Cultural Perspectives On Cultural Homogenisation
How are different cultures affected by this problem plaguing the world today?
Start ReadingSome of the cultural perspectives on the effects of cultural homogenisation explored on this website are: Asian countries, African countries and South American countries. We will be taking a deep dive into each of these perspectives in this section of the website.
Countries in Asia also are affected by cultural homogenisation despite being heavily culturalised. For example, Western culture, like Hollywood movies and fast food, is becoming popular in many Asian countries. A real-life example of cultural homogenisation happened during the 1990s when an American TV series called Hunter became one of the most popular TV series in the country. This led to a change in the behaviour of the local town and even led to people protesting when police did not produce an arrest warrant to support his detention for a minor argument. The main cause of this was that the farmer misinterpreted what was being shown in the TV series. Laws across countries are majorly different and even between provinces in China they change significantly.
Some people worry that this might lead to a loss of tradition and languages, like when young people in Japan start speaking more English than Japanese because of global influences. Others see it as a way to mix different cultures and create something new, like K-pop taking the world by storm, blending Korean and Western styles. Young people often like the new and old cultures. Some governments try to protect their traditional cultures like India promoting its ancient traditions such as yoga and Ayurveda. In contrast, others welcome the changes, like China embracing global trade and technology.
Africa is the poorest and least developed continent. It would make sense that there are many cultural perspectives here as they aren’t reliant on technology. A study done by the University of Ovuokeroye found that many citizens of Africa believe that Western culture, western education, western information and technologies dominated by America have overshadowed theirs.
For instance, Western music, clothing, and technology are becoming popular in many African countries. This might lead to a loss of their traditional ways of life and languages, like when young people in Nigeria start using English more than their native languages because of global trends. Others see it as a way to mix different cultures and create something new, like Senegalese music which combines African rhythms with hip-hop and reggae, or when African fashion designers mix traditional patterns into modern styles. Young people often enjoy the blend of old and new cultures. Some governments try to protect their traditional cultures, such as South Africa's efforts to preserve its indigenous languages and traditions. In contrast, others welcome the changes, like South Africa embracing technology and global trade as it ranks higher in the global trade index every year.
Cultural homogenisation in South America is caused by worldwide connections and influence, and how cultures across the continent are becoming more alike. For instance, the influence of European music, clothing, and technology is becoming popular in many South American countries. It is becoming a major worry that this might lead to a loss of traditional ways of life and languages. Others see it as a way to mix different cultures and create something new, like Celtic and Irish music which combines European and American rhythms, or when European fashion designers mix traditional patterns into modern styles.
On the other hand, some governments try to protect their traditional cultures, such as South America's efforts to preserve its indigenous languages and traditions. Another example of other countries' cultures affecting South America is their fashion and clothing. For example, People would wear clothing like the pollera, a skirt used in Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America. Over time, would ditch old traditional clothing in favour of more conventional clothing like track pants and jackets. But some South American countries remain unchanged such as Brazil and Argentina as their global trade makes up for less than 30% of their GDPs.