Reflecting on the Paradox of Globalisation: China's Search for Cultural Identity and Coherence

Abstract

China's intellectuals have responded to the cultural impact of globalisation in various ways. Some have welcomed it, regarding it as the harbinger of cultural changes that will modernise China and lead to democratic reform. Many more have expressed hostility and alarm, fearing increased individualism and consumerism. China's leaders have nevertheless determined to further expose the country to global forces, confident that the Chinese state is sufficiently robust to counter threats to its sovereignty in the cultural realm. However, the paradoxical tendencies of globalisation — cultural homogenisation and cultural fragmentation — will constitute a significant challenge to the leadership in defining and guarding what it understands 'Chinese' culture to be.

The French Paradox: Implications for Variations in Global Convergence

“…Saletan (2011) chronicles how some bloggers who accessed the Internet to practice their English were exposed to politics and human rights, and became politicized, for instance. Similarly, the Chinese government consistently uses the Internet and social media censorship as a means to block external influences (Faure and Fang, 2008;Knight, 2006), including when pro-democracy protests are sweeping Hong Kong.…”

International Presence as a Factor of Influence on the Development of Visual Communication Design in China at the End of the Xx Century

“…(1989), Minick, S. and Jiao P. (1990); Turner, M. (1993), Wong, W.S. (1999; 2001; 2007), Knight, N. (2006), Feifei, F. (2006). The development of the "Chinese factor" in international graphic design is examined by W.S.…”

“…Wong (2003). The question of preserving national identity in the design of visual communications is considered by researchers Knight, N. (2006), Feifei, F. (2006). Albums and catalogs that accompanied organizational professional events in the field of design -exhibitions, competitions, professional forums (Catalog of Graphic Design, 1996; Exhibition Catalog, 1999) contain valuable factual material.…”

Cultural capital in intercultural theatre

“…For Bourdieu (1988: 243-248), cultural capital can exist in embodied, objectified or institutionalised states. Knight (2006) contends that the view that Han Chinese culture is national culture is prevalent in China. It might be that Wang thinks physical difference is the clearest way of marking Christy and his father as Other.…”