GoodMovePeopleMoveIdeasMoveAndCulturesChangeWord下载.docx

GoodMovePeopleMoveIdeasMoveAndCulturesChangeWord下载.docx

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Howpeoplefeelaboutthisdependsagreatdealonwheretheyliveandhowmuchmoneytheyhave.Yetglobalization,asonereportstated,"

isareality,notachoice."

Humanshavebeenweavingcommercialandculturalconnectionssincebeforethefirstcamelcaravanventuredafield.Inthe19thcenturythepostalservice,newspapers,transcontinentalrailroads,andgreatsteam-poweredshipswroughtfundamentalchanges.Telegraph,telephone,radio,andtelevisiontiedtighterandmoreintricateknotsbetweenindividualsandthewiderworld.Nowcomputers,theInternet,cellularphones,cableTV,andcheaperjettransportationhaveacceleratedandcomplicatedtheseconnections.

Still,thebasicdynamicremainsthesame:

Goodsmove.Peoplemove.Ideasmove.Andcultureschange.Thedifferencenowisthespeedandscopeofthesechanges.Ittooktelevision13yearstoacquire50millionusers;

theInternettookonlyfive.

Noteveryoneishappyaboutthis.SomeWesternsocialscientistsandanthropologists,andnotafewforeignpoliticians,believethatasortofculturalcloningwillresultfromwhattheyregardasthe"

culturalassault"

ofMcDonald'

s,Coca-Cola,Disney,Nike,MTV,andtheEnglishlanguageitself—morethanafifthofallthepeopleintheworldnowspeakEnglishtosomedegree.Whatevertheirbackgroundsoragendas,thesecriticsareconvincedthatWestern—oftenequatedwithAmerican—influenceswillflatteneveryculturalcrease,producing,asoneobservertermsit,onebig"

McWorld."

Popularfactionssprouttoexploitnationalistanxieties.InChina,wherexenophobiaandeconomicambitionhaveoftenstruggledfortheupperhand,arecentbookcalledChinacansaynobecamethebest-sellerbyattackingwhatitconsiderstheChinesewillingnesstobelieveblindlyinforeignthings,advisingChinesetravelerstonotflyonaBoeing777andsuggestingthatHollywoodbeburned,

TherearemanyWesternersamongthedenouncersofWesternculturalinfluences,butJamesWatson,aHarvardanthropologist,isn'

toneofthem."

ThelivesofChinesevillagersIknowareinfinitelybetternowthantheywere30yearsago,"

hesays."

Chinahasbecomemoreopenpartlybecauseofthedemandsofordinarypeople.Theywanttobecomepartoftheworld—IwouldsayglobalismisthemajorforcefordemocracyinChina.Peoplewantrefrigerators,stereos,CDplayers.Ifeelit'

samoralobligationnottosay:

‘Thosepeopleoutthereshouldcontinuetoliveinamuseumwhilewewillhaveshowersthatwork.'

"

Westernization,Idiscoveredovermonthsofstudyandtravel,isaphenomenonshotthroughwithinconsistenciesandpopulatedbyverystrangebedfellows.CriticsofWesterncultureblastCokeandHollywoodbutnotorgantransplantsandcomputers.BoostersofWesternculturecanpointtoincreasedeffortstopreserveandprotecttheenvironment.YettheymakenomentionofsomelesssalubriousaspectsofWesternculture,suchascigarettesandautomobiles,which,evenastheyarebeingeagerlyadoptedinthedevelopingworld,arehavingdisastrouseffects.Apparentlywesternizationisnotastraightroadtohell,ortoparadiseeither.

ButIalsodiscoveredthatculturesareasresourceful,resilient,andunpredictableasthepeoplewhocomposethem.InLosAngeles,theostensiblefountainheadofworldculturaldegradation,IsawmorediversitythanIcouldeverhavesupposed—atHollywoodHighSchoolthestudentbodyrepresents32differentlanguages.InShanghaiIfoundthatthetelevisionshowSesameStreethasbeenredesignedbyChineseeducatorstoteachChinesevaluesandtraditions."

WeborrowedanAmericanbox,"

onetoldme,"

andputChinesecontentintoit."

InIndia,wheretherearemorethan400languagesandseveralverystrictreligions,McDonald'

sservesmuttoninsteadofbeefandoffersavegetarianmenuacceptabletoeventhemostorthodoxHindu.

Thecriticalmassofteenagers—800millionintheworld,themosttherehaveeverbeen—withtimeandmoneytospendisoneofthepowerfulenginesofmergingglobalcultures.Kidstravel,theyhangout,andabovealltheybuystuff.I'

msorrytosayIfailedtodiscoverwhowasthefirstteenagertoputhisbaseballcaponbackward.Orthefirstonetocopyhim.ButIdoknowthatrapmusic,whichsprangfromtheinner-cityghettos,beganmakingbigmoneyonlywhenrebelliouswhiteteenagersstartedbuyingit.Buthowcananyonepredictwhatkidsaregoingtowant?

