By Shafiq Bara
a Palestinian architect
as a final research for The Geography of Globalization Course
V.U.B – Brussels –Belgium 9/1/2009
Introduction:
Globalization is bringing the world smaller and smaller , a tiny Village as some critics say about the last era of globalization , connectivity, mobility ,technology and information are not limited any more ,this interaction bring different cultures together into uneven Exchange process which could lead to some kind of homogeneous culture as some critics argue , or enriching Cultural diversity other argue.
This contradiction in understanding is connected to the way you look at globalization , which is at last a system motivated by rules and conditions that we should understand to figure out wither This system is leading toward A homogeneous culture or to a cultural diversity condition .
Globalization as a Term:
It is not easy to define the term Globalization, as it is the main debate for deferent groups of people with deferent point of views ,wither supporting or acting against the process created by it ,they even have deferent part of views about when this process started , as some of them went back to Darwin theory of evolution as a start point ( Anew term for an old process) ,
But most of the debates look at Globalization as a term that describes the process that results due to the movement of the capital throw the globe which affects the economics , culture , social life , technology and almost every aspect of life , the term globalization was used in debates since 1960 in social science and 1980 in economic science ,[1] the meaning of the term is still improving new meanings and areas was added to it throw the time,
Nguyen Vạn Phu argues that " Globalization is a strong tendency and a paradigm that has been improved after years of practice, Understanding its mechanism and applying it properly to a company or a country needs a lot of immense efforts and time. But if one can do that he can change the fate of his company or country. "[2]
A paper under the title CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALISATION issued In the Millennium Forum of the United Nations suggested " two main areas of definition into which the term " Globalization " would appear to fit:
• globalization is a novel situation characterized by an enormous capacity for communication and exchange on a world-wide scale that makes possible the construction of a ‘world system’.
• globalization is the exporting and imposition of the contemporary western socio-economic and cultural model (which in some instances has integrated certain elements from other cultures) around the world".
They add " We believe that globalization should be viewed from this double perspective, with all the contradictions and ambivalence that this involves"[3]
Shape(1): Cartoon describes the effect of globalization in our daily life , as the hole planet earth in your living room without even you notice that , source : http://www.cartoonweb.com/images/globalization/globalization1.gif
The effect of Globalization on Culture :
Globalization has a certain impact on the diverse identities of culture and civilization, and it affects them whether economically, politically, socially, educationally, etc,
The Culture is one of the main aspects in the debates about globalization , many people sees that globalization is imposing a change on the cultural level , wither they see it toward a good improve or a bad one, to know the effect imposed on Culture we must first know what is Culture ?
there is many levels & definitions for Culture that could be issued ,sometimes in a very diverse way , but In general the critics of globalization refer to Peter Berger definition for it as: " a conventional social scientific sense: as the beliefs, values, and lifestyles of ordinary people in their everyday existence.“ [4]
and that doesn't contradict with the United nations adopted definition for Culture in the Mexico Declaration on Cultural Policies, which States " the term ‘culture’ takes in the values, beliefs, languages, knowledge and arts, traditions, institutions and forms of life by which persons and groups express the meanings they attach to their existence and development”.[5]
There is no civilization that can claim a Pure Culture, all the cultures in the world were affected throw history by each other , the effect may be deferent in level , but it is there , in the Globalization era a greater interaction happened between deferent cultures in the level of groups and individuals , the United nations paper argues that "There are sufficient elements to come to the conclusion that globalization does not always involve a greater degree of communication or exchange among the different cultures and civilizations on our planet on an equal footing, but that it often displays a tendency to impose one of these cultures on the others, which may end up by creating a homogeneous model that affects them all".[6]
This model of globalization is called Westernization or some time Called Americanization by the Europeans as the American culture is the dominant Culture in this relation which we can see throw Hollywood And MacDonald's for example .
