Cross-Cultural+Exchanges+and+Global+Communications

Cross-Cultural Exchanges and Global Communications = = =** Cross-cultural exchanges and global communication **=

** Global Barbie **
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 * Western consumerism becoming a global phenomenon
 * Sara versus Barbie in Iran
 * Barbie seen as a threat to Islamic values, symbol of cultural imperialism
 * They were afraid of the westernization that Barbie brought along
 * In response to the Barbie Iran produced their own doll, Sara.
 * Iranian dolls, Sara and her brother Dara (an Islamic cleric), are modest alternatives and were actually pretty popular
 * Barbie in Japan
 * They were also afraid of the westernization that Barbie brought
 * The image of the Barbie was unsettling. Many children were afraid of the new doll with its long legs and arms.
 * A lot of Americans thought that the Japanese couldn’t handle how pretty the doll was.
 * Previous propaganda from WWII played a role in the distrust of the doll.
 * The company Mattel created a new doll for Japanese market named Licca which is still popular to this day
 * Where as Iranians reject image of Barbie, Japanese adjust Barbie to their aesthetic

** Consumption and cultural interaction **

 * Global culture of consumption was also known as Americanization or McDonaldization
 * Due to advertising people were more influenced by western culture especially food and clothing
 * Homogenization of global culture: blue jeans, Coca-Cola, McDonalds took away from the ethnic restaurants and traditionns


 * Western icons often replaced local businesses and indigenous cultures
 * Brand names also identify local products, for example, Swiss Rolex, Perrier, Armani


 * Pan-American culture competes with United States
 * Eva Peron (Evita) has become a pop icon in Argentina and beyond because of her musical talent and her performances hit Broadway
 * Latin American societies blended foreign and indigenous cultural practices such as “Spanglish” which was an attempt to combine Spanish and English. Having an MTV Latino was another foreign intrusion

** The age of access **

 * Globalization minimizes social, economic, and political isolation


 * English became the primary language of global communication systems
 * Critics: mass media become a vehicle of cultural imperialism
 * Xia Hong said that “The Internet is an information colony” he attempted to create an exclusive Chinese language network that would consist of Chinese characteristics
 * China attempts a firewall to control the people from being influenced by a capitalist country instead of maintaining their communist ways.
 * Adaptations of technology in authoritarian states
 * Some countries used US technology such as the television as a tool to reach masses of people and try to make themselves look better.
 * An example was in Zaire where the television showed dictator Mobutu Sese Seko walking on clouds to portray himself as a higher being.
 * In Vietnam and Iraq their government limited access to foreign servers on their Internet.