Companiesurgentlyneedtoknow,soconsultantshavesprunguptoforecasttrends.They'

recalled"

coolhunters,"

andAmandaFreemantookmeinhandonemorningtoexplainhowitworks.

Amanda,whois22,worksforaNewYork-basedcompanycalledYouthIntelligenceandhascometoLosAngelestoconductoneofthreeannualsurveys,whoseresultsgotosuchclientsasSprintandMTV.Shehasshoulder-lengthbrownhairandiswearingaknee-lengthbrocadeskirtandsimpleblackwraptop.Amandalooksverycooltome,butshesaysno."

Thefunnythingaboutmyworkisthatyoudon'

thavetobecooltodoit,"

shesays."

Youjusthavetohavetheeye."

Wegotoasmallish‘50s-styledinerinLosFeliz,aslightlyseedypocketeastofHollywoodthathasjustbecometrendy.Thenwewanderthroughafewofthethriftshops."

Ifit'

snotgoingtobeaffordable,"

Amandaremarks,"

it'

snevergoingtocatchon."

Whattrendsdoessheseeformingnow?

"

thehomeisbecomingmoreofasocialplaceagain.Andtravel'

shugerightnow—yougotoaplaceandbringstuffback."

It'

sreallyhardtobeoriginalthesedays,sotheeasiestwaytocomeupwithnewstuffistomixthingsthatalreadyexist.Fusionisgoingtobethehugetermthateverybody'

sgoingtouse,"

sheconcludes."

There'

sgoingtobemoreblending,likeSpanishmusicandpunk—thingsthataresounrelated."

LosAngelesisfusioncentral,whereculturesmixandmorph.TakeTomSloperandmah-jongg.Tomisacomputergeekwhoisalsoamah-jonggfanatic.ThisbeingAmerica,hehasfoundawaytomarrythesetwopassionsandselltheresult.Hehasdesignedasoftwareprogram,Shanghai:

Dynasty,thatenablesyoutoplaymah-jonggontheInternet.ThisancientChinesegameinvolvesbothstrategyandluck,anditisstillplayedalloverAsiainsmallroomsthatarefullofsmokeandtheceaselessclickofthechunkyplastictilesandthefierceconcentrationoftheplayers.ItisalsoplayedbyrichsocietywomenatcountryclubsinBeverlyHillsandinapartmentsonManhattan'

sUpperWestSide.ButTom,50,wasplayingitathisdeskinLosAngelesoneeveninginthesilenceofanearlyemptyofficebuilding.

Actually,heonlyappearedtobealone.Hisglowingcomputerscreenshowedagamealreadyinprogresswithseveralhabitualpartners:

BlueWhale,"

amanfromGermany,;

Russ,fromOhio;

Freddyboy,aChinese-AmericanwholivesinEdina,Minnesota.Tomplayedeffortlesslyaswetalked.

I'

velearnedabout11differentstylesofmah-jongg,"

hetoldmewiththatdetachedfriendlinessofthosewhosetrueconnectioniswithmachines."

ThereareacoupleofdifferentwaysofplayingitinAmerica.WeusuallyplayChinesemah-jongg."

Iwatchedthelittletiles,likecards,bouncearoundthescreen.AsTomplayed,heandhispartnersconversedbytypingshortcommentstoeachother.

Doesheeverplaywithrealpeople?

“Ohyeah,”Tomreplied.“Onceaweekattheofficeintheevening,andThursdayatlunch.”Anewnameappearedonthescreen.“There’sFred’smother.Can’tbe,they’reinVegas.Oh,itmustbehissister.TJ’sonlinetoo,she’stheonefromWales-arealnightowl.She’sgettingmarriedsoon,andshelivedwithherfiance,andsometimeshegetsupandsays‘Getoffthatdamncomputer!

’”

Tomplayedonintothenight.AtleastitwasnightwhereIwas.He,anamericanplayingaChinesegamewithpeopleinGermany,Wales,Ohio,andMinnesota,wasupinthecyberspherefarabovetheleveloftimezones.Itisarealmpopulatedbyindividualshe’snevermetwhomaybemorerealtohimthanthepeoplewholivenextdoor.

IfitseemsthatlifeintheWesthasbecomeafast-forwardblur,considerChina.Injust20years,sincemarketforceswereunleashedbyeconomicreformsbegunin1978,lifeformanyurbanChinesehaschangeddrastically.Arecentsurveyof12majorcitiesshowedthat97percentoftherespondentshadtelevisions,and88percenthadrefrigeratorsandwashingmachines.Anotherstudyrevealedthatfarmersareeating48percentmoremeateachyearand400percentmorefruit.Cosmopolitanmagazine,plungingnecklinesandall,isreadby260,000Chinesewomeneverymonth.

IwenttoShanghaitoseehowtheculturaltrendsshowupinthelargestcityintheworld'

smostpopulousnation.ItisalsoacitythathaslongbeenopentotheWest.GeneralMotors,forexample,setupitsfirstBuicksalesoutletinShanghaiin1929;

todayGMhasinvested1.5billiondollarsinanewplantthere,thebiggestSino-AmericanventureinChina.

Onceacityofelegantvillasandimposingbe