* Cultural diffusion: the process
Describe cultural traits in terms of language, customs, beliefs, dress, images, music, food and technology. Examine the diffusion of cultural traits resulting from the international movement of workers, tourists and commodities.
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Cultural diffusion refers to the spread of cultural practices across a space.
* Consumerism and culture
Describe the role of TNCs and the media in spreading consumer culture. Select two different branded commodities and examine the spatial and temporal pattern of adoption on a global scale.
TNC activities
Transnational corporations have a strong interest in promoting the consumption of goods and services. One way this can be achieved is through the creation of a highly desirable brand.
In many cases, the brads that are marketed are entirely owned by different parent corporations. This allows TNC to continue strong sales of a locally trusted brand while being able to control the product and profits.
Marketing to a global audience is highly desirable as the profits from such markets are far greater.
Media
The media organisation play a powerful role in spreading the image and message of brands. This a highly profitable activity.
Academic Noam Chomsky referred to the term "Manufacturing Consent" when he described the power that corporate interests have in changing the way people think about a given issue. Chomsky was primarily discussing political power, however, consumer power is far more obvious.
Corporations use a range of advertising techniques, product placement and sponsorship to market distinctive and prestigious products to a global audience.
Transnational corporations have a strong interest in promoting the consumption of goods and services. One way this can be achieved is through the creation of a highly desirable brand.
In many cases, the brads that are marketed are entirely owned by different parent corporations. This allows TNC to continue strong sales of a locally trusted brand while being able to control the product and profits.
Marketing to a global audience is highly desirable as the profits from such markets are far greater.
Media
The media organisation play a powerful role in spreading the image and message of brands. This a highly profitable activity.
Academic Noam Chomsky referred to the term "Manufacturing Consent" when he described the power that corporate interests have in changing the way people think about a given issue. Chomsky was primarily discussing political power, however, consumer power is far more obvious.
Corporations use a range of advertising techniques, product placement and sponsorship to market distinctive and prestigious products to a global audience.
McDonalds OR Coca-Cola
Green Field Geography - Consumerism
McDonald's is the quintessential fast food restaurant. Coca-Cola is a likewise, the global beverage of the 20th century.
Green Field Geography - Consumerism
McDonald's is the quintessential fast food restaurant. Coca-Cola is a likewise, the global beverage of the 20th century.
Apple Products
Moorman, C. (2012) Why Apple is a great Marketer, Forbes.com
Apple has become one of the largest tech companies in the world and is only rivaled by Google for their control of IT devices and internet media sales.
Moorman, C. (2012) Why Apple is a great Marketer, Forbes.com
Apple has become one of the largest tech companies in the world and is only rivaled by Google for their control of IT devices and internet media sales.
* Sociocultural integration
Examine the role of diasporas in preserving culture in one country and the adoption of minority traits by host societies.
A diaspora is a cultural or ethnic group which has spread out from their original homeland, sometimes this is due to political unrest and at other times may be for economic opportunities.
Diasporas frequently attempt to maintain their identity in their new host countries. While diasporas inevitably assimilate into their new host culture, they usually also impact on that culture.
Diasporas frequently attempt to maintain their identity in their new host countries. While diasporas inevitably assimilate into their new host culture, they usually also impact on that culture.
Examine the impact of cultural diffusion on one indigenous and remote society through the influence of international interactions:
~The Jarawa People of the Andaman Islands
The Jarawa people live in the remote Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It is not clear how or when they arrived there but they are believed to represent a very old group of humans. The Jarawa are also distinct from other indigenous groups as they have a more African than Asian appearance. There are believed to only be around 400 Jarawar left.
The Jarawar have been protected from much human contact by their remote location and great hostility towards outsiders. The Indian Government also established laws to protect them from human contact. However, this is changing as tourists and poachers increase with globalisation. The construction of the Great Andaman Trunk road has bought both tourists and farmers through the Jarawar lands regularly and greatly increase contact frequency and duration. Survival international has claimed this is creating a "human safari" tourist trade.
Survival international also notes disease is a major problem for newly contacted tribal groups.
The Jarawar have been protected from much human contact by their remote location and great hostility towards outsiders. The Indian Government also established laws to protect them from human contact. However, this is changing as tourists and poachers increase with globalisation. The construction of the Great Andaman Trunk road has bought both tourists and farmers through the Jarawar lands regularly and greatly increase contact frequency and duration. Survival international has claimed this is creating a "human safari" tourist trade.
