Home >> History, Ideology & Science >> Globalization

     Email   Print 

Americanization of Global Culture

Trish Hallmark - 4/19/2007

Are Americans forcing a global culture that smacks of red, white and blue? As corporate giants like Wal-Mart, McDonalds, and Starbucks dot the globe, fueled by entrepreneurship ideologies, are they diluting the distinct cultural differences of our world? The debate over the Americanization of global culture centers around the trepidation of a world speaking only English, living by westernized society mores and values, homogenized into one deep-dish apple pie.

Culture is a society’s conglomeration of its language, spiritual practices, social mores and values, transmitted from one generation to another; it is tacit and esoteric and too most, it is precious and fragile. Global culturization is a diffusion of cultural values and ideas across national borders. One might argue that America is the by-product of European and British global culturization. We are all familiar with the tales of missionaries motivated by zealous ideologies diluting local cultures with their religious convictions. Global culturization is not a new phenomenon.

That was then, this is now and no one can argue that the acceleration of global culturization is attributed to technological advances such as the telephone, television, world-wide media, and now most recently, the internet. While many pundits argue these advances aren’t necessarily the brain-child of America, they agree that as a global economic influence, America certainly led the race once the starter gun fired, hence the Americanization of global culture.

The American culture is pervasive in almost every walk of life thanks to global entrepreneurship and the internet. If one wants to partake in American culture, one need not go far to accomplish it. From fast-food, to movies, to pop music, one need only walk down the street in cities like Taiwan for a McDonald’s cheeseburger or logon to Myspace on the internet. In the heart of China’s Forbidden City, sits a Starbucks, where young people go for a cup of java, as well as the atmosphere of appearing chic and hip…and dare I say, American.

Through “good old fashioned capitalism” America came to the forefront of global culture. McDonalds owns over 30,000 restaurants world-wide, in 113 countries. Starbucks sells coffee-on-the-go in 40 overseas markets, operating 12,000 stores and plans to open new stores in Brazil, India, Egypt and Russia. Nike has stores on six continents. Wal-Mart has 2,700 global retail units employing 500,000 and according to FLOW reports authored by Michael Strong (CEO) and co-founder of FLOW, “WalMart might well be single-handedly responsible for bringing about 38,000 people out of poverty in China each month, about 460,000 per year.” (Global Envision website article, October 6, 2006.)

Countless U.S. companies have left an impression on the world, redeeming and otherwise. During this process of garnering a global market share, activists emerged that raised issues and held transnational corporations to societal and environmental standards. These voices speak out to the world and ensure our capitalist stronghold does not dilute local culture and customs; in addition they raise important issues such as protection of rain forests and maintaining ethical labor laws.

Corporate social responsibility is now part and parcel of the Americanization of global culture. It’s no longer enough to enter a developing country, build a factory, promise financial stability and go home to count your money. Let’s face it, having a reputation as a greedy, money-grabbing American company, without a social conscience for the poverty-stricken countries in which they do business, can harm the bottom line.

People simply won’t buy their products. Once these activities were revealed to the public, corporations were forced to make dramatic changes to rectify their activities. For example, following questions about labor practices in El Salvador, Gap constructed a Code of Vendor Conduct that is monitored in its worldwide operations. Nike contributed 7.7 million dollars to the International Youth Foundation after controversies arose around child labor practices. Today, transnationals such as Starbucks, McDonalds, Wal-Mart, and Nike have in one form or another, budgets and business strategies dedicated to Social Responsibility.

Some caution that corporate social responsibility is simply a PR tactic designed to circumvent debate over the negativity associated with U.S. corporations stepping into developing countries unabated. However, building social and ethical concerns into a business strategy is not simply a PR move. Wal-Mart, for example, sells indigenous crafts via ninety-four Wal-Mart Superstores and all proceeds go directly back to the Mexican community from which they were generated. This requires developing systems and training staff to initiate and sustain this type of program; it’s more than PR. McDonalds has a strict code of ethics for their suppliers. It’s not enough to simply provide lettuce to the local restaurant, the conduct code is enforced or vendors loose contracts. It would seem that American corporations are taking steps to be socially and culturally sensitive to the environments in which they participate, turning a new leaf for the Americanization of global culture.

How does the world view globalization? The 2006 GlobeScan and Worldbank survey released in the beginning of 2007, noted that two out of three Africans view globalization as a positive influence on their lives. The Voice of the People Gallop Poll 2006, surveyed sixty-four countries about their views of globalization and noted that 57% Western Europeans, 56% Latin Americans, and 49% Asians viewed it as necessary and positive. The hegemony of American culture may not inspire the pessimism that anti-globalization activists would want us to believe.

Will America continue to lead the way towards global culturization? Predictions say no as the debate shifts to a larger and previously elusive cultural influence. "By 2020, globalization could be equated in the popular mind with a rising Asia, replacing its current association with Americanization." (Special report by the U.S. National Intelligence Council, December 2004). China in particular has established new foreign policy including trade agreements with Latin American countries and lines of credit in the billions of dollars to African nations. One might ask that if China is earmarked as the emerging leader in globalization, will the same weary eyes focused on America shift their gaze to China transnationals and ensure China engenders corporate social responsibility with the same fervor that America has.

The redeeming qualities of American influence are tangible enhancements like economic diversity, democracy, and human rights, transitioning a society from mere subsistence to prosperity; these are signs of modernization. Once you no longer struggle for food and shelter, then one has the luxury to take stock of the defining characteristics that make your culture unique. As Radley Balko states in his article, Globalization & Culture: Americanization or Cultural Diversity?, “The wealth from access to markets, then, enables developing people to make the shift from sustenance economies to merchant economies, a transition that enables art and culture to flourish. There’s little time for culture…when you’re scrambling for survival.”

In today’s world we participate with the sharing of ideas and information, but also with crime and terrorism, events that connect the world. What we do in one country affects those living in another and enables global members to maneuver through those crises more effectively as a unit, rather than as individuals.

The Americanization of global culture evokes many viewpoints. To some, it means a newly modernized society with economical and democratic freedoms. To others, it means a cultural dilution through the ethnocentric domination of our red, white and blue. And yet others view it as the catalyst to reap the benefits of American culture, while simultaneously preserving its own, and through technology promoting it. It is global culture to a degree, yet not entirely homogeneous…and dare I say, not completely American.