Reconceptualizing Cultural Globalization: Connecting the “Cultural Global” and the “Cultural Local”

Abstract

Scholars generally are in agreement that the pace of globalization is rapidly accelerating. Globalization's impact, beyond the socioeconomic and political discourses, is affecting conceptions of culture and cultural studies, and changing and restructuring spaces, global, national and personal interactions and relationships. The "texts" and artifacts borne of culture-activities, events and our conception thereof are a mechanism for the propagation of culture. Simultaneously Westernization/Americanization impacts local cultures through consumerism, which obfuscates local traditions, knowledge and experiences. This research argues that culture is a dynamic, adaptive concept and practice, "borrowing" liberally from ideological and technological innovations of other cultures and integrating these borrowed aspects into the construction and modification of culture across spatial and geographical divides to ensure particular cultures' survival. The research shows that the local affects the global, and vice versa. It selects local communication "texts" to show that cultures are not "victims" of globalization or the proliferation of mass media. Cultures actively adopt and integrate globalization's technological artifacts. Globalization's positive effects are dynamic and span cultural interactions and permeate structures of authority at personal, national and global levels.

Exploring the Construal of Cultural Hybridity in the Maps for Lost Lovers: A Discourse Stylistics Study

“…It has been recognized by Magu (2015) that the effect of Globalization permeates local cultures because the cultures have the ability to be dynamic and adaptive. Naranjo (2008) attempted to demonstrate the cultural hybridity in three canonical Chicano novels with the help of the characters of Antonio, a boy (lack of name) and Becky.…”

“…Thus, the violation of the maxim of Quantity, Charag's usage of directive and representative speech acts and his stubbornness for committing vasectomy and considering it a good act show that his culture has become hybrid and he does not bother to reply exactly to his mother and states something else to cut this matter off. He neither wants his mother's involvement in his personal matters, nor wants to fulfill his religious norms as what Magu (2015) explained in his study that under the effect of globalization the local cultures get changed (For reference, see Literature Review).…”

Local reception of global media texts: Telenovelas as sites of cultural mixture in Ghana

“…To a large extent, cultural globalisation is seen as a corollary to the globalisation of media because the mass media has become the purveyor of global information (Movius, 2010). The consequences of globalisation, however, span cultural interactions and may disrupt stable identity structures at personal, national and global levels (Magu, 2015). Crane (2011, p.1) defi nes cultural globalisation as the 'cross-border fl ows of national and transnational cultures.'…”

“…Hence, the broadcast of foreign media texts in local areas may obfuscate local experiences, knowledge and tradition. Whilst this is true, Tomlinson, (2012) and Magu (2015) aver that local cultures are not necessarily victims of globalisation because cultures can also adopt and integrate globalisation's attractions. However, much remains to be known about this resilience of local cultures as globalisation intensifi es.…”

“…Although Simply Maria is not the only telenovela or global media text which audiences are exposed to, the cultural infl uence of Simply Maria is deep and it may lead viewers to cultivate new attitudes, beliefs, values and ways of life. Although, personal identity is the part of culture most infl uenced by the telenovela, the spread of culture through television could destabilise national and global level identities structures as well (Magu, 2015).…”