Survival international also notes disease is a major problem for newly contacted tribal groups.
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Examine the ways in which international interactions may result in the homogenization and dilution of culture. Define and exemplify the concept of cultural imperialism.
Cultural Imperialism is a process by which one country attempts to dominates other countries’ media consumption and consequently dominates their values and ideologies. A political-economy perspective argues that the homogenisation of culture and communication leads to shared values and ideologies.
The USA dominates world media with 85% of the global film market and 68% of the television market. A cultural imperialism perspective argues therefore that American values and ideologies are imposed upon the rest of the world , through media texts. Some examples of this include:
i. Language (English)
French used to be considered the Lingua Franca of language of global communication. However this mantel has well and truely been passed to English. English serves as the language for business, science and serves as a diplomatic language along side French, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
ii. Democracy
Liberal democracies in the Westminster and Presidential system are not universal. However, they have all but become expected of countries who are developing. Democracies have been grafted into Iraq as dictators have been removed. However, with not history of voting or representation this can be difficult.
iii. Music
Major global brand artists such as Madonna, U2 or Taylor Swift take up air time in local places displacing local forms of music.
iv. Food
The western diet high in bread, meat and sugar has been exported all over the globe. In Asia, far healthier diets of rice and vegetables has been displaced as consumers seek the novelty of a western diet. Alternately, products that come with high status due to their western image may be quite inappropriate for local economies, such as baby formula which displaces healthy breast feeding habits.
v. Tourism
Tourism has a significant impact on changing local cultures. As a economic activity tourism will change what local markets offer as tourist businesses strive to offer goods and services that are in demand.
However, tourism will also draw a range of cultures to an area exposing locals to new cultures. This may include the use of inappropriate clothing, drinking alcohol or even talking to members of the opposite sex.
The USA dominates world media with 85% of the global film market and 68% of the television market. A cultural imperialism perspective argues therefore that American values and ideologies are imposed upon the rest of the world , through media texts. Some examples of this include:
i. Language (English)
French used to be considered the Lingua Franca of language of global communication. However this mantel has well and truely been passed to English. English serves as the language for business, science and serves as a diplomatic language along side French, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
ii. Democracy
Liberal democracies in the Westminster and Presidential system are not universal. However, they have all but become expected of countries who are developing. Democracies have been grafted into Iraq as dictators have been removed. However, with not history of voting or representation this can be difficult.
iii. Music
Major global brand artists such as Madonna, U2 or Taylor Swift take up air time in local places displacing local forms of music.
iv. Food
The western diet high in bread, meat and sugar has been exported all over the globe. In Asia, far healthier diets of rice and vegetables has been displaced as consumers seek the novelty of a western diet. Alternately, products that come with high status due to their western image may be quite inappropriate for local economies, such as baby formula which displaces healthy breast feeding habits.
v. Tourism
Tourism has a significant impact on changing local cultures. As a economic activity tourism will change what local markets offer as tourist businesses strive to offer goods and services that are in demand.
However, tourism will also draw a range of cultures to an area exposing locals to new cultures. This may include the use of inappropriate clothing, drinking alcohol or even talking to members of the opposite sex.
The photos above come from two different eras. The first is a cartoon ("Globalization Invading Markets"- 2005) about americanisation and depicts the invasion of a tropical landscape by a host of global brands in a military fashion. The second ("From Cairo to the Cape"- 1885) is a celebration of the benefits of British rule over colonised Africa. Both of these cartoons depict cultural imperialism as an essentially military exercise of power, however, the they have quite different attitudes towards the process. They demonstrate a change in process too, from military might to the use of cultural power (also called "soft power").
Further reading
Codrington, S. (2015) Cultural Diffusion and Mass Consumerism, Planet Geography, p.
Adonis, J (2012) A Frenzy of Consumerism, Sydney Morning Herald
Petras, J. (2000) Cultural Imperialism in the Late 20th Century, Rebellion.
Adonis, J (2012) A Frenzy of Consumerism, Sydney Morning Herald
Petras, J. (2000) Cultural Imperialism in the Late 20th Century, Rebellion.
