AMSCO 9.6 Globalized Culture Notes

📍Topic 9.6 Empires: Globalized Culture

📖 AMSCO p.679 - p.687

Main Idea

Key Timeline

Image Courtesy of Siya

Things to Know

Political, Social, and Artistic Changes

• The growth of modernism and consumer culture occurred during the 20th century.
• Political Changes:
  • After the Cold War, the collaboration and creation of regional and global organizations, like NAFTA, the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization, took place.
• Social Changes:
  • International organizations allowed for cultural diffusion.
  • Rights movements brought marginalized people into mainstream media.
  • Scientific and technological advancements took place like: Einstein’s theory of relativity, telegraphs, vaccines, and cars.
• Artistic Changes:
  • Cubism was created by Picasso to challenge traditional art forms.
  • Stream-of-consciousness writing challenged traditional narration.
  • Arnold Schoenberg and his new music compositions, along with jazz from the Harlem Renaissance, shaped music during the 20th century.
  • The Harlem Renaissance was a rebirth of African American culture and its art, music, poetry, and social activism; it allowed for black artistic expression to the rest of the U.S.

Global Consumer and Popular Culture

• Popular culture was expressed through radio and movies, and then later through television.
• During WWII, the radio played an important role in national defense in industrialized nations.
• Radio and television also led to an increase in consumer culture because of its aired commercials.
• In the 1990s, the internet was also used to express popular culture.
• Americanization created resentment among those who felt that their unique cultural identity was being taken away by American popular culture.
• America’s consumer culture is labeled as throwaway culture around the world because of all the waste production and pollutants.
• English Spread and Changes:
  • Through American culture and the influence of the British Empire, English became a second language throughout the world.
  • English-speaking corporations moved their call centers to countries, like India and the Philippines, where people who spoke English would work for lower wages.
• Global Brands and Commerce:
  • Global brands ****like Toyota, Apple, and Nike emerged because of increased advertisement and distribution.
  • Online commerce is another form of global commerce and online commerce companies include Amazon and Alibaba (in Asia).
• Global Influences on Popular Culture
  • Examples of influences of other cultures on American culture: Bollywood, anime, reggae, K-pop.
  • Streaming video sites like YouTube have helped popularize musical styles internationally, like K-pop.
• Social Media and Censorship:
  • Social media can has its good and bad parts, as it can both inspire and manipulate people.
  • Some countries, like China, ban social media from outside their country to censor any criticism they may face.
• Global Culture in Sports:
  • The Olympic Games internationalized sports.
  • The World Cup, the NBA, and the MLB turned soccer, basketball, and baseball, respectively, into global games.
  • As sports grew in popularity, they also became increasingly available to women of all religions.

Global Culture and Religion

• The Hari Krishna movement was influenced by an American song containing lyrics of ancient Hindu scriptures.
• New Age religions were revived for a mostly Western audience.
• The Buddhist and Daoist movement Falun Gong was suppressed by the Chinese government which led to an international protest against the communist government.
• In the early 21st century, the global population of nonbelievers grew.

Terms to Remember