1. No category

Maintaining control
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a global
cultural hegemony
What do these images
suggest? Are they fair?
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
We will look at
1. Cultural domination/ hegemony and consequences.
2. Backlash against this.
What is “Global Culture”?
Is global culture simply……
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American cultural imperialism?
the spread of American consumer culture?
the McDonaldization of the World?
YES, AND NO
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development
of a global cultural hegemony
For the following photos explain how they show evidence of
cultural dominance of the ‘west’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vuIKbR_IWkM&feature=PlayL
ist&p=9DBB813BCE1A9ED3&in
dex=0&playnext=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD5lxpuY9Qw
Global Culture –what is it?
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Since the 1990’s some people have identified the idea of
a ‘global culture’. This is linked to the dominance of the
USA as a superpower, the growing influence of the EU
and the influence of some TNC’s. It is difficult to define
exactly what this term is but some characteristics are:A culture of consumerism
A culture of capitalism and gaining individual wealth
English as the dominant language
White, Anglo-Saxon culture
A culture that selects the best bits of other cultures and
absorbs them into theirs.
Oxford p172-175
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
1) Key Terms:
Cultural Imperialism = The imposition of
one culture over another
Americanisation =
Globalisation =
Cultural Hegemony =
Cultural Imperialism =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeVF
D5X_svk always coca cola
2) What are the features of this new cultural hegemony we can see in the
world? What things are important and what are not?
Capitalism
Traditional
Cultures
Profit
Religion
Local languages
English
Morals
Power
Being connected
Consumerism
Ethics
Material goods
Socialism
Non-conformity
Conformity
Attaining wealth
Family
Friends
Sense of
identity
Independent
thought
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
1) Key Terms:
Americanisation = Cultural globalisation by the USA
Globalisation = The increase in global economic and cultural communication
and homogenisation.
Cultural Hegemony = Dominance of one culture and way of thinking over
others
Cultural Imperialism = The imposition of one culture over another
2) What are the features of this new cultural hegemony we can see in the
world? What things are important and what are not?
Capitalism
Traditional
Cultures
Profit
Religion
Local languages
English
Morals
Power
Being connected
Consumerism
Ethics
Material goods
Socialism
Non-conformity
Conformity
Attaining wealth
Family
Friends
Sense of
identity
Independent
thought
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
Complete a cultural traffic road map on a blank map of the world. Use your
own examples but here’s some to start:
Sushi, soaps on tv
Football, white weddings, getting into debt,
Burgers and fast foods
Hollywood
Baseball
Capitalism
Curry
Ikea (design)
Political ideas e.g. Vietnam 1960s, Nicaragua, Afghanistan
Language
consumerism
Get examples of Americanisation in the globe, Include country examples.
Use Oxford p172-175 and p94-95 Pearson and internet. Write around the
outside of your sheet.
Include images of Americanisation and label.
Global McDonalds
• McDonald's franchises and operates more than
32,000 fast-food restaurants in over 100
countries.
• See pg 94-95 Pearson
Advantages of McDonaldization (Ritzer)
• A wider range of goods and services is
available to a much larger portion of the
population.
• People are able to get what they want or need
almost instantaneously.
• Fast, efficient goods and services are
available to a population that is working longer
hours and has fewer hours to spare.
• In a rapidly changing, unfamiliar, and
seemingly hostile world, there is comfort in the
comparatively stable, familiar, and safe
environment of a McDonaldized system.
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Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a global cultural hegemony
The role of Media
Movies - Rocky - Rocky 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsJnxlXepsY
1. How is Hollywood a mechanism of neo-colonial control?
“One has only to listen to the cheers of an African audience as
Hollywood’s heroes slaughter red Indians or Asiatics to understand
the effectiveness of this weapon. For, in the developing continents,
where the colonialist heritage has left a vast majority still illiterate,
even the smallest child gets the message contained in the blood
and thunder stories emanating from California. “
Kwame Nkrumah 1965
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
Case study – The role of Media
-The Sun 1991 election
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
Case study – The role of Media
-Fox News USA style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV9uZ00bqD8 media
blackout on occupy movement
2. How is the news media a mechanism of neo-colonial control?
Further reading
It’s Only a Movie – Right?
Deconstructing Cultural
Imperialism
Examining the Mechanisms Behind
U.S. Domination of the Global
Cultural Trade
Emilee Rauschenberger
2003
• http://politics.as.nyu.edu/docs/IO/4600/rau
schenberger_thesis.pdf
The media can change lots of things including:
How people see the world
How people see their prospects
How people understand their roles in society – What is just and fair what is not.
How people view politicians and parties and who to vote for
People’s desires or what their desires should be/ aspirations
What a ‘proper life’ is and what a ‘weird life’ is.
