In Defence of Culture
In recent years, much fuss has been made about the impact of globalization. Working towards my political studies degree from 1998 to 2002, I had the great priviledge of hearing about this, well, pretty much every single day. No matter what class I was in, it seemed that we invariably came around to the same theme: the internationalization of business, trade, consumption and culture. This last one was an especially popular topic of discussion and provided ample fodder for many class debates and research papers. Was the world really becoming “Americanized”? Were McWorld and Planet Wal-Mart inevitable? Were distinct national cultures being threatened by the growth of global values based on capitalism and consumerism?
If you had asked me these questions in 1999 or 2000, I probably would have answered you with an angry, left-wing “yes!”. I would have told you that corporations (mostly Western) were busy ruining the planet by eagerly rampaging across national borders, trouncing out local cultures with mega-malls, fast food restaurants and Hollywood movies. I would have decried the spread of mass consumption culture (all the while consciously taking part in it myself). I would have told you that governments and trade organizations were busy supporting this planetary cultural destruction while pretending they were powerless to control their own creation. Soon we were all to be mindless drones, eating at McDonald’s, shopping at the Gap and watching Friends, with “cultural difference” being nothing but a few tacky tourists sights standing testament to ways of life people neither remembered nor cared for.
And what about if you ask me this question now, in late 2003? I would tell you that back then I was full of shit.
So what changed my mind? One word: China. This country is chock full of foreign outlets, restaurants and stores, and their numbers seem to be increasing by the day. Hangzhou seems to have a special affinity for them (or vice versa). I’m living in the midst of an emerging consumer culture ready to eagerly lap up all the goods and services that multinationals have to offer. It’s not progress unless it’s shiny and costs a lot. So, is China going to be thoroughly “Westernized” in a few decades? Like a NeoAmerica, only full of Chinese people? Forget about it. Culture is too resilient to be destroyed by a few foreign restaurant chains.
Perhaps the problem lies in the understanding of culture often thrown around in globalization debates. Sure, it involves fashion, food, shopping patterns and entertainment. But I also think that it goes much deeper: our cultures are truly at the root of who we are and how we understand the world. I have been living in China for a year and a half, and still have a lot of difficulty even remotely understanding the Chinese view of things. Can I recognize certain cultural characteristics and act accordingly to avoid misunderstandings? Sure. Can I ever truly THINK like a Chinese person? I highly doubt it.
I am a product of Canada; of its shared history, sparse population and immense geography. Furthermore, I am a product of Montreal and its interesting ethnic mix. I am no doubt shaped by my family’s Irish background and all that entails. I am also a product of an infinite amount of further variables which I’m really not going to try and list here. These chance circumstances have conspired to influence my understanding of the world. Get me to live in China for two years? Sure, it’s a fascinating place. Get me to try and see China through the eyes of a local? That’s where you lose me. The question is not whether we can recognize or accept difference, but whether we can ever truly experience that difference. I don’t think we can.
Look at Canada and the United States: you would be hard-pressed to find two countries more superficially similar. If culture was judged solely on the basis of food, fashion and entertainment preferences, Canada would indeed be the 51st state. The Great White North is dominated by its rather larger southern neighbour. Canada is beyond economically dependent on the States; in fact, it would not surprise me if most companies just treat northern North America as one seamlessly integrated market for all intents and purposes. Canadians eagerly consume American cultural products, watch mostly American television, drive (and even manufacture) a lot of American cars…damn, we even share sports leagues! So does this mean that a distinct Canadian culture is on its way out? Highly doubtful.
In fact, there has been a lot of media talk recently about a widening cultural gap between the two neighbours; as Canada’s economic ties with the States increase by the day, the differences in social values and world outlook are growing larger, not smaller. You can check out some interesting articles (mostly from the American point of view) on this phenomenon here, here and here. So what is going on? Wasn’t globalization supposed to make everyone think the same? Wasn’t eating a Big Mac supposed to make me more American? If even Canadians don’t end up thinking like their southern neighbours, what hope does the rest of the world have?
Perhaps the growth of global production and consumption will drive people to highlight their differences, not forget them.
The more various countries begin to look superficially similar, the more their citizens might strive to preserve the foundations that make them unique, that tie them specifically to their national history and experience. Canada’s quest for national identity has been dominated largely by highlighting how we are different from Americans.
So I think national cultures are pretty safe for the foreseeable future. History and geography are just a few of the forces too powerful to be overcome. We should turn our attention to the most serious problems of globalization: environmental degradation and sustainability issues. I don’t care if Chinese people drive American and European cars. I do care if, as a result, I can no longer breathe.
End note: It is fairly common for foreigners to decry the increasing presence of global chains here in China as an encroachment of Western culture (I myself have been guilty of this, exasperated to see yet another Starbucks rear its ugly head). But if you are North American or European, think back to your hometown: how many Chinese restaurants are there? Probably tons. In fact, most cities even have their own Chinatowns. Bastardized Chinese food has become so ingrained that many probably don’t even think of it as a foreign dining experience. So why does no one decry the centuries old encroachment of Asian culture on the West? Because it doesn’t threaten culture, it adds to variety.
When you go eat at a “western” Chinese restaurant, do you do it because you think it’s cool to be Chinese? No, you probably do it because the food is great and you are hungry. Do you renounce your own culture by stuffing yourself at an Oriental buffet? Of course not. Similarly, do I think about how cool it is to be Swedish when I go to Ikea? Nope, I just want some furniture.
So I would guess that the situation is similar here in China: when they eat at KFC or McDonald’s, there’s a good chance it’s just because they like the food, not because they worship American culture. And based on personal experience, McDonald’s here is definitely pretty Chinese. (observe the mad mass swarming the counter trying to get an order in without a line in sight)