Chapter Notes: Global and National Cultures

Hello future Global Citizens! This chapter is fascinating because we look at the tug-of-war happening between the world becoming one large, standardised place, and countries fighting fiercely to keep their unique identity. Don't worry if these ideas seem big—we'll break down how globalisation affects our food, fashion, and even our language!

1. The Growth Towards a Global Culture (Cultural Homogenisation)

The world is increasingly connected due to technology, migration, and international trade. This connection leads to a phenomenon known as cultural homogenisation—the process where different cultures become more similar or uniform. Essentially, we are starting to share common tastes and habits across borders.

Key Features of Global Culture (Syllabus Point 8a)

This standardisation primarily happens in four major areas:

  • Common Foods: Chains like McDonald's, Starbucks, or KFC can be found in almost every major city worldwide. This means people across different nations are consuming similar fast-food options.
  • Languages: English has become the primary lingua franca (the common language used for business, science, and the internet). This makes global communication easier but sometimes pushes local languages aside.
  • Media and Entertainment: Hollywood films, US television series, and global platforms like Netflix or YouTube dominate the global entertainment industry. People in Tokyo and São Paulo might watch the same show at the same time.
  • Fashion and Trends: Global brands (e.g., Zara, Nike, H&M) create rapidly moving international fashion trends, leading to a standardised look, especially among younger generations.

Analogy: Think of global culture like ordering a standard pizza. It tastes the same whether you buy it in Rome or Rio. It’s convenient, but you miss out on local specialties!

Quick Review Box: The Upside and Downside

Positive Impact: Easier communication, shared ideas, wider consumer choice.
Negative Impact: Loss of traditional practices, weakening of local languages.

2. The Rejection of Globalised Cultural Change (Cultural Resistance)

Many societies feel that the spread of global culture, often led by Western countries (especially the USA), threatens their unique history, values, and traditions. They resist this spread to protect their national identity (Syllabus Point 8b).

Why Do Countries Resist?
  • Preservation of Heritage: They want to maintain unique traditions, festivals, and historic ways of life.
  • Protecting Language: Language is seen as the heart of a culture. If the local language is replaced by English, key elements of identity can be lost.
  • Economic Protection: Ensuring local artists, filmmakers, and musicians have an audience, rather than being overshadowed by global imports.
  • Moral/Religious Values: Some global media or fashion trends might conflict with local religious or moral beliefs.
Case Studies in Resistance (Two Countries Required)

The syllabus requires you to know examples of countries that actively resist globalised culture:

1. France: Protecting Language and Media

France has famously resisted the influence of American English and culture. The Académie Française (French Academy) is an official body that works to protect the French language, sometimes inventing new French words for English technological terms (e.g., courriel instead of email).

  • Action Taken: France imposes laws that require French radio stations to play a minimum percentage (a quota) of French-language music. This ensures local artists are supported and French remains dominant in the media.
2. Iran: Controlling Media and Western Influence

Iran, guided by religious principles, strictly controls media imports and internet access to prevent the spread of cultural values deemed inappropriate or harmful to their national identity and political system.

  • Action Taken: The government censors foreign films, television shows, and websites that promote lifestyles or social attitudes inconsistent with Iranian culture, thereby limiting access to potentially globalising influences.

Key Takeaway: Cultural Resistance is a form of Cultural Protectionism—using laws, quotas, or censorship to shield local culture from overwhelming external influences.

3. Promoting National Culture as an Economic Strategy

Instead of just protecting culture from foreign influence, some countries have realised their unique culture can be a powerful economic asset. By promoting their traditions globally, they can generate wealth and development (Syllabus Point 8c).

What is Cultural Promotion?

This strategy involves intentionally marketing a country's cultural goods (films, food, music, history) to the rest of the world. This boosts:

  • Tourism: People travel to experience the culture first-hand.
  • "Soft Power": The ability to influence the world through attraction and appeal rather than force.
  • Export Revenue: Selling cultural products (art, fashion, media).
Case Study: South Korea (Promoting Culture for Development)

South Korea successfully turned its culture into a massive economic driver through the Hallyu Wave (Korean Wave).

  1. Initial Strategy: The South Korean government saw the export of cultural products (music, TV dramas, films) as a way to boost their national image and economy after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
  2. The Action: Government ministries provided funding, subsidies, and global promotion for the creative industries (e.g., K-Pop and K-Dramas).
  3. Economic Result: The global popularity of K-Pop (like BTS) and K-Dramas (like Squid Game) generates billions of dollars in revenue from music sales, streaming, merchandise, and concerts.
  4. Wider Impact: This popularity also boosts demand for South Korean fashion, cosmetics, and food, dramatically increasing tourism and foreign investment. Culture has become a pillar of their economic development.

Did you know? South Korea's "soft power" boost due to Hallyu is so significant that it has influenced everything from trade deals to diplomatic relations.

Summary: Globalisation and Identity

Key Takeaways for Revision

When studying this topic, remember the three 'P's:

  1. Penetration (Global Culture): Foods, language, and media cross borders easily, creating a uniform global culture.
  2. Protection (National Resistance): Countries use quotas (like France) or censorship (like Iran) to shield their unique identity from foreign cultural dominance.
  3. Promotion (Economic Strategy): Countries (like South Korea) use their culture to attract tourism and export media, turning national culture into a source of economic development.

Understanding this balance is crucial because it helps explain why communities sometimes embrace global trends and sometimes fiercely defend their local traditions!