Globalization Consequences on Cultural Studies

It is fair to say that the impact of globalization in theCoca Cola and what sense do they make of the
cultural sphere has, most generally, been viewed in asoap-operas they watch? Do they really trade in their
pessimistic light. Typically, it has been associated withcentury old life worlds for the kinds of Madonna and Bill
the destruction of cultural identities, victims of theGates? And how does the homogenization scenario fit
accelerating encroachment of a homogenized,with its rival, the imminent cultural fragmentation?
westernized, consumer culture. This view, the(Joana Breidenbach and Ina Zukrigl).
constituency for which extends from (some)Global and local analysis is inseparability. Global forces
academics to anti-globalization activists (Shepard andenter into local situations and global relations are
Hayduk 2002), tends to interpret globalization as aarticulated through local events, identities, and cultures; it
seamless extension of - indeed, as a euphemism for -includes studies of a wide range of cultural forms
western cultural imperialism. In the discussion whichincluding sports, poetry, pedagogy ecology, dance,
follows I want to approach this claim with a good dealcities. The new global and translocal cultures and
of skepticism.identities created by the diasporic processes of
Postmodern culture, the politics of post-structuralismcolonialism and decolonization. Cultural studies consider
and the influence of globalization on identity are topicsa variety of local, national, and transnational contexts
that have received much critical attention and havewith particular attention to race, ethnicity, gender, and
given rise to complex debates. Whether in the field ofsexuality as categories that force us to rethink
cultural and media studies, (post)colonial discourseglobalization itself.
analysis or aesthetics, these discussions are oftenIt is very important how local and particular discourses
perceived as being extremely complicated, confusingare being transformed by new discourses of
or removed from everyday reality. The subject ofglobalization and transnationalism, as used both by
postmodernism is no longer restricted to learnedgovernment and business and in critical academic
debates by intellectual elites: Its appearance in massdiscourse. Unlike other studies that have focused on
media discussions concerning topics as diverse asthe politics and economics of globalization, cultural
architecture, drama, fashion, literature, music or film hasstudies, today, articulating the Global and the Local
become almost a daily occurrence. The importance ofhighlights the importance of culture and provides
debates on the cultural impact of television ismodels for a cultural studies that addresses
self-evident in the light of television being "an assetglobalization and the dialectic of local and global forces.
open to virtually everybody in modern industrializedGlobalization leads to a new cultural diversity. Culture is
societies and one which is increasing its visibility acrossone of the most prominent global concepts and gets
the planet" (Barker, The Cultural impact of television, 3).appropriated in highly diverse ways. From its origins,
The Cultural Studies in a Global Context fosterscultural studies have defined its interdisciplinary impulse
cross-disciplinary research and teaching among socialas a necessity derived from the nature of its object of
sciences and humanities scholars, focusing on thestudy. Stuart Hall locates the origin of cultural studies in
complexities of increasing globalization and interculturalthe refusal to allow "culture" to be distinguished from
contact. These changes have stimulated both formalthe social and historical totality of human practices, as
and informal dialogues and collaborations amongexemplified by the refusal of cultural studies to
faculty, graduate students, professors of departments,acknowledge the autonomy of high art from mass or
and programs. Recently their works have focused onpopular culture, or the autonomy of cultural artifacts
environmental issues in postcolonial contexts; empire,from practices of reception and consumption in
masculinity and gender; ethnic and religious violence;everyday life. Thus globality leads to the emergence
migration and diasporas as it currently occurs in theof new cultural forms - a process points out that
face of accelerating globalization and from a historicaleverywhere cultural tradition mix and create new
perspective; theories of cultural hybridity andpractices and worldviews.
interculturality in the context of asymmetrical powerOne of the key questions in globalized cultural studies
relations; and geopolitical and other kinds of bordersis whether we have now entered a new moment in
where differences of all kinds cause peoples to clashthe institutionalization of cultural studies and
and intermingle.interdisciplinary work more generally. Cultural studies
Two powerful scenarios dominate the public discoursealso have a long history of skepticism and self-critique
about the cultural consequences of globalization. Thedirected at its own institutionalization. Typically, the way
one very common scenario represents globalization ascultural studies seeks to make its methodologies mirror
cultural homogenization (for example Benjamin Barbersthe "totalizing" nature of its object is cited as a
McWorld vs. Jihad). In this scenario the culturally distinctdefense against reductive institutional codification along
societies of the world are being overrun by globallydisciplinary lines, which it is feared will not only reduce
available goods, media, ideas and institutions. In a worldcultural studies to a formula but also eliminate the
where people from Vienna to Sidney eat Big Macs,interdisciplinary forms of dialogue, collaboration, and
wear Benetton clothes, watch MTV or CNN, talk aboutcritique of disciplinary limits that have informed the
human rights and work on their IBM computers culturalhistory of this movement. The logic of epistemological
characteristics are endangered. As these commoditiesmobility and boundary-crossing that cultural studies
and ideas are mostly of western origin, globalization isshares with its definition of culture is supposed to
perceived as westernization in disguise. The otherprovide an inherent resistance to disciplinary formation,
scenario is that of cultural fragmentation andthe traditional mode of academic legitimating. The
intercultural conflict (Huntington's Clash of civilizationsinterdisciplinary logic of cultural studies makes possible
and most recently "confirmed" by the ethnocide inan alternative mode of institutionalization, so that Stuart
Yugoslavia).Hall distinguishes "institutionalization," as a positive
But can we really reduce the processes of culturalprocess, from the dangers of "codification." On one
globalization (i.e. the process of world-widelevel, what a cultural studies program institutionalizes is
interconnections) to these two stereotypes? Whatits own skepticism toward institutionalization as a
about the meaning that local people attach to globallydiscipline.
distributed goods and ideas? Why do people drink