Shape(2):the same products can be found in every part of the world carrying the same American cultural signs . http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/boettche/graphics/globalization.jpg
Mr. Thomas Friedman one of the Prominent critics for globalization in his book "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" Argues that globalization "has its own dominant culture, which is why it tends to be homogenizing . . . Culturally speaking, globalization is largely, though not entirely, the spread of Americanization -- from Big Macs to iMacs to Mickey Mouse -- on a global scale." [7]
The Issue made UNESCO's Conference on Culture for Development concludes that globalization is undermining local and traditional cultures, and that cultural groups should form global networks to counteract this trend.[8]
Many Groups were established around the world to demand laws and acts from governments and politicians toward a conservation for the cultural Identity and diversity for each nation( Like the International network for Cultural Diversity established in 1998) , but even here there was a big debate about the Kind Of Cultural Homogeneity that Globalization Create.
Mr. Tom Palmer argues that " In particular, is it true that globalization is leading to a homogenized global culture, one in which life in Brazil approaches being indistinguishable from life in Bavaria, or - more to the point - is it leading to a world in which every country looks like southern California?" .[9]
Is globalization making the world more homogenous?
A question Many Observers around the world Like Michael Lynton In his Article Globalization and Cultural Diversity" asks , there is an increasing Movement that sees Globalization process Leading to A kind of Cultural Diversity not Homogeneity, Lynton Argues :" Instead of creating a single, boring global village, the forces of globalization are actually encouraging the proliferation of cultural diversity" .[10]
Shape (3) : Using Cultural Diversity in marketing to increase the Value of the Products , is one of the capital policies to limit the competences of others , Source :http://83.137.212.42/siteArchive/catalystmagazine
This issue can be seen in the Increasing products that have Certain Cultural styles in the last wave of globalization ( Like American companies producing French or Indian Films or even a translated Hollywood film to French or Arabic or certain ethnic products ) , which underline the new way of thought adopted by The Capital from the famous statement of David Brower the environmental activist " Think globally, act locally" which Underline what we Know these days Under the term Glocalisation.[11]
Rachel Pillai argues that : " cultural difference has become a powerful currency in our global economy", he adds " our cultural and political landscape is punctuated by the commercial intervention of marketing"[12] .
Which even seen by the critics Opposing this kind of cultural diversity as " Price Tagging Cultures" as many people see their own cultural values are too much important than the way it is used by the Capital .
To Understand whether Globalization Is leading toward a Cultural Diversity or Homogeneity we must go back and Study The Capital theory, How does it act and think ?
Capital as the Main motivation:
Globalization is passed on the Capital Competition, where many Players act to Raze Money , to succeed in raising money you must be the most Creative thinker , the first to adopt new technology and adapt the needs of the customers , "It is all about The Money " many Capitalist summarize their motivation .
Shape (4) : Competition by Companies on the consumer market , and new ways to add value to the products , Source: http://www.hse.fi/NR/rdonlyres/5983FBE3-EFB0-44D6-AC78-97B96DCF6933/3112/intro4.jpg
This motivation was discussed for the first Time by Jacob Vanderlint In his book under the Title" Money Answers all Things "issued in 1734, he argues an Essay about the role of money in the society were Wars as he says Could be launched for the sake of trade and money .
This could highlight the rule of capital in forming the hall economical system around the world , were TNC companies have greater rule in the society than some governments , were regulations are changed to fit the capital needs , and were the National State loses her Power in the front of the new regulations and world agreements and associations Like the World Bank & The World Trade Organization (W.T.O), which many researchers highlight as the end of National state era and the start of a post national state era.
Shape (5): A Cartoon about How Countries Compete to Attract Capital Investment ( Changing rules and Laws ), Source : http://www.craigbellamy.net/images/freetrade.jpg
It seems to be hard to recognize wither Globalization leads to a homogeneous culture or to more diversity, but it seems that Capitalism uses the 2 themes in deferent layers were in some level it uses the first theme and in the second uses the other and sometimes changes the game rules in using those tactics to respond to the market need which is emerged from the people reaction against some polices or actions .
ٍShape(6):the effect of dominant cultures who have the capital power on other nations ,Source: www.cooperativeindividualism.org/freeman-cartoon-mar-1941.jpg
The effect on the City Level :
To understand how the Globalization act on culture in the level of the city , we must first recognize what is the city , Cities are much more than their Physical Components , The City " Is above all Things a theater" as Mumford Argues , he sees the Urban experience as an integral component in development of human culture & human personality , as he say : " the physical design of cities and their economic functions are secondary to their relationship to the natural environment &to the Spiritual values of human community " [13],
The cities throw history were a clear Expression for the local culture and special features, after the industrial revolution and by applying the latest technology in the cities especially the western ones many features ( which can called Modernity elements ) entered the urban areas ,The Railway lines , mobile roots , electric networks , road signs , media signs etc.