How we should spend our money and how much we should spend
2. How is the media a mechanism of neo-colonial control? Consider films
and the news
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
Case study p 175
Oxford
1. What does NewsCorp own?
2. Why might this be a problem in the world concerning News organisations?
3. Why might this be a problem in the world concerning all media?
4. Are there any benefits?
5. Does it support the idea that the USA is flexing its superpower status?
(Homework:: Watch How TV ruined your life ep3 aspiration)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQTBkGzIj4&feature=related pt1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNnayvJ2hcM&feature=related pt2
How does Television act a mechanism of control? What things /lifestyles does it
promote?
Americanisation, Globalisation and the development of a
global cultural hegemony
What do the following terms mean:
Electronic colonialism
Cultural evolution and extinction
Cultural hybridisation
Backlash against the cultural hegemony
In Saudi Arabia Barbie dolls are banned from being sold, the government says the
dolls are anti-Islamic and portray Jewish role models. In the Middle East a number
of alternatives are manufactured, including Fulla, who is sold in Brazil, China and
Egypt. (CP)
Commentators have argued that Disney Theme parks disneyify (cleanse) culture,
would main street American really look they that! Many French people were against
the Paris theme park, believing it encouraged American consumerism. Workers were
also angry at strict dress codes, which they believed went against the French culture
of individualism. The park has not been popular and has seen losses each year from
1992. One commentator called it a ‘culture Chernobyl’.
In some countries,
such as China, the
internet and access
to certain sites is
censored, so that
the population
doesn’t access
subversive
information.
International
Corporations, such
as Google and Yahoo,
have colluded with
the government so
they can have access
to growing markets.
(T)
The European Union
requires 50% of all
T.V. programming to
be from Europe.
France has
increased this to
60% but requires
40% to be in native
French language.
(LE)
Worried about
Microsoft’s
domination of the
market,
programmers have
come together to
produce free
operating systems
such as Linx, free
browsers, such as
FireFox and free
word processing
programmes such as
Open Office. (T)
Arabs have been
incensed by their
portrayal in Disney
films, such as in
Alladin, True Lies,
and the Siege. They
believe that Disney
portrays Arabs as
terrorists or
murderers. In the
Middle East there
have been
widespread boycotts
of Disney products.
(LE)
China has a quota on
American films, it
allows only twenty a
year to be shown in
the country (with
are politically
appropriate), so that
local films receive a
50% share of the
market. (LE)
Concerned about the
rise of English
language culture on
the Internet, the
French government
has funded a
project to digitise
French literature.
(T)
In 1999 Joseph
Bove concerned at
the impact of
McDonalds on
farming practices,
particularly the use
of growth hormones
in beef farming,
dismantled a
McDonald’s in his
town of Millau.
(CP)
Regional news
broadcasters, such
as Al Jazeera, have
become increasingly
popular. During the
Iraq war the
network showed the
impact of the war on
civilians, images that
were being censored
by Western media.
(NM)
Microsoft’s dominance of
personal computing led to
worries that it had a
monopoly, less choice for
consumers and potentially
higher prices. As a result
the European Union has
forced Microsoft to make
its code open to other
developers, so that their
programmes will work with
Microsoft’s systems. (T)
To protect Chinese
language, officials look at
the names of new products
entering the country; they
have forced companies to
change over 2,000 to more
Chinese sounding words.
(CP)
Local alternatives to multinational products have been
developed, such as Quibla
Coke in the United Kingdom,
an Islamic alternative which
gives 10% of all its profits
to charity.
(CP)
1. Give 5 examples of backlash against the cultural
hegemony
2. To what extent is this backlash going to affect the
USA as a superpower?
Essay:
‘Using examples, examine the extent to
which neo-colonial mechanisms of
control are used by superpowers’ (15)
Use a detailed bibliography.
Essay:
‘Using
examples, examine the extent to which neocolonial mechanisms of control are used by
superpowers’ (15)
Essay:
‘Using
examples, examine the extent to which neocolonial mechanisms of control are used by
superpowers’ (15)
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Power can be maintained directly or indirectly; colonial direct rule and its legacy
versus neo-colonial models of indirect influence; for instance trade, aid and debt.
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Superpowers play a key role in international decision-making, policy and action through
direct and indirect processes (the UN, G8, NATO, the EU, the Davos group).
Control of trade, in terms of generating wealth, power and maintaining global influence
is important.
Superpower influence extends to the idea of a developing ‘global culture’ of ideas and
norms – for instance ideas of Americanisation and ‘McDonaldisation’ – which has led to a
backlash among some groups.
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Examples – Ghana