Good Move People Move Ideas Move And Cultures Change.docx
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GoodMovePeopleMoveIdeasMoveAndCulturesChange
GoodMove.PeopleMove.IdeasMove.AndCulturesChange.
Todayweareinthethroesofaworldwidereformationofcultures,atectonicshiftofhabitsanddreamscalled,inthecuriousargotofsocialscientists,"globalization."It'saninexacttermforawildassortmentofchangesinpolitics,business,health,entertainment."Modernindustryhasestablishedtheworldmarket.Allold-establishednationalindustriesaredislodgedbynewindustrieswhoseproductsareconsumed,notonlyathome,butineveryquarteroftheglobe.Inplaceoftheoldwantswefindnewwants,requiringfortheirsatisfactiontheproductsofdistantlandsandclimes."KarlMarxandFriedrichEngelswrotethis150yearsagoinTheCommunistManifesto.Theirstatementnowdescribesanordinaryfactoflife.
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,andabove