Cultural homogenization: Between McDonaldization and translation into a local context

Abstract

The paper shows an influence of globalization on culture, through two mutual, but contradictory processes - cultural homogenization and translation. Cultural imperialism, McDonaldization and commoditization are three basic directions, along which thesis of cultural homogenization moves. Cultural imperialism is most frequently tied to pro-westernization or westernization in broader sense, and to Americanization as promotion and imposition of an American lifestyle in narrower sense. The sociologist George Ritzer calls this universal trend McDonaldization, which represents imposition of one unique form by which the society is to function. The commoditization of culture means transformation of all aspects of life, eventually the human life itself, into products being traded on the market. On the other hand, translation means translation of global cultural contents into local context. In addition, it means that cultural globalization is a two-way process, leading also to homogenization and fragmentation, i.e. homogenization of cultural forms and contents, but also their breaking into separate parts. At the edges of so-called global culture, manifold of cultural forms are developed, but without domination of one particular type of culture.

Improving EFL Teaching in Chinese Universities: Perceptions of Teachers with Oversea Experience

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