1. A – Culture B – Elements of Global Culture C – Global Media
Topic 7 – Global Culture
A – Culture
B – Elements of Global Culture
C – Global Media

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Citation
Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Global Studies & Geography, Hofstra University.

3. A – Culture What is Culture? Elements of Culture
Surface and Deep Culture

4. What is Culture? Basic definition
Learned behavior; not biologically inherited.
Shared symbols (reality constructs).
Patterns of basic assumptions.
Invented, discovered, or developed by a given group:
Nation (nationalism, national culture).
Group (fraternities).
Business (corporate culture).
Shapes human behavior to produce intangible (nonmaterial) and tangible (material) components of culture.

5. What is Culture? Nonmaterial culture Material culture
Intangible ideas created by members of a society.
Language, music and literature.
Material culture
Tangible things created by members of a society.
Architecture.
Consumption goods.
Artwork and crafts.
Cultural products
The component of culture that can be consumed.
Require infrastructures.
Art, music: Theater, radio and television.
Literature: Publishing.
Consumption goods: Shopping areas (stores and malls).

6. Culture as a Lens or Filter
Representation
(Individual and Group)
Real World

7. A Slight Distortion…

8. Elements of Culture Culture Traits
The smallest distinctive items of culture.
Units of learned behavior (such as language, tools, games, music, beliefs).
Culture Regions
A portion of the earth’s surface occupied by people sharing recognizable and distinctive cultural traits.
Cultural Diffusion
An increase in the spatial extent of a particular culture trait (or group of traits).
Occurs through movement of people through space (migration) or through the adoption of a culture trait by other groups.
Cultural Ecology
Relationship between a society and its natural environment. Shaped by weather and ecosystems.

9. Elements of Culture Cultural Traits Objects: Techniques: Beliefs:
Tools.
Goods.
Techniques:
Usage of tools.
Architecture.
Beliefs:
Religious.
Ethics.
Preferences:
Food.
Fashion.
Lore:
Stories, songs.
1950s
1980s

10. World’s Most Spoken Languages, 2005 (primary or secondary)
Telegu is a language spoken in India. Wu Chinese around Shanghai. Yue Chinese (Cantonese). The most popular language is English. About 35% of the world's mail, telexes, and cables are in English.
Approximately 40% of the world's radio programs are in English. About 50% of all Internet traffic uses English.

11. A Perspective about Cultural Regions of the United States
coke: this generic term for soft drinks predominates throughout the South, New Mexico, central Indiana and in a few other single counties in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. ‘Coke’ obviously derives from Coca-Cola, the brand-name of the soft drink originally manufactured in Atlanta (which explains its use as a generic term for all soft drinks in the South).
pop: dominates the Northwest, Great Plains and Midwest. The world ‘pop’ was introduced by Robert Southey, the British Poet Laureate ( ), to whom we also owe the word ‘autobiography’, among others. In 1812, he wrote: A new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn. Even though it was introduced by a Poet Laureate, the term ‘pop’ is considered unsophisticated by some, because it is onomatopaeic.
soda: prevalent in the Northeast, greater Miami, the area in Missouri and Illinois surrounding St Louis and parts of northern California. ‘Soda’ derives from ‘soda-water’ (also called club soda, carbonated or sparkling water or seltzer). It’s produced by dissolving carbon dioxide gas in plain water, a procedure developed by Joseph Priestly in the latter half of the 18th century. The fizziness of soda-water caused the term ‘soda’ to be associated with later, similarly carbonated soft drinks.
Other, lesser-used terms include ‘dope’ in the Carolinas and ‘tonic’ in and around Boston, both fading in popularity. Other generic terms for soft drinks outside the US include ‘pop’ (Canada), ‘mineral’ (Ireland), ‘soft drink’ (New Zealand and Australia). The term ‘soft drink’, finally, arose to contrast said beverages with hard (i.e. alcoholic) drinks.

13. Types of Diffusion

14. Cultural receptiveness
Elements of Culture
Barriers to diffusion
Different culture.
Different language.
Different religion.
Lack of infrastructure:
Telecommunications.
Cultural receptiveness
Same culture.
Same language.
Same religion.
Education and affluence.

15. Elements of Culture Culture shock Acculturation Ethnocentrism
Disorientation due to the inability to make sense out of one’s surroundings.
Common for foreign travel.
Acculturation
A culture group undergoes a major modification by adopting many of the characteristics of another culture group.
May involve changes in the original cultural patterns of either or both of two groups involved.
Ethnocentrism
Using one’s culture as the standard of reference.
Cultural relativism
Understanding cultures comparatively.

16. Surface and Deep Culture
Surface culture
Traits that are apparent and readily visible to an external observer.
Deep culture
Traits that support the surface culture.
Cannot be known without an experience of the culture.
One may be aware of surface culture traits but not fully aware of “deep culture” traits.
Surface Culture
Deep Culture

17. Surface and Deep Culture
Surface Culture
Deep Culture
Language
Rituals and celebrations
Clothing
Architecture
Cuisine / Food
Public gender roles (2)
Social manners (2)
Status symbols
Technology
World view
Ethics
Life goals
Social aspirations
Religious assumptions

18. B – Elements of Global Culture
Is there a Global Culture?
Food and Diet

19. Is There a Global Culture?
Scale and scope of interactions
Flow of goods:
Diffusion of the material culture.
Flow of information:
Diffusion of the nonmaterial culture.
Flow of people:
Diffusion of cultures to new locations.
Limitations
Interactions are uneven:
Unequal cultural relations.
Cultural dependency (dominant culture).
Several material goods are expensive or unaffordable:
Imposes a selectiveness.

20. Is There a Global Culture? Possible Outcomes
Medium
(MNC, Media, Social norms)
Rejection / Backlash
Cultural Homogenization
Cultural Hybridization

21. The Three Pillars of Consumerism
Needs and wants
Always existed (mostly essential needs).
Part of social ideals; persona’s definition.
From the essential (food) to the frivolous (luxury goods).
Marketing
Mass consumption requires mass production.
Shopping mall (facility designed to incite consumption).
Advertising (create wants and needs).
Fashion (planned obsolescence).
Buying power
Relative price reduction of consumption goods; “mass luxury”.
Higher wages.
Access to credit (buy now, pay later).

22. Is There a Global Culture?
Consumerism
Culture of capitalism:
Mass production for mass consumption.
Created a substantial amount of wealth and well-being.
Consumers / producers (retailers) relations.
Final judge in the usefulness of a product.
Pursuit of material goods:
Beyond subsistence.
Role and status through products being consumed.
Luxuries transformed into necessities by marketing.
Critique:
Commodification of life and distortion of values.
Favors irrational and unproductive uses of capital (credit).
Heavy consumption is a form of misallocation away from savings.
A pathology of corporate capitalism?

23. Fulfillment Curve Fulfillment Consumption Other means Luxury Comfort
Extravagance
Source: Raskin, P. et al (2002) Great Transition The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead, Boston: Stockholm Environment Institute, p
Survival
Consumption

24. Food and Diet The human diet Strong part of group identity.
Diet is organized along models:
Commonly part of a local, regional or national identity.
Minimum caloric requirement:
2,700 calories for men and 2,000 calories for women.
Changes:
Innovation: New ingredients and preparation (locally).
Diffusion: Spread of ingredients and preparation techniques.
Hybridization: Combination of ingredients and preparation techniques.
Acculturation (2): Global products.

25. Food and cultural ecology
Food and Diet
Food and cultural ecology
About 15 plants and 8 animal species supply 90% of food.
Staple foods:
Commonality of some food components in different parts of the world.
Rice, sorghum, maize, wheat.
Chicken, pork and beef.
Related to an average daily calorie intake.
Linked to agricultural practices:
Also with agribusiness and food processing industries.
Development level and the distribution of agricultural production:
Developed economies: industrial techniques are increasingly present in the diet.
Third World countries: the diet remains often very simple and did not change for several hundred of years.

