1) summarize in your own words of materials you read;
First of all, to understand ‘cultural
globalization’, we have to know the meaning of ‘culture’ and ‘globalization’. The simple way of defining
globalization is that consider globalization is complex, accelerating,
integrating process of global connectivity. Also, the globalization is flows of
everything that characterizes modern life. Therefore, Globalization is
multidimensional complexity of the process. However, the most important sphere
is ‘economy’, and we cannot ignore the importance of economy. Nevertheless, we
have to effort to exclude the importance of economy because of several reasons.
First, economic reductionism says the cause of all the social developments is
economy, but it is too narrow to talk about economy. Second, it distorts our
comprehension of cultural area. Globalization have potential influence on
people’s cultural experience. And culture is that people experience, not itself
produce of shape. Therefore, it is ambiguous that culture is a component of
globalization that affects other spheres. In conclusion, culture is sphere that
globalization have influence on and simultaneously, it is generated and formed
sphere.
A common assumption about
globalization is that it will be lead to ‘one’ global culture. The reason that
this assumption is produced is that there is ‘unifying’ effects of connectivity
in the other spheres, especially in economy. However, the increase of global
connectivity is not meaning that the world is unifying. Nonetheless, there is a tendency that
consider globalization to all-encompassing ‘global culture’. The most common
assumption is that regards ‘cultural globalization’ as cultural imperialism by
Western capitalist. The connectivity of globalization makes each culture even
closer, so a lot of consumption of Western brand like Disney or Mcdonalds dose
not means that other cultures capitulate to Western cultures.
There is an important concept,
‘cosmopolitanism’, which means ‘world citizenship’ is a way that does not
enforce one particular culture, and it is a challenge that globalization has.
Deterritorialization implies ‘the
loss of the “natural” relation of culture to geographical and social
territories’ (García Canclini 1995: 229) and it means that culture
is no longer constrained by the local environment. Actually, a traditional concept of
culture has implicit meaning that relates to the fixed locality, but deterritorialization
is a radical theory which is opposite to traditional way.
With the internet technology
development, we can be social being in modern life. Moreover, telemediatization
is deeply affecting our modern life in consumption, entertainment and so on.
The positive aspect of
deterritorialization is that it can give a new perspective of cultural
openness, human mutuality and global ethical responsibility.
Cultural identity can be a solution
about the problem of universal human rights and cultural differences. The
category of cultural identity is based on gender, sexuality, class, religion,
race and ethnicity, nationality, and we live in these institutional categories. In dilemma between universal human
rights and cultural differences, the author says that we have to place cultural
identity above universal humanity, and it will make the dilemma easier to solve
because universal human rights depend on the context of situation. Therefore,
it is important to understand that we are the diversity of culture.
2) mention of any new, interesting, or unusual items learned;
As globalization has been a subject that I have learned since I was in
elementary school, I thought it would be very familiar and I will have a good
grasp, but I recognized ‘globalization’ is not a simple problem, but very
complex problem. I always thought there are three obvious parts of
globalization, which is economy, politics and culture, but it seems that the
relationship between ‘culture’ and ‘globalization’ is really special. Also, it
was really meaningful for me to understand ‘cultural globalization’ and many
aspects of seeing globalization.
3) identify at least one question, concern, or discussion angle;
In articles, there were mentions
between universal human rights and cultural difference, also author suggested
that cultural identity can be the solution. However, I want to ask about the
problem between human rights and extreme cultural relativism. There are so many
cultural accidents that are facing human rights and ethical problems and not
accepted from the perspective of each culture in the world. For example, there
are honor killing of the Islamic State, and there is a custom that bury
families alive with dead when their husbands die in Hinduism. In these case,
should we understand their own cultures with cultural relativism, or be more
concerned with the human rights?
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