I have really enjoyed reading this book, it was very easy for me to read, I was able to read it very quickly and I found each chapter really interesting, especially my chapter- chapter 7.
One idea in the first chapter that I keep going back to is that globalization is a process and not a thing (p.6). I think that is why I believe that the idea of globalization could have began with the silk road as it could have begun (as some may think) after the second world war. It is a process that is continually evolving and changing – just as the world and its people do. Our global structure is ever changing; therefore globalization will be ever changing. Changes or events that take place are factors of globalization.
I think that from day one people have been trying to spread their ideas, values, traditions – maybe I should not even say “trying” because I think that these concepts of one’s everyday life are spread or shared unintentionally. It is just kind of like introducing something new to someone- they either like it and use it or they don’t. Everyone always thinks that their ideas and values are the best so they want to share them- like religion, that’s why we have preachers, to preach the supposed “right” word of god and to hopefully gain a few more followers, so could we then say that each world religion has or is globalizing?
I could go on and on – this book has me kind of hooked now on the subject of globalization- I have so many ideas and thoughts on the matter now and I don’t think that I have ever thought much about it. It is so interesting- I have been relating everything (since I read the book) to globalization- everything from my Chinese exchange student speaking to her parents on Skype to fast food and fashion. I have a ton of ideas for my paper, I just need to narrow it down to one topic- I think I will do either fashion or fast food though.
America has totally dominated and globalized both, some may disagree with me on the fashion part though.
On to chapter 7: Media globalization and cultural imperialism.
Our government promotes the free trade of audiovisual media, as does the European nations, but they argue that this free circulation does nothing but spread our ethics, or “Americanism” all over the world. In my opinion, we are a successful country, we make great movies so we can’t help but spread our ideas around through our movies- foreigners want to watch our movies. Maybe the European officials should put more money into their media corporations, and then maybe we would be watching their movies. One example that Pearson and Khullar use is that after WWI American media exposure was limited in the European countries and representatives lobbied for more exposure of domestic films. The European citizens didn’t want this- they wanted their American films back.
The flow of media has not always been from America to Europe. We all know that us Americans at one time took our culture, knowledge and traditions from Europe- it’s where we all started. Many people thought and still do think of the European way as socially and culturally correct, a home to the elite and rich. We were able to take from that society what we liked about it and leave behind the rest. America did that with European ideas and values as well as with European media. Films and music were imported and slowly America began making them better- they came up with the concept and we just made the concept better- bigger- easily available to Americans and then eventually to Europeans.
American made films continue to be successful throughout the world; Europe is still the biggest importer of American made media. It makes sense to me- who else has a Hollywood? Who else throws millions into their movies? Who else pays actors from all over the globe to star in their films? We are great at what we do, but we would never be the success that we are without the help of the influence of Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment