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Masia
globalenvision.org
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"The twain of East and West have not only met they've mingled, mated and produced myriad offspring,
inhabitants of one world, with-out borders or boundaries, but with plenty of style, hype, and attitude.
In Beijing, they're wearing Levis and drinking coca cola; in New York, they're sipping tea in Annua Sui.
While Pizzicato Five is spinning heads in the U.S. Metallica is banging them in Japan
Pop Cosmopolitanism
Are You A Pop Cosmopolitanist? Consider these questions if you answer YES to some I'd say you are?
Do you seek out interesting foreign films or DVD's’s?
Do you look for varied cuisine from other cultures when you dine out?
Are you involved in online courses from other cultures?
Are you play a role in Anime and Manga?
Do you subscribe to foreign websites for entertainment or news sources?
Do you subscribe to foreign websites for entertainment or news sources?
Do you seek activities from other cultures to do in your spare time - Bollywood movies, games ?
Do you subscribe to foreign news sources online?
Do you use Skype to chat or video call friends overseas?
Do you keep in touch globally with friends around the world on Facebook and other social sites?
Do you subscribe to foreign or Indigenous sites in your interest areas?
Do you subscribe to foreign news sources online?
Do you use Skype to chat or video call friends overseas?
Do you keep in touch globally with friends around the world on Facebook and other social sites?
Do you subscribe to foreign or Indigenous sites in your interest areas?
Have you been to a Japanese tea ceremony in Australia?
Do you search for unusual cooking ingredients?
Do you practice meditation or yoga ?
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| Japanese Tea Ceremony In New York |
We used to think of a person who enjoyed different cultures or who had an International approach as a person of discernment or "cultured". A person considered to have good taste, who sort out foreign films, music, literature, art and cuisine from other lands to enhance our western lifestyle. Now we have the term - Pop Cosmopolitanism "The transcultural flow of popular culture and cultural competency” 1
Teenagers in America are striving to make themselves different to their parents by participating in Anime and Japanese manga, watching martial arts films and Bollywood, as well as adopting asian rituals into their way of life such as the Tea Ceremony in New York (pictured above)
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| The Global Disney Audience project 11/100 countries studied for familiarity with MM 100% had seen a Disney movie
en wikipedia.org
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These all bring a feeling of unity as likeminded people share common interests from around the globe through websites, games, social networking and fandom. On the other hand, the Asian teenagers are wearing Levi’s and following everything that says "American Culture" especially in relation to fashion, music and the entertainment industry.
I was sad to read that more American children know Pokemon than Grimms fairy tales or Hans Christian Anderson but who in the world does not know Mickey Mouse?
Jenkins describes convergence of Participatory culture in a global context in two ways;
"The top down push of corporations-media ownership and and the bottom up pull of grassroots.- local, regional, individual and cultural" 1
The grassroots level is all of us individually participating in various new media where we now are able to play a fuller role in shaping media and cultural content.
Digital technology has meant cultures can mix and share globally. Cultures are likely to change as they adopt new experiences from other ways of life in music, dance, lifestyle, design, media and culinary habits and food.
Technology has allowed different cultures to come together as one. The cultural changes we see occur because we can communicate between people all over the world very easily and we can express ourselves through new media via social networking sites, Internet access and Skype, blogs, websites, films, vids, and other participatory media.
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Indian Film Lagaan
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Paradoxically we see remote cultures around the world adopting mobile phone use as a priority even thought they may be undeveloped in other areas. For example the Pundits in the Himalayas with internet access yet little or no possessions and the Masai tribesmen above in the featured image above.The more connected and available new media is to indigenous, remote or minority cultures will mean the degree of change they will experience so the more connected we become the more we will see unity amongst diverse cultures. Unfortunately there are some cultures around the world in the middle east for example where access to new media is only available to the elite or as in the above examples limited to mobile phones rather than all aspects of digital technology.
With faster internet communication foreign producers are distributing content directly to the U.S and large corporations or institutions along with grassroots organisations who can play a more direct role in cultural content in participatory culture and new media.
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| Peepli Live |
By using social networking sites, the film industry and the internet, diversely different cultures are able to voice their opinions on world affairs that in the past would never have been heard, gain recognition for cultural works within regional, local and national levels and send a warning or plea for help with cultural adversity that previously was difficult to broadcast. As Srinivasan states " communities can use the internet to exchange information, preserve histories, generate diasporic identities, and share resources that can enable collective political and social causes to be realised" 2
The outcome of convergence is not a culture devoid differences but a culture rich in diversity and the ability to search out new means of gaining a competitive edge.
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| Bollywood Dance |
There are challenges to be considered but having a broader awareness of all cultures and with the clever use of the internet and digital technology we can help to preserve, protect and develop intrinsic differences thereby making cultures more stable and stronger.
The loss of languages in remote areas around the world or minority and indigenous cultures is an example of grassroots convergence.The age old language of Sanskrit for instance: Sanskrit is the oldest language known to humankind, some consider it to bethe basis of all language.Sanskrit has been neglected and is at risk of being forgotten as a language. By harnessing the power of New Media we can bring awareness to other cultures, institutions and organisations to direct change and preservation.There are many examples of initiatives using new media to foster change in Global issues some of these are ; UNESCO has been active in publishing lists of endangered languages 2. The World Oral Literature Project established by Cambridge University in 2009. aims to capture these endangered languages online to secure preservation.3
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The Ajam Media Collective is an online space that showcases the myriad contributions of Iranian, Asian,and Diaspora communities that foster the promotion of diverse regional views and bring them together in one site.4
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| St Peppers 1967 |
Since we first saw the media images of the Beatles in the 1960's with Maharishi we have had a love affair in the West and India and the exciting, colourful culture. Now today America cannot get enough of Bollywood and has a fascination with Indian culture, food, spices and especially entertainment and their film industry.
American entertainment industries not keen to loose market share are joining cultural convergence and launching companies to produce films in many countries or on corroboration with other cultures. As we saw with the popular film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" A combined production from Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. there are many films across the world using production and distribution companies from varied cultures - Italy, India, France, New Zealand and Japan.
I watch and enjoy the following foreign films and I wonder that does make me a pop cosmopolitanist?
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| Indian Film Mangel Pandey |
Rang de Basanti -India
Parineeta -India
Il Postino -Italy
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo -Sweden
Hidden -France
Life is Beautiful -ItalyThe Motor Cycle Diaries -Argentina
The Mission- UK
Lagaan -India
Cinema Paridiso-Italy
References:
2. Ramesh Srinivasan (2006). Indigenous, ethnic and cultural articulations of new media. Volume 9(4) (pp 497-518). Sage Publications. International Journal of Cultural Studies.
United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation: www.unesco.org/
3. The World Oral Literature Project : http://www.oralliterature.org
4. The Ajam media collective: http://ajammc.wordpress.com/about/
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