In my last blog post I highlighted how globalisation had
facilitated the spread of various traditional cultures leading to one overall
global culture. However this is not quite the whole story. Firstly, it must be
emphasised that cultural change does not occur everywhere, there are still
pockets of many untouched cultural traditions e.g. tribes living in the Amazon.
Similarly change does not occur everywhere in the same way and at the same
rate; the processes of globalisation are not geographically uniform in that
some cultures are influenced more than others. For instance, one culture in
particular has tended to dominate the others – the western culture. This leads
me on well to the next process I want to discuss, and that is ‘westernisation’...
Westernisation is a process whereby people practise or
imitate western customs lifestyles and values. Below are some striking pictures
from the National Geographic that illustrate this concept well; they could be a
good resource to present students with as a starter activity for them to
begin thinking what the topic of the lesson might be:
More images are available from the following web link:
Some people argue that westernisation brings many positive
aspects to countries in terms of advancing there development and improving their
way of life. For example educational standards can be advanced as teaching
resources are better developed by improved technologies and the ability to
share it worldwide. Lifestyles of inhabitants can also be changed as companies
bring new facilities with them such as new restaurant chains, fashion styles
and customs that people have the chance to try an experience if they so choose.
However, in general there is usually a negative attitude
associated with the effects of westernisation, and arguably the main concern is
the role it has on culture. For a lot of places the culture of an area has been
a key factor enticing tourists to visit. Subsequently if the culture is lost or
altered the tourism may also reduce causing possible economic insecurity and
job losses. Additionally the loss of cultural values with the replacement of
western ones will inevitably lead to a world where everything is just the same,
and in my opinion fairly disengaging. For one what would be the point in
travelling abroad if it will simply present the same views and cultures as one
can experience at home? This process is something I will look at in my next
blog post.
To finish off this blog post I wanted to share a quick idea
I had for getting students thinking about the role of westernisation. To begin
with I would introduce the students to a new culture such as that of life in
Kyushu, rural Japan. A video such as the one linked below would be a good start
to get the students immersed in the way of life there:
I would then provide
them with a fact file illustrating daily life there such as the farming methods
used, the housing styles, their diet and ways they chose to dine. Following
this I would request the students change this traditional way of life by westernising
it to hopefully demonstrate how powerful the process can be on a traditional
way of life.
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