Shape(6 ) : A British Cartoon that focus on the changes that happened on the center of a medieval town in England and how it looks these days were you can't distinguish between a city in England and another in Belgium for example , Source : André Loeckx , Developments in urban design and planning, the case of Flanders, Lecture Material , VUB , 12/2008
It is not the technology alone that leads toward that kind of Homogeneity, the increasing role of capital and big companies and the political elite which limits the Urban planning and building designs in the hands of limited individuals ( architects & engineers ) who have most of the time a Biased cultural preview or a predefined school of thought ( Like the Modern school or the postmodern or tradional .
History is not made by people , history is made by men , few men how share most of the time Homogeneous thoughts with others creating a more homogeneous globe ,
Shape (7): the rule of the capital elite , Cartoon , Source : internet web site .
But we can't say that the Cities around the world will be identical and homogeneous at the last , Because Of the main aspect of globalization era " Competitiveness" , if you look back at the communist era after the world war 2 you can see that the Lack of Competitiveness wish marked the social and industrial sectors turned the Soviet cities into a copy of each other , the cultural factor were limited down and a total homogenization process Occurred, as the government took the responsibility to spread the communist theory taking the responsibility of building the same design of houses, the same car , the same chair and even the same education system and imposing new cultural homogenization rules(Totalitarian Culture) , which made people get bored and the USSR collapse at the last.
We can see a similar phenomena in the western European cities after the world war 2 , as there was a great demand for new infra structure , new buildings for commercial and residential use to replace the war lose , which made a lack of competence era , we can See The modern School of thought dominate the architectural , urban planning and economical life between 1945-1960 .
Shape (8) : Panoramic View for Brussels City Center , Where We can see the effect of modern school of architecture in the heart of the city , Source : http://www.skyscrapercity.com
Big , Ugly , hi-Tec , functional towers , similar but not identical , and does not carry any specific cultural identity spread all over the major Western European cities , by the beginning of 1960 and the lack of investment and the decrease in demand for new buildings which created a high level of competition , and the increasing protest inside the societies against this kind of architecture and production new schools of thought get out to life like the post modern school and the tradional one , all those schools were demanding an increasing rule for the local cultures in the city and architecture and every kind of products combined with the new and latest technologies .
Shape (9): Cartoon about the role of increasing competition in world , which forms the need for new strategies to increase profit , source : http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/hsc1146l.jpg
The World Cities:
But the new world cities like London , New York, Paris and Brussels are not any more a theater for a one culture , Many Minorities and Ethnic groups of emigrants as a result of the uneven development reality throw out the globe , were they leave there homes around the world and come to those cities were the investment of capital provides them with Jobs a, Higher wages and a better life as they hope , Carrying their local cultures and social attitudes with them .
Those minorities after a while feel that their Culture is threatened , and they start forming ethnic groups enclosures in side those cities , most of the time benefiting from the Capital theory of seesaw , where the capital leaves an area ( as the heart of Brussels back in the 60s ) and go out for a new area out of the city , they use this process to gain control on those Poor districts ( as the Moroccan & Turkish districts in Brussels ) were they can apply their cultural features in the façade of their houses ,
This process leads to more diverse cultures as some times tow deferent cultures become into a clash ( as you can't decide how is your neighbor )as in Brussels , were the Red District became as an enclave inside a Moroccan Muslim majority District .
Multi –culturalism as some critics described leads to many problems inside the local societies , due to based prefixed images that every Culture group build about the other , creating a real bomb that can explode the whole society at once, But in the eye of the Capital Multi culturalism in this Level forms a gold mine of Profits , as they supply the production units with cheap Labour power , and a wider consumer Market were new Products needed to supply those minorities with their cultural needs , ( Like Moroccan Foods and textiles ).
