Globalisation, Media & Hipsters.

Quoting George Orwell here, “most people that bother with the matter would admit… (The world) is in a bad way” (Orwell, G 1946). Now of course George Orwell was talking about the English Language however I am talking about the loss of individualism. I am sure you aware (just as I am) that everyone is beginning to dress and look alike. Why is this happening, why are people sacrificing their identity? I suggest a possible reason is in fact globalization and the media.    

Realistically, globalization & media cannot be accurately discussed without the mentioning of culture or identity. The numerous existing and emerging social media technologies have really made Marshall McLuhan’s ‘Global village’ a reality. The notion of course being that new & developing tools for media and communication have integrated every culture into one giant community. This would perhaps suggest a loss of identity for many people in the world, as ones own individualism (or self) becomes harder to distinguish as cultural heritage becomes diluted across the globe.

This proposes “the phenomenal leaps in communication technology” (Srivastava, S 2005-2010, Warren, B 2011, Moore, C 2012-2013) as brought about by the modernist movement of the nineteenth century, have been creating a hegemony in society as people sacrifice their individualism to fit in the dominant social group or trend presiding at the time.

Sampling one current social trend is the Hipster movement.

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3xe-Wxio1o

Image Citation: Popular Culture, Hipsters- A sub and counter culture. <http://psupopculture.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/hipsters-a-sub-and-counter-culture/>

Social media in its base form is “the networking of ideas and peoples” (Srivastava, S 2005-2010, Warren, B 2011, Moore, C 2012-2013), but what happens when this networking diminishes our individualism, and turns us all into metaphorical zombies? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n8yg9C6QKA

In one article, it is suggested that we (the world) are aware of globalization (Kawai, Y 2003) and because of this “become more conscious of our differences and are expected to relativize our identities” (Kawai, Y 2003). This is just one aspect of how globalization is producing “a world that increasingly moves in synch” (Srivastava, S 2005-2010, Warren, B 2011, Moore, C 2012-2013).

So next time you leave the house, don’t just walk out with a plaid shirt & chinos, or leggings and a knitted sweat. Be creative. Show some individualism.  

David Macardy

Citations:

Kawai, Y 2003, '’English as the Second Official Language of Japan?’: Globalization, Hegemony of English, and Japanese National Identity', Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, pp. 1-36, Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 31 July 2013.

Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore, The Medium Is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects (New York, 1967; reprint, San Francisco, 1996)

Orwell, G 1946, 'Politics and the English language', Horizon, vol. 13, iss. 76 April pp. 252-265

Srivastava, S (2005-2010) Warren, B (2011) Moore, C (2012-2013) ‘Globalization and its contexts’. Accessed 25^th July 25, 2013.   

Image Citation: 

Popular Culture, Hipsters- A sub And Counter Culture <http://psupopculture.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/hipsters-a-sub-and-counter-culture/>

Global Foods

Whilst examining the link between media, globalization and culture, Rantanen in his article Theorizing media and globalization (2005) identified numerous definitions of the term Globalization.

M. Waters as cited by Rantanen (2005) defined Globalization as “the social process in which the constraints of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede” (Rantanen, T 2005).

Simply put, my definition of globalization is this, the world at your door. 

But how exactly is the world at your door? Obviously my definition is meant metaphorically, by which I define globalization as other cultures, their information and their media influencing your part of the world.

Personally, I consider that the greatest example of globalization and media can be observed through cuisine.    

Using food as an example, one of the earliest forms of globalization could be considered “migrating birds” (Thompson, J 2009); Birds that have eaten seeds and transported them around to other parts of the globe, spreading new plants, foods, spices etc. (Thompson, J 2009).

Image Source: DeeDeeFlower, Italian Food ‘Pizza Pie, FanPop.  

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/italian-food/images/19538837/title/pizza-pie-wallpaper

 Today however, with the increasing media coverage of the world, cultures and their foods have made their way into our ordinary life. Have you ever eaten spaghetti? Pizza? Ice Cream?

All these foods originated from another country, and with growing media technologies, all the recipes for these foods have become increasingly accessible.

Watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXuaglNcOJA

Congratulations, you now know how to cook traditional Italian cuisine. This video identifies two flows of globalization. The first being physical flow, which refers to the “movement of people across national boundaries” (Srivastava, S 2005-2010, Warren, B 2011, Moore, C 2012-2013). The chef in this video is Italian, working and living in the United States. The second flow identified is the cultural flow that refers “skills, beliefs and practices that move and travel around the world” (Srivastava, S 2005-2010, Warren, B 2011, Moore, C 2012-2013). The chef is preparing the meal according to traditional Italian practices and skills that he learned from his origins in Italy, representing in its own way a cultural identity. This representation of globalization can also be witnessed on many network channels that regularly host international cuisine recipes and chefs. 

Surely now you must feel a global presence at your front door?

David Macardy  

Citations:

Srivastava, S (2005-2010) Warren, B (2011) Moore, C (2012-2013) ‘The Flows and Scapes of Globalization’. Accessed 25^th July 25, 2013.  

Rantanen, T. (2005) ‘Theorizing media and globalization’, The Media and Globalization, Sage, London, pp. 1-18.

Thompson, J 2009, 'Discourses of Change: Food and the Rhetoric of Globalization', Conference Papers -- National Communication Association, p. 1, Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 July 2013.

  

External Links:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXuaglNcOJA>

Image Citation:

DeeDeeFlower, Italian Food ‘Pizza Pie, FanPop.  <http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/italian-food/images/19538837/title/pizza-pie-wallpaper>

Introduction.

Hi. I'm David Macardy.
Currently I am studying a degree in Media Communication. As a part of my degree I am required to produce a blog. Over the next few weeks I will be updating this page with some scholarly blogs on Globalisation & the Media. Stay tuned.