Cultural Geography

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Cultural Geography
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What is
?
The term globalisation is contested, a general
definition is
An increase in the flow of goods, services,
people, capital across national borders in order
to create a more integrated and interdependent
world economy.
Basically the World is shrinking.
Cultural Geography
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization
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What factors have lead to globalisation?
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Advances in transport
Improved transport means that people and goods
can be moved around the world more quickly.
Distance between places hasnt changed, but the
time needed to cover those distances has.
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/danoots/165294639/
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Communication and technology
Improvement in technology, such as the internet,
has meant that capital (money) can be transferred
instantly between locations. People can also use
telephones and the internet to communicate more
easily in real time.
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/ldandersen/301812211/

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Development of mass media
Improvements in technology have also lead to the
development of a mass media, television, radio
and internet, far off places now seem much
closer we can even see them in real time.
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/skooal/322346446/
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Shrinking world...
These factors have lead to increased
interdependence between places they also seem
much closer than they did.
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/anjan58/1281306048/
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http//www.bized.co.uk/educators/16-19/economics/i
nternational/presentation/globalisationmap.gif
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Impact on culture
Some commentators have suggested that
globalisation will lead to a global culture
The earth's inhabitants will lose their cultural
diversity and one culture will be experienced by
all people.
Cultural Geography
http//oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html

A global village will develop.
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Who's global culture?
The rise of globalisation has also lead to the
global company, the multinational, these global
companies have had a huge impact on cultural
trends across the world.
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/romanlily/1257704249/

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This has lead some people not to talk of a global
culture, but a brand new world.
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/romanlily/1257704249/

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This is not a new idea...
The world the novel describes is a utopia, albeit
an ironic one humanity is carefree, healthy and
technologically advanced. Warfare and poverty
have been eliminated and everyone is permanently
happy due to government-provided stimulation. The
irony is that all of these things have been
achieved by eliminating many things that humans
consider to be central to their identity
family, culture, art, literature, science,
religion, and philosophy. It is also a hedonistic
society, deriving pleasure from promiscuous sex
and drug use, especially the use of soma, a
powerful drug taken to escape pain and bad
memories through hallucinatory fantasies.
Additionally, stability has been achieved and is
maintained via deliberately engineered and
rigidly enforced social stratification.
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World
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Is there a developing global culture?
Cultural Geography
McDonalds, India
McDonalds, China
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But there is a kick back...
Some individuals believe that globalisation is
having a negative impact on cultural diversity,
these are called anti-globalisationists.
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But there is a kick back...


Cultural Geography
Worried about the impact of immoral Barbie,
Islamic countries have produced their own
alternatives.
http//www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id1544
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But there is a kick back...
Cultural Geography
Is this new global culture inclusive?
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Brand New World Evidence for and Against
Area Evidence for a global culture Impact on culture Reaction
Technology (T)
News Media (NM)
Leisure and Entertainment (LE)
Consumer Products (CP)
Cultural Geography
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Against a global culture...

• It is not a global culture, but in reality
  American culture. Some people have called it
  Cultural Imperialism. This has lead in some cases
  to violent reactions.
• It is not inclusive, the poorest cant afford it,
  despite often being the workers, nor has the
  process of globalisation penetrated certain
  locations. Global culture, people have argued, is
  the preserve of an educated professional elite.
• It is a censored culture. National governments
  have chosen to filter exposure to certain aspects
  of culture that they feel are unsuitable or
  undermine their power.
• It is undermines diversity. Aspects of global
  culture may undermine/conflict with
  local/national cultures, critics argue it is the
  movement to a standard identity.
• It undermines national economies. National
  producers of food, music and culture, cant
  compete with large multinational companies and
  their resources.
• It lacks choice. A decreasing number of
  multi-nationals offering popular culture means
  less choice for consumers and potentially less
  value for money.

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For a global culture...

• Culture evolves. Culture has evolved over time
  and the process of globalisation is just seen as
  a natural extension of this process.
• Cultural fusion. It is not only America that has
  influenced global culture, Asian countries such
  as Japan have had a huge influence, for example
  computing and gaming.
• People have choice. There is not international
  conspiracy, consumers have a choice in the
  culture they consume.
• Greater understanding. Increasing
  interconnectiveness makes the process of conflict
  more difficult, we have more in common. There
  have been no global conflicts in over half a
  century.- Global Village- tolerance through
  uniformity (?).
• Improved equality. Some believe that exposure to
  Western culture has had a positive impact on the
  rights of individuals, for example the role of
  women in certain societies.

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Global Culture or Not?
Cultural Geography
http//www.flickr.com/photos/ozdema2/1578115941