While an important feature of globalization today is its de-Westernization (with the emergence of some non-Western nations — like Japan — as key actors), the reality is that in many important respects, Western culture (some would say American culture) remains the domineering force in the world today. Western culture fuels globalization today and, as it did during the age of imperialism and colonization, helps to reinforce the hegemony of the West. Information technology, as the driving force of economic globalization, has also become a veritable instrument for propagating Western culture.
Language points:
1. propagate v. to spread opinions, lies, or beliefs among a lot of people
e.g. The government have tried to propagate the belief that this is a just war.
Whenever they propagate ideas that menace the Plutocracy, they lose their jobs.
Perhaps by far the most important far-reaching effect of cultural globalization is the commercialization of culture. Production and consumption of cultural goods and services have become commodities, along with the essentials of social life (marriage and family life, religion, work and leisure), that are the crucibles of cultural creation. In a way very similar to economic globalization, most people (and especially the poor) do not experience cultural globalization on terms they have decided for themselves. Culture — whether it is music, food, clothes, art, sport, images of age or youth, masculinity or femininity — has become a product, sold in the market place. As the former chairman of Coca-Cola, Robert Goizueta said: “People around the world are today connected by brand-name consumer products as much as by anything else.”
Language points:
1. far-reaching adj. having a great influence on many people or things
e.g. These new laws will have far-reaching benefits for all working mothers.
far-reaching consequences/implications
far-reaching changes/reforms
2. crucible n.
a) [countable noun] a pot in which substances are heated to high temperatures, metals are melted, etc.
b) [singular] a place or situation in which different cultures or styles can mix together to produce sth new and exciting
e.g. New York and Los Angeles have arguably replaced Paris as the crucible of new artistic culture.
This contributed to the collapse of global trade and the economic damage provided the crucible for conflict.
3. terms n. the conditions that people offer, demand or accept when they make an agreement, an arrangement or a contract
e.g. He violated the terms of the agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, their funding of the project will continue until 2015.
These are the terms and conditions of your employment.
e.g. The enemy was eventually forced to come to terms.
e.g. I’ll only take the job on my own terms.
4. brand-name adj. that has a company’s brand name, rather than being sold under the name of a store or under the product’s own name
e.g. brand-name goods/products brand-name drugs/medicines
e.g. Most supermarkets sell branded goods such as Heinz ketchup or Kellogg’s cornflakes as well as own-brand goods.
5. Paraphrase: 转义、转述
Cultural globalization is realized through the promotion of the production and consumption of cultural goods and services, together with commercialization of day-to-day life, such as marriage and family life, religious beliefs, work and spare-time activities; these basic elements of life are integrated with those in the less developed regions, which brings about new cultural products.
The commercialization of culture has a disturbing impact on people. What once was an element of their way of life becomes a product, rather than something unique they had made to suit their own specific needs and circumstances. At the same time, people are increasingly bombarded with new images, new music, new clothes and new values. The familiar and old are to be discarded. While there was cultural change long before globalization, there is a danger that much will be lost simply because it is not valued by global markets. “In Ghana [West Africa],” says Siapha Kamara, formerly of the Ecumenical Training and Consultancy Centre, “traditional values have been overtaken by Coca-Cola culture. The Michael Jackson style of music and culture is taking over and we don’t have the values to cope with it.”
Language points:
1. rather than: instead of
e.g. I think I’ll have a cold drink rather than coffee.
e.g. Why didn’t you ask for help, rather than trying to do it on your own? (~ + v. -ing: asking for help vs. trying to do it on your own)
e.g. I think I’d like to stay at home this evening rather than go out.
e.g. This needs to be corrected sooner rather than later.
2. be bombarded with: to be attacked with a lot of questions, criticisms, etc. or given too much information
e.g. We have been bombarded with letters of complaint.
We are bombarded daily with propaganda about what we should eat.
The children bombarded her with questions.
3. Paraphrase: Something basic in your daily life was originally created by yourself to suit your specific needs and life conditions. However, now it has become a product for sale, reproducible and no longer unique.
Consequently, it has been observed, globalized cultural industries are taking over traditional forms of creation and dissemination of culture. Local culture’s role as a spontaneous and integral part of people’s life is eroded and it ceases to serve as the means of constructing societal values, reproducing group identity and building social cohesion. The end result becomes global integration at the expense of local disintegration.
Language points:
1. cohesion n. [formal] the act or state of keeping together
e.g. The visit will focus on investments which the EU makes in the development of the region through its cohesion policy.
social/political/economic cohesion
e.g. well-structured sentences illustrating the use of cohesive markers such as “nevertheless” and “however”
Cook it a little longer until you feel the jelly has set; it should be thick and fairly cohesive.
2. Discussion: How to protect local culture from being eroded in the context of globalization? Illustrate by examples.
Directions: Please share with us your idea orally. (在以下讨论话题 中分享该题答案的录音。 录音时间在1分钟-2分钟之间赋分5分，大于2分钟赋分10分。仅有文字输入扣3分）
As with other markets, the players of the cultural market place are unevenly matched. Global media is increasingly in the hands of a few, large, powerful organizations, as is the production of music and film. For example, by 1997, the MTV television station was available to 280 million households in over 70 countries. Fearing a loss of viewers, local television stations in many African countries have filled their transmissions with cost-effective Western produced shows, superficial news broadcasts, quiz shows and, of course, advertisements. Consequently, TV programs all over the world resemble each other more and more and so do the products in the field of music, film industry and publishing companies.
Language points:
1. cost-effective a. (of methods or processes) that brings the greatest possible advantage or profit when the amount that is spent is considered
e.g. In many cases outsourcing jobs have been shown to be not cost-effective.
cost-effective measures/plans/programmes
2. resemble v. [not used in the progressive tenses] to look like or be similar to another person or thing
e.g. She closely resembles her sister.
So many hotels resemble each other.
His latest sculpture resembles an enormous seashell.
The common aspect of the globalized culture is that it pursues the same “one size fits all” ideal: the archetypical middle-class family according to the American model in which consumerism is the norm.
Language points:
1. norm n. [singular] a situation or a pattern of behaviour that is usual or expected
e.g. a departure from the norm
We need to recognize Europe’s varied cultural, political, and ethical norms.
Such a radical undermining of people’s existing values and cultures has a corrosive impact on their sense of who they are, what they want and what they respect. It attacks spiritual values and faith traditions. The cumulative effect in Africa is a crisis of cultural confidence, combined with the increased economic uncertainty and crime which global integration often brings. This creates real problems for social solidarity, whether it is at the level of nation, community or family. While it offers shiny new goods as compared to old faded ones, the market offers no replacement for such community solidarity.
Language points:
1. cumulative n. having a result that increases in strength or importance each time more of sth is added
e.g. the cumulative effect of human activity on the world environment
The company estimated the net cumulative loss would be $26 million.
2. Question: What is your understanding on this paragraph?
Directions: Please share with us your understanding on the paragraph and take an example in your life to support your idea. The example can be either something you have experiend or something you've seen or heard. (在以下讨论话题 中分享该题答案的录音。 录音时间在1分钟-2分钟之间赋分5分，大于2分钟赋分10分。仅有文字输入扣3分）
