Good-Move.-People-Move.-Ideas-Move.-And-Cultures-C

GoodMove.PeopleMove.IdeasMove.AndCulturesChange.Todayweareinthethroesofaworldwidereformationofcultures,atectonicshiftofhabitsanddreamscalled,inthecuriousargotofsocialscientists,globalization.It'saninexacttermforawildassortmentofchangesinpolitics,business,health,entertainment.Modernindustryhasestablishedtheworldmarket.Allold-establishednationalindustriesaredislodgedbynewindustrieswhoseproductsareconsumed,notonlyathome,butineveryquarteroftheglobe.Inplaceoftheoldwantswefindnewwants,requiringfortheirsatisfactiontheproductsofdistantlandsandclimes.KarlMarxandFriedrichEngelswrotethis150yearsagoinTheCommunistManifesto.Theirstatementnowdescribesanordinaryfactoflife.Howpeoplefeelaboutthisdependsagreatdealonwheretheyliveandhowmuchmoneytheyhave.Yetglobalization,asonereportstated,isareality,notachoice.Humanshavebeenweavingcommercialandculturalconnectionssincebeforethefirstcamelcaravanventuredafield.Inthe19thcenturythepostalservice,newspapers,transcontinentalrailroads,andgreatsteam-poweredshipswroughtfundamentalchanges.Telegraph,telephone,radio,andtelevisiontiedtighterandmoreintricateknotsbetweenindividualsandthewiderworld.Nowcomputers,theInternet,cellularphones,cableTV,andcheaperjettransportationhaveacceleratedandcomplicatedtheseconnections.Still,thebasicdynamicremainsthesame:Goodsmove.Peoplemove.Ideasmove.Andcultureschange.Thedifferencenowisthespeedandscopeofthesechanges.Ittooktelevision13yearstoacquire50millionusers;theInternettookonlyfive.Noteveryoneishappyaboutthis.SomeWesternsocialscientistsandanthropologists,andnotafewforeignpoliticians,believethatasortofculturalcloningwillresultfromwhattheyregardastheculturalassaultofMcDonald's,Coca-Cola,Disney,Nike,MTV,andtheEnglishlanguageitself—morethanafifthofallthepeopleintheworldnowspeakEnglishtosomedegree.Whatevertheirbackgroundsoragendas,thesecriticsareconvincedthatWestern—oftenequatedwithAmerican—influenceswillflatteneveryculturalcrease,producing,asoneobservertermsit,onebigMcWorld.Popularfactionssprouttoexploitnationalistanxieties.InChina,wherexenophobiaandeconomicambitionhaveoftenstruggledfortheupperhand,arecentbookcalledChinacansaynobecamethebest-sellerbyattackingwhatitconsiderstheChinesewillingnesstobelieveblindlyinforeignthings,advisingChinesetravelerstonotflyonaBoeing777andsuggestingthatHollywoodbeburned,TherearemanyWesternersamongthedenouncersofWesternculturalinfluences,butJamesWatson,aHarvardanthropologist,isn'toneofthem.ThelivesofChinesevillagersIknowareinfinitelybetternowthantheywere30yearsago,hesays.Chinahasbecomemoreopenpartlybecauseofthedemandsofordinarypeople.Theywanttobecomepartoftheworld—IwouldsayglobalismisthemajorforcefordemocracyinChina.Peoplewantrefrigerators,stereos,CDplayers.Ifeelit'samoralobligationnottosay:‘Thosepeopleoutthereshouldcontinuetoliveinamuseumwhilewewillhaveshowersthatwork.'Westernization,Idiscoveredovermonthsofstudyandtravel,isaphenomenonshotthroughwithinconsistenciesandpopulatedbyverystrangebedfellows.CriticsofWesterncultureblastCokeandHollywoodbutnotorgantransplantsandcomputers.BoostersofWesternculturecanpointtoincreasedeffortstopreserveandprotecttheenvironment.YettheymakenomentionofsomelesssalubriousaspectsofWesternculture,suchascigarettesandautomobiles,which,evenastheyarebeingeagerlyadoptedinthedevelopingworld,arehavingdisastrouseffects.Apparentlywesternizationisnotastraightroadtohell,ortoparadiseeither.ButIalsodiscoveredthatculturesareasresourceful,resilient,andunpredictableasthepeoplewhocomposethem.InLosAngeles,theostensiblefountainheadofworldculturaldegradation,IsawmorediversitythanIcouldeverhavesupposed—atHollywoodHighSchoolthestudentbodyrepresents32differentlanguages.InShanghaiIfoundthatthetelevisionshowSesameStreethasbeenredesignedbyChineseeducatorstoteachChinesevaluesandtraditions.WeborrowedanAmericanbox,onetoldme,andputChinesecontentintoit.InIndia,wheretherearemorethan400languagesandseveralverystrictreligions,McDonald'sservesmuttoninsteadofbeefandoffersavegetarianmenuacceptabletoeventhemostorthodoxHindu.Thecriticalmassofteenagers—800millionintheworld,themosttherehaveeverbeen—withtimeandmoneytospendisoneofthepowerfulenginesofmergingglobalcultures.Kidstravel,theyhangout,andabovealltheybuystuff.I'msorrytosayIfailedtodiscoverwhowasthefirstteenagertoputhisbaseballcaponbackward.Orthefirstonetocopyhim.ButIdoknowthatrapmusic,whichsprangfromtheinner-cityghettos,beganmakingbigmoneyonlywhenrebelliouswhiteteenagersstartedbuyingit.Buthowcananyonepredictwhatkidsaregoingtowant?Companiesurgentlyneedtoknow,soconsultantshavesprunguptoforecasttrends.They'recalledcoolhunters,andAmandaFreemantookmeinhandonemorningtoexplainhowitworks.Amanda,whois22,worksforaNewYork-basedcompanycalledYouthIntelligenceandhascometoLosAngelestoconductoneofthreeannualsurveys,whoseresultsgotosuchclientsasSprintandMTV.Shehasshoulder-lengthbrownhairandiswearingaknee-lengthbrocadeskirtandsimpleblackwraptop.Amandalooksverycooltome,butshesaysno.Thefunnythingaboutmyworkisthatyoudon'thavetobecooltodoit,shesays.Youjusthavetohavetheeye.Wegotoasmallish‘50s-styledinerinLosFeliz,