Monday, October 24, 2011

Culture for Sale. . .Anyone?

In 2011, the term globalization is just as ubiquitous as the word travel, yet some take for granted just how globalized our world has become. In Thomas Friedman’s book The World is Flat, he defines globalization as the interweaving of markets, technology, information systems, and telecommunications networks in a way that links them together. The interconnected elements that comprise globalization affect all parts of society including the economy, governance, and culture. The recent global economic crisis is a great example of the sometimes negative impact of a one world economy.
While some aspects of globalization are negative, others can be more entertaining. For instance, the U.S. primetime hit TV show, Ugly Betty was a spin-off from a popular Colombian telenovela called Betty La Fea. Before and during its time in the U.S., Betty la Fea was exported to 70 countries. According to Jade Miller’s text, “Ugly Betty Goes Global: global networks of localized content in telenovela industry,” Ugly Betty and other telenovela’s are widely popular with audiences throughout the world because they “combine universally appealing stories (rags-to-riches) and style (melodrama) with localizable specifics with which viewers can easily identify” (Miller, 2010). The telenovela industry in particular has witnessed isomorphism globally through the way in which television shows have copied its format.
Within the sphere of globalization, the process of cultural transfer is an integral component. Cultural transfer causes nations to adopt, enhance and alter things that are inherent to another culture. Television programming and fashion are two examples of cultural transfer. As companies expand their presence in the global public sphere glocalization becomes a norm that brings each of us together.

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