Shape (10): The Pre fixed Image of Multicultural society leads to bigger problems , Source : https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gpQIbfOEyLtxHohcB_hQXGxf3gU3kHV30cFqr-Q6ICnJ8r8tyRCmBLtXnaGYmAxwEeibPJYIC9Zlp8XPHHtKdWSvZZzvDVTZ1n3ZINMJayVPL44xeVSgZWk2AbHFsd4XsrFPejUtQlc/s400/multiculturalism
The Capitalism Even Benefits from the diversity inside the same culture , as the humans how share the same culture have deferent tastes and needs and also Different economic power and different education and ages , most of the Enterprises Like Nokia Mobile Company tries to supply the consumer markets with deferent Sizes, colors & prices from the same technology of mobiles , and the same we can see in every single production company, and this seems to be the main aspect Of Value Creating process in these days were competition between companies in the limited Consumer market of the tiny world era.
Conclusion :
For the first while You Can't Understand whither Globalization is Leading toward A Cultural Homogeneity or Diversity due to the huge number of Critics who have deferent opinions , but if you understand what is globalization the image will come more and more clear.
Globalization is a Dynamic system that uses many tactics , some of them seems to be contradicting with each other , the Capital forms the Major Power In the process , the capital works on deferent levels and layers with deferent tactics , those tactics could be changed or modified to fit the market needs and the majorities of Consumers demands and a high level of competition from other Capital Players , ( Like DHL Green Project That she Implemented in Europe only to satisfy The Green Lobbies formed in European societies but she don’t have plans to spread it to Africa as she don’t face any Public consumers Resistance there) ,
.
Shape (11) : How The Capital Chang Her Face To Make Consumers Satisfied, Source : WWW. CartoonsTOCK.COM
If you Look At the Tiny world in the third era of Globalization You will notice the most Cultural Homogeneous Level that the Humanity ever reached even it is hiding behind a fake shell of Cultural Diversity ,
this cultural homogeneity based on the technology and Marketing is not any more the Individual choice , its implemented By an elite ( few people who own the keys of technology making , and Specialized engineers and architects ) , The cultural Diversity that Occurs here is the freedom of choice from a predefined set of the same technology and culture , its " The global culture of Shopping" Jane Jacops Argue ,or Price Tagging culture other argue.
The end
[1] Un known author , Globalization, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 3/1/2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization#cite_note-5
[2] Nguyễn Vạn Phú, A Review of Globalizaiton Movements: What’s Happening?, Tuoitre Online, 23/9/2006, http://www.fetp.edu.vn/global
[3] United Nations , CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALISATION, A document for reflection on the subtheme of ‘Culture’ from the Millennium Forum of the United Nations, http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/tconferencias_identidadecultural_prop_eng.pdf
[4]Tom G. Palmer," Globalization and Culture: Homogeneity, Diversity, Identity, Liberty", Liberals Institute ,Berlin, 2004, page: 4
[5]United Nations , CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALISATION, A document for reflection on the subtheme of ‘Culture’ from the Millennium Forum of the United Nations, http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/tconferencias_identidadecultural_prop_eng.pdf
[6] United Nations , CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALISATION
[7] Michael Lynton, Globalization and Cultural Diversity, The Wall Street Journal, 12 September 2007, http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=9655
[8]International network for Cultural Diversity , How Are we ?, http://www.incd.net/html/english/who/his.htm
[9] Tom G. Palmer," Globalization and Culture: Homogeneity, Diversity, Identity, Liberty", Liberals Institute ,Berlin, 2004, page: 4
[10] Michael Lynton, Globalization and Cultural Diversity, The Wall Street Journal, 12 September 2007, http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=9655
[11] S, Walter (2004) "Think Global, Act Local",Luath Press Ltd., Edinburgh, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_globally,_act_locally
[12] Rachel Pillai, Consuming culture, how advertising shapes our world, catalyst magazine, 20/11/2006, http://83.137.212.42/siteArchive/catalystmagazine/Default.aspx.LocID-0hgnew0na.RefLocID-0hg01b00100k.Lang-EN.htm
[13] Lewis Mumford , What is a City? , Architectural Record, 1937
Note : all rights reserved for the other , you can use this material for academic research only , with prober referencing using the author name , research title , website and the date©. shafiq bara
very intresting article.
ردحذفAyman Ismail