Blog 2: Culture Globalization - Gyuhyeon Park

 1. Summary of the Class and Reading

In class, we learned that cultural globalization can lead to homogenization, heterogenization, or fusion. These ideas show that globalization can make cultures more similar, maintain their differences, or create new forms of culture by mixing different influences. We also discussed Americanization and McDonaldization, which explain how certain products and ways of life spread across different countries.

Tomlinson's reading made me look at cultural globalization from another angle. He argues that the spread of cultural products does not necessarily mean that people accept the culture behind them. McDonald's, for example, is popular in many countries, but its popularity alone does not tell us whether people are adopting American values. The same product can have different meanings depending on how people use it. This suggests that looking at which products become popular worldwide is not enough to understand how globalization affects culture.

The reading also introduces deterritorialization, which describes how culture becomes less closely tied to a particular place. Through television, the internet, and mobile phones, people can experience things from other countries without visiting them. However, this does not mean that local cultures disappear. People can maintain connections to their own culture while developing interests in others. Tomlinson also explains that people can have multiple cultural identities rather than being defined by just one culture. This helped me understand cultural globalization as something more complicated than one culture simply replacing another.

2. What I Found Interesting

The idea that interested me most was the difference between the spread of cultural products and the spread of cultural values. Before reading Tomlinson, I tended to think that when a country's cultural products became popular overseas, its culture was becoming more influential as well. However, these two things do not always happen to the same extent.

K-pop is a good example. Some fans become interested in the Korean language, food, or history, while others mainly enjoy the music, choreography, and visual style. Both groups may listen to the same artists, but their interest in Korea can be quite different. K-pop's popularity can introduce people to Korean culture, but it does not necessarily mean that everyone who listens to it develops a deeper interest in Korea. I think this makes it difficult to measure the global influence of Korean culture simply by looking at the popularity of its music.

According to what we learned in class, glocalization is another way to understand the relationship between global products and local cultures. The example of bulgogi pizza shows how a product can combine influences from different cultures. I used to think of these changes mainly as a way of reflecting local tastes. However, companies can also use local preferences to attract more customers. Adapting a product to a particular market can help a global brand reach people who might not be interested in its original version. This made me realize that cultural exchange and business interests can operate at the same time.

3. A Question for Further Discussion

Tomlinson's argument helped me understand why the popularity of foreign products does not automatically mean that people accept the values associated with them. However, I think it is also important to consider how much influence the companies behind these products have.

A global company can adapt its products to local tastes without necessarily representing the local culture as a whole. It chooses which ingredients, designs, or traditions to use, often based on what it believes will appeal to customers. As a result, a product may look more local while still being shaped by the company's business goals.

There is also a difference between global companies and smaller local businesses. Global brands often have more resources to promote and distribute their products across different countries. Even when local businesses offer products that reflect their own culture, they may find it harder to reach the same number of consumers. This means that cultural differences can remain visible while the companies with the greatest reach continue to influence what people consume.

I would like to discuss whether global companies adapting to local cultures actually helps those cultures become more visible, or whether it mainly helps the companies expand. These outcomes can happen at the same time. A product can introduce people to a local tradition while also increasing the success of a global brand. I think it would be useful to discuss how we can recognize both effects, rather than assuming that local adaptation always means that cultural differences are being respected.

AI Use Note: All the analysis and opinions in this post are my own. AI was only used to help with translation, grammar, and phrasing.

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