alike in some ways when they are connected globally, that is true, but the traditions kept by local people and the differences between cultures do not have to stop existing, and they can continue alongside the new similarities. In fact, culture and globalization are connected in a two-way manner; cultural exchange is given more chances because of globalization, while the understanding that people have of global changes, and the way they react to those changes, are also affected by culture.

New / Interesting / Unusual Things

One idea in the reading that is quite interesting is that cultural uniformity is not necessarily the result of cultural globalization. Before this topic was looked at, globalization was mostly associated with the spread of Western culture, and American culture in particular. Different societies can look more and more similar because of international films, popular music, global brands, and social media platforms.

However, when a cultural product spreads, it does not mean that this product is understood or used in the same way by everyone. The same film can be interpreted in different ways by people, and this happens because people have different cultural backgrounds, different personal experiences, and different social environments. In a similar way, an international brand may get popular in many different countries, but different meanings are attached to this brand by consumers in different places.

Another interesting point is that culture is not just a passive receiver that gets influenced by global forces. Cultural products are actively selected, interpreted, and also adapted by people. This basically means that local societies are able to take part in globalization, and at the same time, their existing identities and traditions do not have to be completely given up.

With this perspective, it becomes easier to understand that cultural globalization is not just a one-way process, where weaker countries are simply influenced by more powerful ones. Some countries and industries do have more resources, and these resources can be used to spread their cultural products, but even so, local people still have an important role; they are the ones who decide how these products get understood, and how they get included into everyday life.

Question / Concern / Discussion Angle

One question that comes up is whether equal opportunities for cultural exchange are actually created by cultural globalization. In theory, people from different countries are allowed by globalization to get access to cultural products and share them more easily. But the ability to produce and distribute films, music, news, and other media forms to the international level is not the same for every country.

Some countries have large entertainment industries, powerful media companies, and a lot of financial resources, and these countries may get more chances to show their cultures to audiences around the world. Meanwhile, smaller countries, or communities that are not as strong economically, may find that their cultural products receive much less attention from the international side.

This brings up a concern, because it is not clear whether cultural exchange is truly mutual, or whether some cultures have much more influence compared with others. Cultural products from all around the world may be accessible to people, but even then, the products that people actually run into may still be shaped by economic and technological resources that are not equally distributed.

The discussion question can be put this way: when cultural exchange is promoted by globalization, how can the diversity of local cultures be protected at the same time? This question matters because cultural diversity should not just disappear, and the reason for its disappearance should not simply be that societies are getting more connected with each other. In an ideal situation, opportunities for people to understand different cultures should be created by globalization; people should not be encouraged to all follow the same cultural trends instead.