W6. Cultural globalization / 2015048922 Lim Ji-hyun

What is globalization?"2015048922 Ji-hyun Lim

1.Summary

Before I read this article, I don't know who is 'John Tomlinson'. But now I can know not only who is 'John Tomlinson' but also what is his sociological perspective. He particularly focuses on the relationship between Globalization and Culture.

John Tomlinson talks about the 'Globalization' that transcends frontiers through the complex connections - among people - that have arisen from the development of science, technology and communication of modern society. He refers to 'Cultural Globalization' in that people can communicate with people in other remote areas out of physical space and the information, technology and human exchange are expanded so that the culture is extended beyond its own territory because of globalization. The globalization that he talks is not a simple cultural unification but a complex single urbanization revealed through the interaction of people, countries, and society.

John Tomlinson talks about the complexity of globalization as a concept of modernity and explains the discontinuity that characterizes modernity. Discontinuity means that the modern society developed as a characteristic of the pre-modern society but is a completely different society from the pre-modern society.

Globalization is a phenomenon in the capitalist market but it is not limited by economy. It is a process of simultaneous and complex linking of economy, politics, culture and technology. Therefore, we have to resist the temptation about Economic causality in the globalization process. The first reason to resist the temptation to economic reductionism is that it operates on an unrealistically narrow conception of the economic. The second reason is that it distorts our understanding of the sphere of culture(John Tomlinson).

If we can't resist the temptation, globalization destroys the world's diverse cultures by displacing people, bringing a market-driven 'branded' homogenization of cultural experience, and thereby obliterating the differences between the locally-defined and the globally homogenized. It is very dangerous idea to regard a simple product - ex. Disney, Coca-Cola, Marlboro, Microsoft, Google, McDonald's, CNN, Nike and Starbucks and so on - as a culture. Therefore, the value of culture cannot be discussed only with products(or economy) because it causes danger that globalization can too easily be equated to ‘cultural imperialism’, ‘Americanization’ or ‘Westernization’, or as the spread of a global capitalist-consumerist monoculture.

So we have to know the fact that globalization is an uneven process - between areas of concentration and density of flow and other areas of exclusion or neglect -. Globalization seems that it is not quite global. We have to be careful not to confuse mere cultural goods with the practice of culture itself.

Another idea of globalization is the 'Deterritorialization'. We live local lives, but globalization is changing our experience of ‘locality’. The idea of deterritorialization is one way of understanding this change. It means the loss of the natural relation of culture to geographical and social territories(Garcia Canclini). The "deterritorializing" aspect of globalization implies not that globalization destroys localities but that cultural experience is in various ways lifted out of its traditional culture in particular localities via our interaction through globalizing media and communications technologies. It means that no longer is culture so tied to the constraints of local circumstances.

Sometimes, we don't know which would be better between universal human rights and cultural difference in the globalization process because there are good reasons for each. 'Cultural identity' is essential in this chaotic situation. Cultural identity is the identity of belonging to a group. It is related to ethnicity, religion, social class, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. In this way, cultural identity is both characteristic of the individual but also of the culturally identical group of members sharing the same cultural identity. Therefore, it is very important that we have accurate cultural identity to make the right choice in the age of globalization. 

 

 

2. New, interesting or unusual items I learned

 

I had seen the effects of culture on globalization only from the product. In other words, I had understood the relationship between culture and globalization only on the economic perspective. So I was more sympathetic to this article. But after reading this article, I realized that I was wrong. I also learned how dangerous this perspective is. Therefore, I decided to study from various perspectives when I study about globalization forward.

Also, the idea of 'Deterritorialization' is new and interesting. I think 'deterritorialization' is a suitable idea that explains the process of globalization. It is so hard to understand the meaning of deterritorialization. But this article helps me understand the meaning correctly. Furthermore, I want to learn what 'deterritorialization' and 'reterritorialization' are defferent deeply.

And I can know the importance of cultural identity. I think that cultural identity is essential to adapt from the age of globalization.

 

3. Discussion point

John Tomlinson said that the deterritorialization is a loss of natural relations between cultures, geography, and social domains, and becomes the cultural conditions of globalization. However, it is not entirely blocking the connection between culture and territory. Any technology can no completely eliminate the physical distance.
But I think some technology can completely eliminate the physical distance.  For example, If we have smartphone, we can experience various cultures anywhere, anytime, regardless of physical distance.
Therefore, I want to discuss whether we can completely block the connection between culture and territory. Can not really any technology completely eliminate the physical distance - from the perspective of cultural globalization  -?