26. Food and Diet Changes in the diet Nutritional shift:
From a diet dominated by grains and vegetables to a diet dominated by fats and sugars.
Natural human desire for fat and sugar (energy dense foods; low satiation).
Between 1980 and 2000 calorie intake in the US has risen nearly 10% for men and 7% for women.
Increased corporate involvement in food supply:
From agriculture, processing and retailing.
Homogenization of global diets:
Global cultural diffusion.
Outcome of trade.
Fast food industry.

27. Food and Diet Nutrition Transition Urban and sedentary:
People are more often away from home.
1970: 75% of all food expenses spent to prepare meals at home.
2000: 50% of all food expenses for restaurants.
Element of time.
More woman in the labor force:
Away from the traditional role of food preparation.
Both members of a couple are often working.
Less preparation time available:
90% of the money spent on food is spent on processed foods.
Source: WHO.

28. Body Mass Index of Selected Countries (% of population over 25 with a BMI of 30+)
A BMI above 30 places an individual in the obese category.

29. Food and Diet “Supersizing” Larger containers and quantities:
Larger package size can increase consumption up to 55%.
1950s: The standard Coca-Cola container was 6.5 ounces.
1990s: The standard Coca-Cola container was 20 ounces.
Little cost for the supplier:
Brand name, packaging and marketing are dominant in pricing.
Larger quantities directly means higher profits.
Skew the perception of normal nutritional intake.

30. Food and Diet Wine Appellation
Production based on environmental factors.
Temperate climate (colder; white wine. Warmer; red wine).
Hillsides allow drainage and sunlight.
Coarse, well-drained soil.
Appellation
Place-of-origin label.
Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc.

31. Vodka Belt
Beer Belt
Wine Belt
Wine Belt. Beer Belt. Vodka Belt.

32. C – Global Media
Global Music
Global Media Systems

33. Global Music Classical music Rock music
The first form of global music (after 1750s).
“Language of music” standardized (musical notation).
No lyrics; can be decoded by anyone.
Linked with European expansion through colonialism.
Rock music
Late 1950s and early 1960s.
Began in the Anglo-Saxon world (UK and US).
Favored the emergence of global music industry:
Underlines the preeminence of English.
Domesticated by ‘authentic’ local musical forms:
Numerous sub-genres (heavy metal, punk, alternative, grunge).
Numerous languages.
From shallow to political messages.

34. The Global Music Industry
Major Group
Labels
Key artists
Vivendi Universal Music Group (France)
Vivendi
Elton John, Cheryl Crow
Sony (Japan)
CBS Records, Columbia, Epic, Nashville
Celine Dion, Ice Cube, Bob Dylan
EMI Group (UK)
Capitol, Virgin Records
Beatles, Rolling Stones, Spice Girls
Warner Music (US)
Elektra, Atlantic, Reprise, Rhino labels
Madonna, Eric Clapton
BMG Entertainment (Germany)
Arista, REC, Ariola
Whitney Houston, Santana, Elvis, Sinatra

35. US Music Sales,
Sources: World Almanac 2007, RIAA,

36. Global Music Digital Music Advantages: Drawback:
Higher quality (compression, increased storage capacity).
The signal does not degrade.
Not linked with a specific media (portability).
Customization (songs instead of albums; play lists); individuality.
Lower costs (affordability).
Global diffusion (internet).
Support niche markets (low entry costs).
Break oligopolistic control from record companies and media cabals.
Drawback:
More songs sold, but less albums.
Piracy; loss of revenue for the media and artists (?).
Less “superstars”?
“In the music industry, CDs which would have sold hundreds of thousands of units are now selling in the tens of thousands. The reason is painfully obvious: why pay $16 for a CD with one decent song and 12 mediocre tunes when you can buy the one good song for 99 cents on iTunes or download all the songs for free?”

