Clash of cultures Comparative Sociology Week 17 Recap

Clash of cultures? Comparative Sociology Week 17

Recap • Looked at different forms of capitalism • Agreement that there are differences between national cultures • But what those differences are and how they relate to other factors in each society is debated

Outline • New world order – Conflict within post-colonial relationships • Cultural imperialism – Conflict between the west and the developing word • Clash of cultures – Conflict between Islam and the West

New World Order • The term ‘New World Order’ has multiple definitions and different starting points. • Post-colonial world • Collapse communist states • After attacks on the World Trade Centre • All refer to change in macro political relationships which impact on everyday lives

Post-colonial theories • Focuses on the power-relationships between the western and ‘third worlds’ • Examines the ongoing effects of the relationship between colonisers and colonised • Looks at the shift from overt political control to neo-colonialism

Post-colonial • Colonial countries begin to disconnect from their former colonisers

‘Free’ trade • Trans-national free-market system – Liberal capitalism enforced by World Bank/IMF – Structural adjustment • Privatisation of utilities such as water – Trade agreements • GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) • NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

Globalisation • Growth of western dominated multinationals

Fair trade? • Move production to labour costs – Lower wages – Child labour – Reduced health and safety

Free trade? • Discuss with you neighbours the advantages and disadvantages the globalisation of free market capitalism?

Cultural imperialism • Cultural imperialism is the way in which one culture is ‘forced’ onto another • In history this has been through military power or law – Certain languages banned from education • Often used now to explain the domination of the western media and its impact on local cultures

Cultural imperialism • Economic dominance has been accompanied by cultural dominance, particularly through media – Growth of English as a world language – Western dominance of internet – Multinational media corporations • Reshaping world culture to a western model?

America Dream as export? • Disney is often the key example

Cultural dominance? • Discuss with your neighbours to what extent you think cultural imperialism is happening and/or a problem

Clash of cultures • Since the collapse of the communist states debates started about a new ‘clash’ of cultures. • A new ‘enemy’ of centred around particular Islamic cultures has been constructed in the media and political rhetoric

‘Them and Us’ • Freedom • Constraint • Democracy • Totalitarian regimes • Rule of law • Unjust • Rational • Fundamentalist

‘Our values’ • New Legislation – Patriot Act (USA) • Power to access information about everything from medical records to books bought without probable cause. – Terrorism Act 2000 (UK) • Can stop and search for articles connected with terrorism without having grounds to suspect the person is carrying such an article. • Both have been used primarily on minority-ethnic groups • Opponents of the Patriot Act have been branded as supporters of terrorism

Fundamentalism? • Terrorism is not ‘new’ in the US or UK • In Oklahoma City 19 April 1995 – government building – 168 people died, 500 injured • Timothy Mc. Veigh was not a ‘white terrorist’ or a ‘Christian extremist’despite being linked to anti-government militias

Clash of cultures? • Discuss with your neighbours the extent to which you think there is a clash of cultures?

Cultural Values? • Inglehart and Norris have used the world values survey to examine the cultural divide • They argue that in terms of political principals such as democracy the West and Muslim countries have similar values • The biggest divide is in attitudes towards acceptable societal behaviour – Divorce, abortion, gender equality, and gay rights

Summary • Considered how national culture is developed through history particularly in relation to colonialism • Considered if ‘cultural imperialism’ is a social problem • Explored the emerging ideas about a clash of cultures

Next week • Looking at welfare systems – particularly Europe and the US • Look in more details at the development of different forms of welfare • Consider the relationship between capitalism and welfare