37. Global Media Systems Media Year introduced Impact Newspapers 1630s
Emerged with the printing press and movable types (17th century). Many specializations (general and financial).
Newswire (news agencies)
1835
Provide news to the media (Reuters, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Agence France Presse).
Magazines
1880
Periodicals (weekly, monthly) focusing on specific topics (events, politics, people, fashion, technology).
Movies
1910
“Theatre for the masses”. Quick and low cost diffusion of entertainment. Current news (pre shows).
Radio
1920
Media access to the private home. First radio shows: to sell radios and consumer goods (“soap operas”). Rapid diffusion of news / portable.
Television / cable
1945 / 1980
Visual access to the private home. Richer content. Specialization of channels (cable).
Internet
1990
Global digital information exchange. Media rich environment. Led to video streaming (1995) and video on demand (1998).
Mobile phone / Smartphone
1983 / 2001
Portable telecommunication / Portable media access.

38. Technological Convergence, 1993-2013
Source: Reddit.
Remote control + Gameboy

39. Global Media Systems Global broadcasting
Began with short wave and wireless services (radio).
Moved into televised (cable) broadcasts.
Promote national prestige, culture and interests.
Sell advertising for global products.
Sell access to pay broadcasts.
Radio:
BBC World Service, Voice of America, Radio China International, Deutsche Welle (“German Wave”), Radio France International.
Growing rapidly:
Global news, sports, and music channels (CNNi, CNBC, BBC World, MTV, ESPNi).
Source: adapted from J. Dominick (2008) Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media in the Digital Age with Media World,The Global Village: International and Comparative Media Systems

40. Global Media Systems Sitcoms Music videos
Prevalent throughout the world.
Focus on a specific age / socioeconomic group.
High production costs.
Audiences are fragmented.
Because of language and culture they are very difficult to export:
Exports often involve an adaptation (e.g. The Office).
Music videos
Started in the 1960s (live performance recording).
Exploded in the 1980s as a new media (e.g. MTV):
Drop in radio market share favored a “visualization” of music.
Essential part of music industry; virtually all recordings released with a video.
Replaced by video streaming.

41. Average Daily Television Viewing, 2007-11 (minutes)
Source: The Economist, Sep
UPDATE with:

42. Number of Corporations Controlling the Bulk of US Media
Newspapers, Magazines, TV, Radio, Movies, Wire.

43. The Internet and the media
Global Media Systems
The Internet and the media
Conventional media:
Single source and distribution channel.
Control of information (editorial, filtering, censorship).
Internet:
Multiple sources and distribution channels.
Customizable.
Information on the web is essentially free and can be easily replicated.
Value assessment market; judging what is available at what price compared with other (free) sources.
Challenge for the conventional media:
Destruction (creative) of the conventional business model.
Adapt to the opportunities.
Complementarity with limited substitution.

44. Distribution Channels: Conventional Media and Internet
Medium (TV, Newspaper, etc.)
Content
Firm
Customers
Internet
Firm
Content
Firm
Medium (Internet)
Firm
Content
Content
Customers
Content
Customers
Customers

45. Mobile Technology Becoming Mainstream
Infrastructure
Broadband Internet.
WiFi & High-speed cellular.
GPS networks.
Hardware
Microprocessors.
Memory and storage.
Displays (touchscreens).
GPS.
Software
GUI / OS.
Browsers.
Applications.
Digital stores.
Billing.
Communication tools
Messaging. VoIP. Cameras.
Digital content
Optimized music, videos, news, search engine, shopping, weather, maps.

46. Diffusion of Telecommunication Services, 1985-2012
Source: International Telecommunication Union.

47. Share of the Population using the Internet, 2005-2012
Source: International Telecommunication Union.